Erie, PA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

11, added by Ordinance 71-2023 and amended by Ordinance 5-2025, requires anyone blocking, restricting or closing a public sidewalk for construction or redevelopment to first obtain a sidewalk closure permit from the Bureau of Engineering, paying the fee Council sets by resolution. The Bureau will not approve an application unless the applicant proves the closure is critical to the project and no other option exists; closing a sidewalk solely for contractor parking is barred outright. Permit holders must show either that an alternative pedestrian route can be built to PennDOT Publication 213 standards, or that a protected sidewalk can be maintained, and must build a covered pedestrian walkway wherever overhead construction endangers pedestrians.

Permittees must notify the Bureau when construction starts, ends, or pauses for more than 72 hours. A permit cannot run longer than 90 days, though the permittee can request one 90-day extension with 30 days' notice and payment of another fee; closures beyond 180 days total are never permitted, and work lasting more than 30 days must include an alternate pedestrian route or covered walkway. Closing a sidewalk more than 24 hours without a permit triggers a stop-work order. Public utilities regulated by the PA Public Utility Commission are exempt from the permit requirement for repairs lasting seven days or less.