Framingham, MA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 395-5, Obstructing sidewalks, sits in Chapter 395's Article I, General Regulations, adopted 1-5-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-006 as Article VI, Section 7 of the former General Ordinances, alongside companion bans on coasting (§ 395-2), playing in the street (§ 395-3) and tying animals to street fixtures (§ 395-4). The obstruction rule itself is narrow and literal: it forbids driving a horse onto a sidewalk and forbids allowing any vehicle to stand upon or obstruct a sidewalk or crosswalk, with a built-in exception for loading, unloading, or crossing the walk when necessary.

Article I carries no penalty clause of its own, so a violation falls back to the citywide default in § 1-2: a $25 fine for a first offense, $100 for a second, $200 for a third, and $300 for each offense after that, with every violation and every day a violation continues counted separately under § 1-2B. The City may also elect noncriminal disposition under MGL c. 40, § 21D, as incorporated by § 1-2C and § 1-3A, letting the Mayor's designee resolve a ticket without a criminal complaint.

Because Article II of the same chapter separately licenses public way access and Article VIII separately licenses sidewalk business furniture, § 395-5 functions as the baseline default rule against blocking a sidewalk with a stopped vehicle or draft animal, rather than a comprehensive right-of-way or encroachment code; a permitted sidewalk cafe or an approved driveway access point is not a § 395-5 violation because it operates under its own license.