Some people believe there is “no place to park” in downtown Plymouth. It’s not true but nonetheless makes for robust complaining by social media posters. (As if we needed more of that.)
But for those who do venture into the increasingly popular business district – and manage to find a place to park – your annual early holiday gift has arrived: the season of free parking at metered spaces and pay station lots downtown and along the waterfront.
As of Monday, Dec. 1, paid parking is suspended until March 31. That’s because with tourists mostly gone post-Thanksgiving, the need to tightly manage the business district’s limited parking spaces is lessened. Free parking also provides a boost to businesses by making the area more attractive to meter-averse residents during the slower winter months.
Parking rants and conspiracy theories are often directed at Park Plymouth, the company that has a memorandum of understanding with the town to manage parking. No one likes to return to their vehicle to find a ticket on the windshield, but ultimately, it’s a math problem: Plymouth has more than 60,000 registered vehicles and only 1,475 paid parking spots. Add to those figures many thousands of tourists who visit and it’s easy to see why turning over spaces during the busiest times of the year is critical. It also undercuts the “free parking passes for all residents” argument that is frequently heard. Imagine tens of thousands of residents jockeying for fewer than 1,500 spots.
There are free year-round parking spaces downtown and in the town lot on Water Street near Nelson Park, but they account for a small percentage of the total.
Please note that parking at one popular lot – at Jenney Pond – is temporarily limited because of ongoing restoration work there and through to Brewster Gardens.
And free parking does come with some caveats that are worth noting.
“There is no need to pay the posted hourly rates, but you must observe the posted time limits that are in effect between the hours of 9:00a.m. and 7:00 p.m., seven days a week and on holidays,” says Park Plymouth. “During the free parking season, you risk getting a ticket only if you don’t observe the posted time limits or other restrictions at any parking location.”
At metered spaces, that time limit – between 15 minutes and four hours, depending on the location – is generally between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Mark Pothier can be reached at mark@plymouthindependent.org.