Fells Point's late-night weekend parking ban could impact Baltimore businesses, residents say

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

Baltimore City is now enforcing a parking restriction along Broadway and Thames 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 City 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.

WJZ previously reported that Baltimore 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 and enforced will be towed.

"Parking in the evening is already difficult enough"

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

While residents who have a valid parking permit will still be able to access any blocked-off location, some believe these new parking rules are the city's way of curbing the summer violence in the square.

"The violence is unacceptable, and I understand the city wants to curb that, and that makes sense, but at the end of the day, folks want to come down here and have a good time," Crawford said. "So it's not about restricting the people that want to come here and spend their money and enjoy the restaurants, it's about restricting the people who want to come here and do bad things."

Baltimore's 24-hour parking enforcement

In March, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) 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 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 Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.