Bend, OR Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum clear passage
- 6 feet
- Delivery exception
- 10 minutes, or 8pm-11am
- Night lighting
- visible 200 feet, sunset to sunrise
- Penalty
- Class B civil infraction
- Enforcement step
- must be asked to move first
Summary
In the City of Bend, no one may block a sidewalk, street, alley or the Minnesota Avenue breezeway by leaving personal property or material in the way. Bend Code § 6.15.010 makes it illegal whenever the clear passage narrows below six feet, and a blocked sidewalk violates the law even if the street beside it stays open.
A. Except as authorized in subsection (B) of this section, no unauthorized person shall obstruct a public way, including but not limited to streets, alleys, sidewalks, and the breezeway from the western terminus of Minnesota Avenue to Riverfront Plaza, by depositing or storing personal property or other material on public ways or by any other manner obstructing or interfering with public ways. For purposes of this section, a person, personal property, or other material obstructs and interferes with a public way by being positioned so that the accessible passageway is less than six feet in width. Obstruction of a sidewalk is a violation, even if the adjacent street is not obstructed. ... F. ... A violation of this section is a Class B civil infraction. A violation of subsection (B) of this section may be cited as a parking violation. No person may be cited under this section prior to being asked by law enforcement to move or otherwise remedy the obstruction or interference.
Full Breakdown
010, Obstructing Public Ways. The rule is not just about total blockage: a person, a stack of belongings, a sandwich board or other material obstructs a public way under subsection (A) whenever it narrows the accessible passage to less than six feet, whether on a street, alley, sidewalk, or the specific breezeway running from the western end of Minnesota Avenue to Riverfront Plaza. A blocked sidewalk is a violation on its own, the section says, even where the adjoining street remains clear. , and any authorized delivery obstruction must still be minimized.
An authorized obstruction left up between sunset and sunrise must carry warning lights or reflective material visible for 200 feet in every direction under subsection (C). Subsections (D) and (E) separately bar using a public way to display or sell goods without City authorization, and bar dumping garbage, earth, debris or rubbish onto a public way, into the Deschutes River, or into City irrigation canals. Bend Police and Community Development code enforcement staff handle complaints, and subsection (F) requires an officer to ask the person to move or fix the obstruction before any citation can issue.
Violations & Fines
Obstructing a public way is a Class B civil infraction under Bend Code § 6.15.010(F), except a delivery violation of subsection (B), which can instead be cited as a parking violation. No one can be ticketed under this section until a law enforcement officer first asks them to move the obstruction or otherwise fix it, so a first contact typically brings a warning rather than a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to leave a sandwich board or belongings on a Bend sidewalk?
Can a delivery truck block the sidewalk while unloading?
Will I get a ticket the first time my display blocks the sidewalk?
What is the penalty for blocking a Bend sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bend
Compare Bend to another location·View the Oregon sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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