Lower Merion, PA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 133, Defective Sidewalks and Curbs, adopted by Ordinance No. 1874 in 1979, makes sidewalk and curb repair the abutting owner's job, not a Public Works function, in Lower Merion Township. Section 133-20 defines three specific trip hazards that count as an obstruction to safe passage: a difference in elevation of more than a quarter inch between blocks, a crack a half inch or more in width, and spalling, flaking or crumbling concrete that creates a slipping or tripping condition, as determined by a Public Works or Building and Planning Department inspector.

Under Section 133-21, if the owner neglects the duty, the Director of Public Works may serve written notice requiring the repair, either by leaving it at the owner's residence or, for absentee owners, by posting it on the premises and mailing a copy to the owner's last known address. Section 133-22 gives the owner 30 days from that notice to comply; after that, the Township may make the repairs itself or remove the obstruction, then bill the owner the cost plus a 10% penalty, collectible by an assumpsit action or as a municipal lien against the property.

Section 133-23 makes it unlawful to remain in violation of Section 133-20 more than 30 days after notice, with a fine of not more than $600 for each offense before a District Justice, and each 24-hour period the condition continues is a separate offense. Ordinance No. 4293, adopted May 15, 2024, added Section 133-23.1, empowering any Lower Merion Township Public Works official and any police officer to enforce the article and write citations.