Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Erie, PA (2026)
3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for Erie, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
Erie puts sidewalk construction and repair squarely on the abutting property owner's shoulders and dime under Section 903.01, requiring safe, paved condition at all times. If an owner won't do the work after notice, the City Engineer can do it and bill the owner, adding interest and penalties.
Erie Property Owners Must Fix Own Sidewalks
Some RestrictionsCity of Erie, PA Codified Ordinances § 903.01 (Property owner to construct and maintain sidewalks)
On every street which now is or hereafter shall be laid out and opened to the public use in the City, it shall be the duty of the several owners of the lots or parcels of land abutting thereon, and they are hereby enjoined and required, at their own expense, to construct and maintain convenient sidewalks in front of and adjoining their respective lots or parcels of land, and to pave the same an...
Obstruction Rules
Placing boxes, lumber, coal, ashes or any other item that blocks a sidewalk in front of your property is a summary offense in Erie, punishable by up to a $300 fine. Bicycle racks are exempt if kept between 28 and 38 inches tall and no more than 3 feet wide.
Erie Bars Obstructing Sidewalks and Alleys
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, Article 719 (Streets and Sidewalks), §§ 719.01, 719.05, 719.06, 719.99
No person shall place or allow to be placed upon the sidewalks in front of his premises any bales, boxes, barrels, hogsheads, crates, lumber, coal, wood, ashes or any article or thing whatsoever that may obstruct such walk. However, bicycle racks may be placed and maintained in the outer edges of the sidewalks, provided such racks shall be not less than 28 nor more than 38 inches in height, and...
Encroachment Permits
Blocking or closing a public sidewalk for construction or redevelopment work in Erie requires a sidewalk closure permit from the Bureau of Engineering first. Closures cannot exceed 90 days without a fee-paid 90-day extension, and any closure over 180 days total is barred outright.
Erie Sidewalk Closure Permit Required for Construction
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, Article 719 (Streets and Sidewalks), § 719.11(a),(d),(g)
(a) No person, firm or corporation shall block, restrict or close any public sidewalk for the purposes of conducting construction or redevelopment activities without first having been issued a sidewalk closure permit by the Bureau of Engineering. ... (d) An application for a sidewalk closure permit shall not be approved unless the applicant can demonstrate that such closure is critical to the p...