New Bedford’s Park Avenue Appears to Be Shrinking

Park Avenue west of Church Street in New Bedford's North End has undergone a number of changes over the years, and here we go again.

There once was a time when that section of Park Avenue was a two-way street. If you were driving north on Church Street and wanted to take a left on Park Avenue, you could do so and therefore avoid the traffic light at Tarkiln Hill Road.

If you were driving east on Tarkiln Hill Road and wanted to go south on Church Street or continue on Park Avenue past Church Street, you could veer right onto Park Avenue and miss the light at Tarkiln Hill.

At some point, someone decided to fix what didn't need fixing, and they made that section of Park Avenue a one-way street with only easterly travel permitted. No longer could you turn left onto Park Avenue if you were heading north on Church Street.

Now someone has decided to tinker with that park of Part Avenue again. This time they are making the street narrower. I mean a lot narrower. Downright skinny!

You may still only access Park Avenue while heading east on Tarkiln Hill Road and can turn right on to Church Street or continue on Park Avenue past Church Street, but on a much thinner street.

It appears as though the city has decided to steal a portion of Park Avenue to add real estate to the Polish American Veterans Monument, which sits in the middle of the triangle formed by Tarkiln Hill Road, Park Avenue, and Church Street – but I don't know that for sure.

Messages left for Department of Infrastructure Commissioner Jamie Ponte and Mayor Jon Mitchell's press guy Michael Lawrence went unanswered on Wednesday.

I guess we will have to wait until it's all done to see what it will look like.