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

Section 123-5 sets a hard numeric clearance standard: 36 inches of clear travel path must remain around any pole, sign, mailbox, permanent trash receptacle or other fixed object placed on a City sidewalk. The rule exempts residential trash and recycling containers set out for municipal pickup, since those are temporary by nature. The fine is steep and self-multiplying, $300 per day per violation, with every noncompliant object counted as a separate violation, but the ordinance also builds in a compliance window: fines are waived if the ADA/AAB noncompliance is corrected within 60 days of notification, unless the State Architectural Access Board or a federal or state court has already levied its own fine, and the Municipal Council can waive or reduce fines by majority vote regardless.

Separately, Section 383-11 addresses obstructions in the traveled street itself rather than the sidewalk: a car, trailer, dumpster or other vehicle left in a street or way is not automatically a violation, but becomes one once the Mayor, the Chief of Police, or any police officer has ordered it removed and the owner fails to comply. Together the two sections cover both the fixed-object clearance problem on sidewalks and the vehicle-obstruction problem in the roadway, with the sidewalk rule carrying the steeper, quantified penalty.