Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Lynchburg, VA (2026)
3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for Lynchburg, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
Lynchburg puts sidewalk upkeep squarely on the abutting property owner. City Code Sec. 35-61 requires the owner or occupant of any real property abutting a public sidewalk, step, bridge or crossing to maintain it in a safe condition at their own expense, not the city's.
Lynchburg Sidewalk Repair Duty
Some RestrictionsLynchburg City Code Sec. 35-61 (Maintenance and indemnification)
In order to protect the public safety it shall be the duty of the owner or occupant of any real property which abuts any sidewalk, steps, bridge, or any other crossing that has been installed in the public right-of-way for the benefit of the private property abutting the public right-of-way to maintain, at the owner or occupant's sole expense, such sidewalk, steps, bridge, or other crossing in ...
Obstruction Rules
Lynchburg bans placing anything in a street or sidewalk that hinders pedestrians or vehicles under City Code Sec. 35-8, with each hour of an ongoing obstruction judged a separate offense, though the section carves out narrow exceptions for utility poles, temporary construction materials, and merchants receiving deliveries at the curb.
Lynchburg Sidewalk and Street Obstruction Ban
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 35-8
No person shall obstruct a street, either in its driveway or sidewalk, by placing therein anything whatsoever which will hinder or obstruct the passage of persons or vehicles in any manner whatsoever. Every hour the violation of this section continues may, in the discretion of the judge of the general district court, be held a separate offense; but, this section shall be subject to the followin...
Encroachment Permits
Lynchburg lets a building or structure that already encroaches on a public street or sidewalk stay in place under City Code Sec. 35-2.1, so long as it doesn't block travel or become a hazard, while any new work in the right-of-way still needs a right-of-way permit under Sec. 35-12, and fences or billboards encroaching on a street can be ordered removed under Sec. 35-2.
Lynchburg Right-of-Way Encroachment Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 35-2.1
Owners of buildings or structures other than fences and billboards encroaching in, upon and over any public rights-of-way therein may maintain such encroachments as they exist until such buildings or structures are destroyed or removed; provided, however, that such encroachment does not interfere with the city's use of such rights-of-way nor obstruct the use of such rights-of-way by the public ...