Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Boston, MA (2026)
3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
Boston Code § 16-18.1 bars using a sidewalk in a way that causes more than ordinary wear unless the abutting owner built it of granite or stone to Public Works Department standards: in which case that owner, not the city, must keep it in repair.
Boston Sidewalk Use & Repair Duty
Light RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 16-18.1
No person shall use a sidewalk for any purpose which subjects it to more than ordinary wear, or injures the material of which it is composed, unless such sidewalk is, by the owner of the abutting estate, constructed of granite or other stone, in a manner satisfactory to the Commissioner of Public Works, and kept in repair by such owner.
Obstruction Rules
Boston lets the Public Works Commissioner issue a permit to block a sidewalk temporarily for raising or lowering goods into a building, but § 11-6.11 caps that obstruction at 15 minutes at a time and requires barriers from the building wall to the curb to protect pedestrians.
Boston Sidewalk Loading Obstruction Permits
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 11-6.11
The Commissioner may issue such a permit to a responsible person for the purpose of raising and lowering goods and merchandise into and from buildings, on condition the terms of which shall be those stated in Subsection 5-5.28, and in addition that the person applying for the permit shall maintain, during the whole time the work is in progress, good and sufficient barriers across the sidewalk, ...
Encroachment Permits
Anyone who wants to open, occupy, obstruct or otherwise encroach on a Boston street must get a Public Works Department permit under § 11-6.9, which fixes the time, place, size and use of the work and layers on lighting, ADA-accessible path, inspection and police-detail conditions before the Commissioner signs off.
Boston Street Opening & Encroachment Permits
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 11-6.9
The Commissioner may issue permits to persons having authority in the premises to open, occupy, obstruct and use portions of the streets. Such permits shall specify the time, place, size and use of such opening, occupation or obstruction, and shall be granted upon condition the terms of which shall be those stated in Subsection 5-5.30, and upon the further conditions as follows... (6) The Commi...