Berwyn, IL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 440.03 of the Berwyn Code of Ordinances is the general rule: no person shall obstruct or encroach upon any public highway, private way, street, alley or commons in the city, and no person shall park a vehicle upon a city parkway. The detailed sidewalk standards sit in § 1020.01, which governs temporary use of streets and parkways for building materials, machinery, tools and supplies.

A person who wants to store or deposit those items on a public street, roadway, court, alley or parkway applies in writing to the Director of Public Works, describing the location, the intended use and the length of the occupation. No permission is granted for longer than 90 days, and it ends when the work is done or sooner if the Director requires. Once the operation is complete, no one may keep occupying the sidewalk or street, and articles not intended for immediate use cannot be stored there. Stored building material cannot exceed one-third of the width of the roadway, and a clear space of at least one foot must remain between the obstruction and the curb line. The permit covers only the area immediately in front of the lot where the building work is underway. During building operations a sidewalk not less than six feet wide stays open and unobstructed in front of the lot, and where excavations run alongside it the sidewalk is protected by substantial railings.

Related sections cover specific obstructions. Section 1020.02 bars storing earth from an excavation or rubbish from buildings on sidewalks or roadways and requires removal from day to day, with dry rubbish kept wetted down. Section 672.03 prohibits anyone but city snow crews from depositing snow, ice or slush on a street, sidewalk, alley or public place. Under § 840.17, the City Collector can permit restaurant tables on a public sidewalk only if at least five feet of open sidewalk remains and the applicant carries at least $1,000,000 in public liability insurance. Section 440.06 bars structures that encroach upon the state right-of-way on Cermak Road.