Tonawanda, NY Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Chapter 183's Article I places the general upkeep duty on 'the owner or occupant of any premises adjoining any street where a sidewalk has been laid,' language in § 183-5A that reaches both landlords and tenants rather than the Town itself. That duty covers good repair generally, separate from the snow and ice clearing obligation addressed in the same subsection. Section 183-5C makes clear that responsibility is not divided between owner and occupant but shared: both are 'jointly and severally responsible for compliance,' meaning either one can be held liable for the whole failure, including injuries suffered by a pedestrian because the walk was not maintained, repaired or kept safe.

When actual construction, reconstruction or repair work happens, § 183-3 requires it to follow the slope, grade, width, pitch, location and materials the Town Engineer sets, including a mix of cement, sand and gravel specified down to the pound, and a minimum four-inch thickness (six inches across a driveway). Section 183-4 separately requires anyone doing that work to first obtain the Town Engineer's written specifications before construction or grading begins. Digging into or displacing a sidewalk without Town Board approval is a separate violation under § 183-8. The Code Enforcement Officer and Superintendent of Highways enforce the article under its general penalty section, § 183-16.