Albuquerque, NM Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Revised Ordinances of Albuquerque (ROA 1994) Section 6-5-5-18(A) makes the owner, occupant, or agent in charge of the abutting property responsible for keeping sidewalks, drive pads and curb ramps clean of rocks and other obstructions, including ice and snow, and in a state of good repair, meaning free of cracks, floats, obstructions, depressions and any other defects, with a uniform longitudinal and transverse gradient. Subsection (C) extends the duty upward: the airspace directly over these surfaces, up to a height of eight feet, must be kept free of vegetation or other obstruction by the adjoining owner, occupant or agent.

Subsection (D) makes the same owner, occupant or agent responsible for maintaining the sidewalk landscape/buffer area and everything planted in it. Subsection (B) carves out a narrow exemption at the rear lot line: an owner is relieved of repair responsibility there only if the lot sits in a residential zone limited to houses and townhouses, the lot fronts public streets on both its front and rear lines, the property has no legal right of vehicular access from the rear street, and the lot was platted before June 29, 1983, the effective date of the city's Subdivision Ordinance.

Subsection (E) bars placing street furniture or any item that would obstruct pedestrians or narrow the sidewalk below the width standards in Section 6-5-5-14 unless the Development Review Board grants a waiver. Subsection (G) addresses declared emergencies: the city takes over restoring sidewalks to their pre-emergency condition and replacing/compacting soil in the right-of-way, but that assumption of duty does not excuse owners from making reasonable efforts to keep sidewalks clean of emergency-related debris in the meantime.