New Bedford Prepares for Winter Storm

Parking Ban Effective Midnight Tonight; City Offices Closed Tomorrow;
Trash Pickup Delayed

NEW BEDFORD – The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for New Bedford, in effect from 1 a.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday. Storm conditions are expected to make travel very difficult.

City Announces Parking Ban Effective Midnight Tonight

The City of New Bedford has announced a citywide snow emergency parking ban to take effect at midnight tonight (12 a.m. Tuesday, February 13). 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.

The parking ban will be strictly enforced and will remain in effect for 48 hours, unless lifted or further extended by City officials. The parking ban is designed to allow City workers to efficiently remove snow from New Bedford roadways, and enable public safety vehicles and residents to travel safely. See section below for more information.

New Bedford City Offices Closed Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13

City offices will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13, including City Hall, the Public Libraries, Senior Centers, the Adult Day Care Center, and the Buttonwood Park Zoo. New Bedford Regional Airport will remain in operation for as long as it remains safe. Passengers should contact their air carriers directly to confirm their flight status.

New Bedford Public Schools Making Separate Announcement

New Bedford Public Schools will make a separate announcement regarding Tuesday’s winter storm.

One-Day Delay of Residential Trash Collection

There will be no residential trash collection on Tuesday, February 13, and Capital Waste will be operating on a one-day delay schedule for the remainder of this week.  Residents whose normal collection day is Tuesday will put their trash curbside on Wednesday. Residents whose normal collection day is Wednesday will put their trash curbside on Thursday. Residents whose normal collection day is Thursday will put their trash curbside on Friday. Residents whose normal collection day is Friday will put their trash curbside on Saturday.

Important Emergency Contact Numbers

  • To report a downed power line, medical, fire or other emergencies please dial 911.
  • Eversource strongly urges residents to stay away from down wires and to report them immediately. Residents whose service is disrupted should call 1-800-592-2000.
  • To report snow removal issues on city streets, residents may contact the Department of Public Infrastructure at (508) 991-6150
  • New Bedford Police Department may also be reached on its Non-emergency line at (508) 991-6350
  • Please visit the City’s Guide to Snowstorms for additional information on how to stay safe.

More Information on Snow Emergency Parking Ban/Double-Sided Parking Areas

While the snow emergency parking ban is in effect, 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.

To increase public safety during storm events, the areas designated for a double-sided parking ban include sections of numerous streets (listed below), in addition to the Downtown and Acushnet Avenue Business Districts, where double-sided bans have been implemented in years past. The street sections were selected because they are major routes for ambulances, school buses, and SRTA buses, and have a history of large vehicles being unable to successfully navigate due to the narrowness of the street.

During a snow emergency parking ban, therefore, no parking is permitted on either side of the street in the following areas:

  • 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)

The City of New Bedford has designated the following areas as preferred parking areas for residents in need of off-street parking while the emergency snow parking ban is in effect:

  • 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 AVX site on Belleville Avenue at Hadley Street
  • Former Phillips Avenue School – 249 Phillips Avenue
  • Elm Street Garage
  • Zeiterion Garage – 688 Purchase Street
  • New Bedford High School – 230 Hathaway Boulevard
  • Keith Middle School – 225 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
  • 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
  • Current William H Taylor Elementary School – 71 Portland Street
  • Jireh Swift Elementary School – 2203 Acushnet Avenue
  • Betsey B Winslow Elementary School – 561 Allen Street

Sand Available to City Residents at Several Locations

The Department of Public Infrastructure has made sand available to city residents at several locations throughout the city. Residents are advised to bring their own small container to collect the sand at any of the following locations:

  • Corner of Liberty Street and Smith Street
  • Brooklawn Park parking lot, next to Brooklawn Senior Center
  • Parking lot at 773 South 1st Street, across from Dennison Memorial Community Center.

Winter Weather Preparedness Tips for Residents and Business Owners

Residents and business owners are advised to review the Winter Weather Tips available on the City website http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/emergency-management/winter-storms/ and to take proactive steps to prepare for the winter storm.