New Bedford, MA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 17-9 of the New Bedford Code of Ordinances, titled "Obstructing pedestrians on sidewalks," states plainly that no person shall willfully or negligently obstruct the free passage of foot travelers upon a sidewalk. The provision traces to Code 1963 § 14-131 and an ordinance of April 10, 1980, and has stood without amendment since. c. 272, § 59, the state law governing violations of a municipal street ordinance. A 1950 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court case, Commonwealth v. Carpenter, 325 Mass. 519, is cited in the annotations as controlling precedent on how the obstruction standard is applied.

Because the section covers both willful and merely negligent obstruction, it reaches a broad range of conduct: leaving merchandise, equipment, scaffolding, or personal belongings across a sidewalk's walkable path, as well as deliberately blocking someone's path. Enforcement runs through the New Bedford Police Department, and like most Chapter 17 offenses without a stated maximum in the text itself, violations default to the general penalty schedule in Section 1-9 of the Code unless a specific fine is written into the particular offense. There is no permit process to obstruct a sidewalk temporarily under this section; property owners or contractors needing to place materials on a sidewalk must instead seek a separate street-occupancy or encroachment permit from the city's Department of Public Infrastructure.