What is the purpose of a curb?
This question has a number of answers, but here are some of them which explain why they are important.
- Curbs help to control water runoff and, in conjunction with the crown in the roadway, direct rainwater to the side of the street where it will not impede traffic.
- Curbs, if they are high enough, help to keep the water off the sidewalks so that it is safer for pedestrians.
- Curbs help to keep vehicular traffic in the streets and off the sidewalks where they could injure a pedestrian. If they are high enough (between 4 and 8 inches as recommended by PennDOT) they do, in fact help keep traffic in the streets and away from pedestrians.