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The New Bedford Traffic Commission last month unanimously approved a Police Department proposal to increase penalties for most parking violations and add fines for several others.
Under the new ordinance, most parking violations carrying $10 fines will increase to $25, including parking the wrong way on a one-way street and parking within 20 feet of an intersection. Most $15 and $25 fines will increase to $50, including double parking, parking in a no parking area, parking within five feet of a driveway and parking on a sidewalk.
The largest increase will be the fine for parking within 10 feet of a crosswalk, which will increase from $10 to $50. The ordinance will also create fines for several violations that previously had no listed penalty, including a $100 fine for parking at a boat ramp without a trailer, and $25 to $50 fines for resident permit parking violations.
Only five existing fines remain unchanged: $20 for expired meters, $50 for heavy truck parking, $50 for snow removal bans, $200 for handicap parking and $50 for expired inspection stickers.
The goal of the new fine structure is to encourage compliance with parking regulations that are designed to promote safety, rather than issue more citations, according to Holly Huntoon, the New Bedford Police Department’s public information officer.
The Police Department developed the proposal after comparing New Bedford’s parking fines with those in similar Massachusetts municipalities, where penalties were generally higher, Huntoon said.
At the meeting, Sgt. Brian Crosby said complaints from residents also helped drive the proposal, specifically citing East Rodney French Boulevard, near Cisco Brewers.
“That one area has generated so many complaints to City Hall,” Crosby said. “At least now we can get a handle on that.”
Cisco Brewers manager Joe Sullivan does not expect the changes to have much impact on the business because of its off-street parking.
“I don’t think it really affects us that much … we have our own three large parking lots, one on either side of us, and we have an auxiliary lot about 20, 25 yards away from us for any additional parking when we do large events,” Sullivan said. “We have pretty much a lot of off street parking for our guests.”
Devin Byrnes, owner of Destination Soups in downtown New Bedford, said some businesses may feel the effects differently.
“We have a loading zone here, and sometimes people park there just to run in and grab their food,” said Devin Byrnes, owner of Destination Soups in downtown New Bedford. “If people get whacked with a higher ticket, they might not want to come back as soon.”
Todd Foy, owner of Record High in downtown New Bedford, said, “I’m glad that they left the parking meters unchanged, because that’s obviously the lifeblood around here.”
The increases are based on the severity of each violation, with higher fines reserved for those that pose greater safety concerns or create recurring issues, according to Crosby.
“We tried to be balanced in our increase without pushing everything to $50,” Crosby said. City ordinance caps most parking fines at $50, with exceptions for parking at a boat ramp without a trailer and for handicap parking violations, which carry higher penalties under state and federal law, according to the City Traffic Commission.
The Police Department will implement a two-week grace period for drivers after the updated fines take effect, in which officers will issue warning notices instead of citations, according to Huntoon. She did not provide a date for when the updated fines will take effect.
“New ticket books are being printed, and then there will be a public notice,” Huntoon said.
Aida Delano is a summer intern with the New Bedford Light, as part of the South Coast Internship designed for local students. Email Aida at adelano@newbedfordlight.org
Big FU to the citizens of older neighborhoods and older citizens. Parking is tight and enforcing the 5’ rule next to driveways would make the difference between being able to park and not being able to park. Those of us with handicaps plates and struggle to find close parking is a real issue. Enforcing the 5 foot rule will be a disaster. Go make your $$$ elsewhere.
$100 for parking at a boat ramp without a trailer. I agree if you are not launching a boat, but what about someone who wants to launch a kayak that is transported in the back of a truck or roof of a car. If they pay the fee for use of the ramp they should be able to park. Not be banned from using the ramp!!
I’m with you on this my friend, it’s already hard to find a spot to park your car.
Sorry Dave, I am handicapped. I have a placcard. No matter what, we must obey the laws. No one has a right to park where they feel like it. Just think when someone parks in a handicapp space without a placcard and says, I was only in the place for a minute. Those that double park, park in fire lanes or park where there are lines for do not park. Even if there is a handicap post, if the ground has lines through it, DO NOT PARK. Example Trucchis parking lot, first space row furthest north. Obey the law! A good time to ticket is when parents are picking up there kids at Swift school. They park the wrong way, they park at fire hydrants, they park in driveways.
