Road Closures and Parking Restrictions Set for Baltimore’s Black History Month Parade on Monday Afternoon

Downtown traffic changes expected along MLK Jr. Boulevard and West Baltimore Street

Baltimore motorists should expect significant travel disruptions on Monday, February 16, 2026, as the city implements temporary road closures and parking restrictions for Baltimore City’s Black History Month Parade.

The parade is scheduled to step off at 12:00 p.m. from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Eutaw Street. The procession is set to continue along MLK Jr. Boulevard before moving toward West Baltimore Street, with the event area extending to Baltimore Street between Fremont Avenue and Poppleton Street. Event listings for the parade describe it as the city’s second annual Black History Month Parade, with activities centered on the midday and afternoon hours.

Street closures: times and locations

Traffic controls are planned to begin in the morning and remain in place into late afternoon. Closures are expected to affect multiple streets feeding into the MLK Jr. Boulevard corridor and the West Baltimore Street corridor, including key east-west connections.

• W. Franklin Street between Greene Street and Fremont Avenue: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (access to westbound U.S. 40 maintained)
• Eutaw Street between Dolphin Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Preston Street between Madison Avenue and Howard Street: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Madison Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Preston Street: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• W. Baltimore Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Poppleton Street: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Fremont Avenue between W. Baltimore Street and W. Fayette Street: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Mulberry Street between N. Payson Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Franklin Street between Greene Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Pennsylvania Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and W. Preston Street: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Druid Hill Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Preston Street: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Southbound MLK Jr. Boulevard between Howard Street and Baltimore Street: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Southbound MLK Jr. Boulevard between Eutaw Street and Lombard Street: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Left lane of northbound MLK Jr. Boulevard between Lombard Street and Eutaw Street (median-side lane): 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Parking restrictions and enforcement window

Parking restrictions are scheduled from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on affected blocks, including Eutaw Street, Madison Avenue, portions of Preston Street, West Baltimore Street, and Fremont Avenue. Drivers parked along restricted areas should anticipate enforcement during the posted window.

Drivers traveling through the MLK Jr. Boulevard and West Baltimore Street corridors should plan alternate routes and allow extra time Monday due to staged closures and intermittent traffic stops.

What residents should expect

Because the closure map spans multiple north-south and east-west connectors near downtown, detours may push traffic onto parallel routes and increase congestion near U.S. 40 access points. Commuters and residents heading into or through west and central downtown on Monday may see the most disruption from mid-morning through late afternoon, when both parade staging and disbanding activity typically require the largest safety perimeter.