SouthCoast Snowstorm Triggers Parking Bans and Closures

UPDATE: New Bedford lifted its parking ban at 4 p.m. on Monday, January 26.

The SouthCoast is about to get hit with the most snow it has seen in years, and local municipalities are already putting parking bans in effect and announcing school closures.

According to WPRI 12, we can expect anywhere from eight inches to over a foot of snow across various parts of the SouthCoast, although the exact track of the storm and snow totals are still in flux.

However, numerous communities are getting ahead of what is surely to be a significant snowfall either way.

School Closures for Monday

New Bedford Public Schools will also be closed on Monday, but not because of the snow; the day was previously scheduled as a staff professional development day. Fall River Public Schools will be closed on Monday for the impending snow day.

Closings, cancellations and parking bans can always be found at WBSM.com and are updated regularly by the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association. Local businesses, organizations, governments or school departments not already contributing to the list can sign up to be added.

New Bedford Parking Ban

The City of New Bedford has announced a citywide snow emergency parking ban to take effect at 2 a.m. Sunday, January 25 and remain in effect until 8 p.m. on Monday, January 26.

Violations of the snow emergency parking ban will be subject to ticketing at $50 per ticket, and towing at full cost to the owner of the vehicle towed. The vehicle owner is also responsible for the full cost of storage for any towed vehicle.

Visit the City of New Bedford website for more information.

During the parking ban, parking is permitted on the north side of all streets going east and west, and is permitted on the east side of all streets going north and south. The permitted side of the street is typically the side opposite of the fire hydrants.

Please note that on streets that are normally posted for parking on one side of the street only, residents are to obey the signs as usual. Vehicles should never be parked within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or 20 feet from a corner as required by law, regardless of whether a snow ban is in effect.

A double-sided parking ban will also be in effect for the following areas, including the downtown and Acushnet Avenue business districts:

Wood St (Acushnet Ave to Belleville Ave)
Acushnet Ave (Tarkiln Hill Rd to Coggeshall St)
Nash Rd (Acushnet Ave to Belleville Ave)
Ashley Blvd (Nash Rd to Coggeshall St)
County St (Purchase St to Cove Rd)
Cottage St (Durfee St to Union St)
Mill St (Kempton St to Pleasant St)
Kempton St (Brownell Ave to Pleasant St)
The Downtown Business District (County St to JFK Blvd, Kempton St to Walnut St)
Dartmouth St (Allen St to Matthew St)
Rivet St (Dartmouth St to JFK Blvd)

For those in need of off-street parking during the parking ban, it is available at the following locations:

Victory Park – Brock Avenue
Hazelwood Park – Brock Avenue
Cove Street Parking Lot – Cove Street and Morton Court
Orchard Street at Camara Soccer Field
Buttonwood Park Parking Area – Hawthorn Street Side and Lake Street Side
Coggeshall Street Parking Lot – Coggeshall Street and Acushnet Avenue
Sawyer Street Parking Lot – Between Sawyer Street and Beetle Street
Brooklawn Park Parking Area – Brooklawn Street (South Side)
Riverside Park Lot – Coffin Avenue
Coffin Avenue Lot- Across from Taber Mills Apartments
Former Phillips Avenue School – 249 Phillips Avenue
Elm Street Garage
Zeiterion Garage – 688 Purchase Street
New Bedford High School – 230 Hathaway Boulevard
Normandin Middle School – 81 Felton Street
Roosevelt Middle School – 119 Fredrick Street
Charles S Ashley Elementary School – 122 Rochambeau Street
Elizabeth Carter Brooks Elementary School – 212 Nemasket Street
Elwyn G Campbell Elementary School – 145 Essex Street
Sgt Wm H Carney Academy Elementary School – 247 Elm Street
Lot at intersection of Elm and Cottage (Southeast Corner)
James B Congdon Elementary School – 50 Hemlock Street
John B DeValles Elementary School – 120 Katherine Street
Alfred J Gomes Elementary School – 286 South Second Street
Ellen R Hathaway Elementary School – 256 Court Street
Hayden/McFadden Elementary School – 361 Cedar Grove Street
Former Horatio A Kempton Elementary School – 135 Shawmut Avenue
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School – 445 Ashley Boulevard
Carlos Pacheco Elementary School – 261 Mt. Pleasant Street
John Avery Parker Elementary School – 705 County Street
Casmir Pulaski Elementary School – 1097 Braley Road
Thomas R Rodman Elementary School – 497 Mill Street
Former William H Taylor Elementary School – 620 Brock Avenue
Taylor School – 91 Portland Street
Jireh Swift Elementary School – 2203 Acushnet Avenue
Betsey B Winslow Elementary School – 561 Allen Street

Fall River Parking Ban

The City of Fall River will have a parking ban in effect from 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 24 until further notice.

Parking is only allowed on the north side of city streets that run east and west and on the west side of streets that run north and south. Parking is allowed, unless posted, on both sides of any street that is divided by a traffic median. Parking against a median is prohibited. Parking is not allowed within 20 feet of a corner to allow access for snow removal vehicles.

Vehicles in violation will be ticketed and possibly towed.

Parking is available until the ban is no longer in effect at these locations:

Flint Municipal Parking Lot on Cash Street
Municipal Parking Lot on Columbia Street (corner of Hunter Street)
Maplewood Park (Back Parking Lot)
Kennedy Park, Park Drive
Gates of the City

Parking is also available during the parking ban at these locations, but any vehicles parked on school department property will need to be removed by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 26 or they will be towed:

Morton Middle School Parking Lot (on Hood Street)
Former Stone School (Globe Street)
Former BMC Durfee High School Parking Lot (Ray Street)

Dartmouth Parking Ban

Dartmouth’s parking ban will go into effect on Sunday at 9 a.m. and run through 11 p.m. on Monday, January 26.

During the parking ban, there is no parking allowed on the hydrant side of the street. If there are no hydrants, residents are asked to park on the side of the street with even-numbered houses.

The Town of Dartmouth is also reminding residents it is their responsibility to clear snow from abutting sidewalks.

Fairhaven Parking Ban

The Town of Fairhaven has a standing parking ban from December 1 to March 31 from midnight to 8 a.m. on the hydrant side of all streets in town, and during the time of any snowfall or snow removal operations.

On streets without hydrants, no vehicles shall be permitted to remain either on the east side of streets running north and south, or on the north side of streets running east and west.