Public propertyUnited States

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United States

89. Public property

Public property is land, buildings, infrastructure or other property owned or controlled by a government or other public authority. Examples can include roads, parks, public squares, government buildings, railway infrastructure and other facilities used for public services.

Public property is not necessarily freely accessible to everyone. Some public property is open to general public use, while other areas may have restricted access or be reserved for particular services. Traffic rules depend on whether the area forms part of a public road or another place to which the relevant traffic laws apply.

Public streets and parks are considered public properties.
Wikimedia.org • AbhiSuryawanshi • CC BY-SA

What is public property?

Public property is property owned or controlled by a government, municipality or another public authority.

What are examples of public property?

Examples can include roads, parks, public squares, government buildings, transport infrastructure and other public facilities.

Is all public property open to everyone?

No. Some public property is freely accessible, while access to government offices, maintenance facilities, railway infrastructure or other areas may be limited or prohibited.

Is public property the same as a public road?

No. Public property concerns ownership or control, while a public road concerns an area that is legally or actually open to public traffic. A public road can therefore be only one type of public property.

Can privately owned land be open to the public?

Yes. A privately owned car park, road or other area may be accessible to the public even though the government does not own it.

Can publicly owned land be closed to the public?

Yes. Public authorities can own areas that are restricted to authorised personnel, maintenance services or other specified users.

Do traffic rules automatically apply to all public property?

No. Whether ordinary road-traffic rules apply depends on the legal status and use of the area rather than simply on who owns it.

Can public property contain roads and parking areas?

Yes. Public property can include streets, car parks, access roads and other traffic areas, each of which may have its own traffic and access rules.

Can access to public property be restricted by signs?

Yes. Signs, barriers, opening hours, permits or other regulations may restrict access to particular public areas.

Can vehicles be prohibited from public property?

Yes. A publicly accessible park, square or pedestrian area may prohibit motor vehicles or permit only specific categories such as emergency, maintenance or delivery vehicles.

Is public property the same as public space?

Not necessarily. Public space generally describes an area available for public use, while public property primarily describes ownership or control. A publicly used space can sometimes be privately owned.

Why is the distinction important for traffic rules?

Traffic regulations frequently depend on whether an area is a public road, publicly accessible place or restricted private area, rather than solely on ownership.

Median strip

Path

1 United States 2 Motorway 3 Expressway 4 Speed limit 5 Minimum speed 6 Advisory speed 7 Bike path 8 Pedestrian warning 9 Tunnel 10 Bridge 11 Speed bump 12 Toll road 13 One-way traffic 14 Slope 15 Bus lane 16 Bus stop 17 Dead end 18 Stop sign 19 Give way 20 Roundabout 21 Road narrowing 22 Pedestrian crossing 23 Railway crossing 24 Mandatory direction 25 Turn prohibition 26 School area 27 Crossing animals 28 Slippery road 29 Rockfall 30 Aircraft 31 Curve 32 Chevron 33 Wrong-way driving 34 Roadworks 35 Height limit 36 Weight limit 37 Radar speed sign 38 Selective barriers 39 Traffic lights 40 Traffic lights warning 41 Pedestrian lights 42 Road markings 43 Bike box 44 Speed feedback 45 Driving licence 46 Traffic mirror 47 Emergency telephone 48 Cycling route 49 Parking 50 No parking 51 No stopping 52 Parallel parking 53 Park and ride 54 Kiss and ride 55 Disabled parking 56 Traffic management 57 Reversing 58 U-turn 59 Carpool 60 Detour 61 Uncontrolled crossroad 62 Ramp 63 Exit 64 Horse riding 65 Emergency exit 66 Runaway truck ramp 67 Oversize load 68 City limit 69 Tourist attraction 70 Horn 71 Axle weight limit 72 Licence plate 73 Charging station 74 Flooding 75 Dip 76 Horse 77 Local traffic 78 Pedestrian 79 Cyclist 80 Motorcycle 81 Truck 82 Bus 83 Police 84 Ambulance 85 Police signals 86 Gravel road 87 Pothole 88 Median strip 89 Public property 90 Path 91 Particulates 92 Air pollution 93 Interchange 94 Rush hour 95 Filling station 96 Road code 97 Two-way traffic 98 Passing lane 99 Street gutter 100 Road debris ...