Tigard, OR Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Tigard Municipal Code § 6.02.330 allocates the work in one short rule. Maintenance of sidewalks, curbs and planter strips is the continuing obligation of the adjacent property owner. Maintenance of a public pedestrian easement is the continuing responsibility of the underlying property owner. The word continuing matters: the duty does not end once a defect is reported or fixed, and it stays with whoever owns the property at the time.

Three other sections in the City of Tigard code complete the allocation. Section 6.02.320 requires owners of property with an abutting public sidewalk, or a public pedestrian easement over it, to maintain and keep the sidewalk or pathway in repair and not let it become or remain dangerous or unsafe. It makes an owner who neglects to promptly comply fully liable to any person injured, and it exempts the City from all liability, including common-law liability, for its negligent failure to maintain and repair public sidewalks or pedestrian easements. Section 15.12.010 in Title 15 states the same duty for owners of lots or land with abutting sidewalks. Section 6.02.310 requires a responsible party to keep an abutting public street or sidewalk, or a pedestrian easement over the property, free from earth, rock and other debris and other objects that obstruct or render it unsafe for its intended use.

In practice that means a Tigard owner pays for fixing a cracked or lifted panel in front of the lot, keeps the curb and planter strip in order, and carries the injury risk. A private encroachment in the sidewalk area is a separate question handled by Chapter 15.16, which requires a permit from the city engineer. Code enforcement runs through Chapter 1.16 of the Tigard Municipal Code.