Parking and construction fuel frustration in New Bedford | Exclusive
NEW BEDFORD — Downtown New Bedford business owners say continued construction, detours and parking difficulties are making it harder to attract customers and keep their businesses profitable. For some, the closure of longtime restaurant Whaler’s Tavern has sharpened concerns about their own future. “It was difficult for locals to get to us. Never mind someone who is a tourist who’s not familiar,” said Kristen Brito. She worked at the tavern for nearly a decade before receiving the news in a text that they would be closing. “We had our customers, we had our regulars. We had our people that are feeling really sad about this,” she said. More: New Bedford Whaling Museum shares expansion plans for summer 2027 Brito believes construction for the New Bedford Whaling Museum expansion on North Water Street contributed significantly to the tavern’s difficulties. She said it wasn’t its sole cause, but the street was closed for 10 weeks during peak tourist season, making the restaurant harder to reach for both regular customers and visitors. “Construction killed the foot traffic and the road traffic,” she said. Visitors coming from the Whaling Museum also faced longer walks around closures, she said, creating a particular challenge for older
