BRUNSWICK — Drivers in town will see changes to parking rules on six local roads: Belmont Street, Columbia Avenue, Landing Drive, Longfellow Avenue, Pine Street and Union Street. 

The changes, approved by the Brunswick Town Council Monday, go into effect in 30 days. 

Under the new regulations, there will be no parking on Belmont Street near the intersection with Maine Street, and a two-hour parking limit will go into effect from Maine Street to Spring Street. Police Cmdr. Mark Waltz said Monday night that both the police department and Bowdoin security have received complaints that as many as 10 cars will park on the street between Spring and Maine streets for long periods of time — sometimes for several days. Many of the cars belong to Bowdoin College students who live in the student housing on Park Row. 

Cars parked on the corner of Belmont can force traffic entering from Maine Street to go on the wrong side of the road, according to meeting materials, and the parking ban for the first 80 feet of the street will help alleviate the safety concerns while the two-hour limit will discourage parking for long periods. 

Waltz joked Monday night, “the good news is the snow helps us,” and during a parking ban “they all get towed, then they get the message.” 

Columbia Avenue will see no parking from Maine to Oakland streets, where the street is only just wide enough for vehicles to pass each other without parking and traffic is heavy due to the schools. 

Parking will no longer be allowed anywhere on the new Cook’s Corner Connector road, also known as Landing Drive because any parked cars would block the bike lane. 

Longfellow Avenue will not allow parking within 60 feet of the Coffin Street intersection in all directions. 

There will no longer be parking allowed on Pine Street between Bath Road and Bowker Street. Parking on Pine has not been addressed since the street was moved, according to meeting documents, and the street is not wide enough for on-street parking. 

Parking was also prohibited on Union Street from Weymouth Street to the 110 feet south of Cedar Street. Union is not wide enough for drivers to park safely if cars are parked there, Waltz told the council. 

Waltz has also proposed a two-hour parking limit on Noble Street, which is seeing cars parked for extended periods, he said, creating problems for residents trying to back out of their driveways.

The limit would reduce the parking volume, as “some appear to use it as an alternative to paying the fee for the long-term lot,” he said, but the council ultimately decided not to include that in Monday night’s changes and to discuss it at a later date. 

Councilor Stephen Walker said something needs to be done soon and suggested involving Bowdoin College in the discussion.

“It’s like whack-a-mole now every year with different streets that we’re doing this,” he said. “It’s craziness.”

Councilors hope that in the future, the planned Cedar Street park and ride will help alleviate some of Brunswick’s parking issues. A meeting on the parking lot is scheduled for Thursday.

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