New Bedford, MA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- No-coin loading window
- 30 minutes, commercial vehicles only
- Purpose limit
- Loading/unloading only
- Past 30 minutes
- Coin required, or violation
- Enforcement
- Police, § 23-46
- Penalty
- M.G.L.A. c. 90, § 20A
Summary
New Bedford lets commercial vehicles sit in a metered space without feeding the meter for up to thirty minutes, but only to load or unload. Once that half hour is up, the driver owes the parking meter coin like anyone else, and staying past the limit without depositing it is a violation of the parking-meter article.
Operators of commercial vehicles may park in a metered space without depositing a coin for a period not to exceed thirty (30) minutes for purposes of loading or unloading. Parking in excess of this time limit without depositing the proper coin shall be deemed a violation of the provisions of this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19).
Full Breakdown
" The moment the vehicle sits longer than thirty minutes without paying, the exemption ends and the parking becomes a violation of the article, the same as any expired-meter violation. The surrounding sections define how that plays out at street level. Section 23-30 defines "loading and unloading areas" as spaces within the parking-meter area where stopping, standing or parking is otherwise unlawful during metered hours except to discharge passengers, merchandise or vehicular supplies, tying the loading privilege to specific curb space rather than any metered spot citywide.
Section 23-34 still requires the vehicle to sit wholly within the painted lines of its space, and Section 23-40 makes a meter showing "Expired," "Violation When All Red," or similar wording prima facie evidence of a violation once the thirty-minute exemption has lapsed. c. 90, § 20A rather than a flat local dollar figure.
Violations & Fines
Parking a commercial vehicle in a metered space past thirty minutes without depositing a coin is a violation of the parking-meter article once the loading exemption in Section 23-43 expires. The fine follows Section 23-47's cross-reference to M.G.L.A. c. 90, § 20A, and a meter reading "Expired" under Section 23-40 is treated as prima facie proof of the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a delivery truck park at a New Bedford meter without paying?
Does the loading exemption apply to any metered space in the city?
Can a meter marked "Expired" be used as proof of a loading-zone violation?
Sources & Official References
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Loading Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bristol County handle loading zones.