No More Sneaky Parking at New Bedford YMCA

Downtown New Bedford is booming. I can't remember a time when I’ve seen more groups of people walking around and exploring the bars, restaurants and attractions of the historic district.

Parking in High Demand as Downtown Attracts More Visitors

One challenging byproduct of all this activity? Parking can be tough at times.

For locals, one sneaky solution has been dipping into the YMCA parking lot. Everyone knows it’s technically not authorized, but for years, parking at the YMCA didn’t come with any meaningful consequences.

YMCA Cracks Down on Unauthorized Parking

Those days are over. The jig is up. The YMCA is putting people on notice that there will be no more "free rides" at its downtown New Bedford location.

On Wednesday morning, the YMCA sent out an email to its members outlining a strict new parking policy. Effective June 2, “parking at the New Bedford YMCA is permitted only for members and guests while using the facility during normal business hours.”

No one, not even members, will be allowed to park during the day unless they are actively using the YMCA.

“Those not utilizing the YMCA will be asked to move their car or risk being towed at the owner’s expense,” the notice warned.

New Paid Parking Rules After Hours

If you're heading to downtown New Bedford at night, parking at the YMCA will now cost $10 after 7 p.m., payable by credit card only.

To help enforce the new rules, the YMCA plans to bring in parking lot attendants during the evening hours.