Residents and business owners in a Baltimore neighborhood said new late-night parking restrictions could drive away customers in the popular nightlife area.

Baltimore is now enforcing a parking restriction along South Broadway and Thames Street between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. on weekends. Parking signs share the parking ban warnings throughout Fells Point.

“A lot of people come here by car, and so now they’re saying you can’t park here after 10 p.m.,” said Manny Joyner. “I think it’s going to negatively affect the businesses. It’s going to be immediate. It’s going to be noticeable.”

The Baltimore Mayor’s Office said they plan to establish a designated loading zone for events and performers, and they will discount parking for nearby parking garages.

Last month, Baltimore officials said the city is ramping up 24-hour parking enforcement to reduce traffic congestion and boost safety in the city.

Any cars that are parked after the restrictions are enforced will be towed.

Read More

Want to park illegally in Baltimore? You probably won’t get a ticket

Jan 29, 2025

‘Parking in the evening is already difficult enough’

The new signs took effect last weekend, stopping drivers from parking between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., Friday through Sunday, along Thames Street and South Broadway.

Residents told WJZ that the late-night weekend parking ban will drive business down for local restaurants because parking is already challenging.

“Parking in the evening is already difficult enough, and if you have to go three or four blocks further, it doesn’t get any easier,” Tom Crawford said.

Residents who have valid parking permits will still be able to access any blocked-off location.

Baltimore’s 24-hour parking enforcement

In March, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation launched a 24-hour parking enforcement program.

The overnight enforcement will target habitual parking offenders, including commercial vehicles parked illegally in residential areas, vehicles violating residential permit parking, scofflaw offenders, and other traffic management issues, according to BCDOT officials.

Abandoned vehicles could be cited and towed during the overnight enforcement period, BCDOT officials said.

BCDOT said it will use data-driven strategies to guide deployments and allocate resources. Real-time data will help officials identify high-risk areas and improve response times.

“Transportation Enforcement Officers being cross-trained, overnight towing services, and more focused enforcement are going to help deliver a more effective and responsive enforcement program and give our teams the tools they need to get the job done,” said Mayor Brandon Scott.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner. See the original story.