The City of Salem and property owners share the responsibility of repairing and maintaining public sidewalks. Full details about sidewalk repair and maintenance can be found in
Chapter 78 of the
Salem Revised Code.
City of Salem responsibilities
The City of Salem has the following responsibilities:
- Maintain sidewalks constructed prior to 1992, until such time that the sidewalk has been certified as meeting acceptable standards of the City, at which time the responsibility transitions to the owner of the adjacent property.
- Repair sidewalks when a City-owned tree has caused damage to the sidewalk.
- Maintain all corner curb ramps.
Report a damaged sidewalk
To report a sidewalk in need of repair or maintenance, contact
Public Works Dispatch by phone or email. When submitting a report online, please include the following information:
- Location
- Address/hundred block and street name
- Nearest cross street
- Description of the damage
- Photo of the damage, if you have one
- Any additional information
- Your name
- Your phone number
- Your email address
Sidewalk repair schedule
Factors such as weather and complexity of the repair affect the scheduling of repair work. Therefore, City staff are only able to provide a general estimate as to when work will be completed for a particular neighborhood. Work with a higher priority or criticality can affect the repair work schedule.
When funding is available, the City of Salem may enlist the services of a contractor to assist in bringing the City’s sidewalk network up to acceptable standards.