Oak Park, IL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Oak Park Village Code Section 22-4-1, Public Ways to be Kept Clear, states that the streets, avenues, alleys and sidewalks in the Village shall be kept free and clear at all times of all encumbrances and encroachments except as otherwise specially provided by the code or by Village ordinance or resolution. The section separately bars congregating or assembling on any public street, avenue, alley or sidewalk in a manner that obstructs or interferes with vehicle passage, obstructs pedestrian passage along the streets and sidewalks, or disturbs or threatens the public peace.

Anyone in such an assembly who fails or refuses to move on or away when ordered by a Village police officer is punished under the general penalty section of the code. This general clear-ways rule is reinforced by Section 22-4-3, which requires the owner of any building, fence, porch, steps, gallery or other obstruction standing on a street, alley, sidewalk or public ground to remove it within a reasonable time, not exceeding thirty days, after written notice from the Director of Public Works; an obstruction left after notice is deemed a nuisance, which the Director may remove or take down at the owner's expense.

Chapter 22, Article 4 as a whole (sections 22-4-1 through 22-4-8) governs obstruction of and encroachments upon public ways, layering the general clear-ways duty with specific rules on storage, deliveries, snow removal and unauthorized encumbering.