You can petition the city to put in a handicap spot where you live. Anyone with a placard could still park there but it would increase your odds of parking near your home.
Exactly, anyone with a placard can still park there! Thank you for that statement, there are residents that park on sidewalks, park on the city side walks claiming the area as theirs. It is not, it is not unless you have a permitted driveway, with a curb cut. So all of you that think parking on the top of the front of your lawn on a sidewalk of grass beware. A fine is on your way. Any and everyone I see especially in the swift school, nms area will be reported. I will be making the report.
Residents of New Bedford get ready to pay for the mistakes of this city’s failed leadership. The poor decision making that has led to this financial mess (a $32 Million Dollar Deficit) will hurt us for years to come. Our services will be cut, while every thing else this administration can get it’s hands on will be increased (fees, fines, bills, and taxes). 100% New Bedford needs change.
64% voted mitchell
The New Bedford parking commission operates on emotional, judgemental as well as discriminatorial rules rather than concise logical motor vehicle parking rules.
Parking rules for the downtown are are differently adjusted to accommodate for the lack of parking spaces. The parking meters are placed to optimize revenue from parking rather than to reflect any kind of ordinance.
New Bedford property owners close to downtown are faced with parking commission clerks formally known as “meter maids” fining vehicle owners for parking in front of their properties if their vehicles are not within 5 feet of a driveway. What happens if your frontage does not allow for a 5 foot rule front and back. Does that mean that the you cant park in front of your house? Does that mean that the city is going to give you a tax break on your annual property taxes? What happens to property owners that are not fortunate to have driveways and have to park on street but have to be aware of the 20 foot from curb rule.
New Bedford should be more concerned with the pot holes on every street rather than nonsensical issues. Maybe the funding for the traffic commission should be reallocated for pot hole repair.
For a city that should be interested in moving forward, attracting new property owners, concerned with growth, New Bedford is doing poorly. We as a city are plagued with drugs, crime, pot holes, homeless encampments, declining businesses (due to increased gangs, homelessness, crimes, etc.), but focus on issues that don’t focus on logic.
Maybe it is Time for New Bedford to extricate its ideological thoughts from the cesspool of nonsense and focus on logic. Maybe it is time for new management.
Parking close to the curb is certainly a prevalent issue here, as is vegetation that impedes the view into an intersection. Several times have come close to being hit, forced to creep slowly forward just to be able to see! 20ft seems excessive, but there is truly a need for some kind of clearance at curbs. the city should also take care of bushes that are in the way as well!
although 20ft seems excessive.
The sidewalk, even if grass is the responsibility of the HOMEOWNER. No sidewalk shall be 3″ so wherever you have the blind corners report it. I have to clear my property, let them maintain theirs. Fine them!
Simple, if there’s not enough space in front of a home to park legally, then don’t buy it. The 5ft driveway rule needs to be tickets, especially at school dropping off and picking up. Parents have no common sense. They run late dropping or picking up there kids and are don’t care what rules they break.
School drop off and pickup is the absolute worst. The schools are failing by not telling parents to not block the roads and the city is failing by not ticketing this entitled parents who can’t bear to find an actual parking spot and walk an extra 50 feet. They clog the roads and block emergency vehicles. Absolutely ridiculous.
How about those that park on grass. Of non driveways. How can they claim the city sidewalk, it’s not a legal driveway!
New Bedford is so car brained, people cannot conceive of how to move around without their portable living room. Cisco Brewers is on the bus route and they should be advocating hard for their customers to use the city bus as much as possible. Same for all the stores and restaurants downtown.
While SRTA needs improvement by way of coverage and frequency, it’s still an excellent way of getting around the city.
Public storage of private property should not be free or cheap. Increase parking meter fees, and increase the penalty for parking in a handicapped spot with no placard.
Crazy all fines and fees will be doubled. What’s next?
New Bedford decision makers continue to make the mistake of making parking downtown more problematic than it already is, in that it keeps customers away from downtown. Merchants should be filling the council chambers and demanding that parking meters be removed and be replaced with a 2-3 hour limitstion. There is no doubt that the fear of getting a ticket, not having the correct change for the meters and the cumbersome nature of using a credit/debit card keeps many shoppers away from downtown. The stupidity of this policy is mind boggling.