Boston

Open Newbury Street to Return for Six Sundays; Here Are Parking and Traffic Impacts

The event will begin on Aug. 21, and will continue every Sunday through Sept. 25

Open Newbury Street in Boston on Aug. 15, 2021.
Neslihan Sahinkaya, City of Boston

Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood will be pedestrian-only on six upcoming Sundays, as Mayor Michelle Wu and the city's transportation department announce the return of the Open Newbury Street series.

The event will begin on Aug. 21, and will continue every Sunday through Sept. 25. With the famed commercial avenue closed off to car traffic, the city wants residents and visitors alike to shop and dine at local businesses and enjoy a sense of community.

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On Open Newbury Street Sundays, traffic will be closed to cars from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Berkeley Street to Massachusetts Avenue. Parking will also be restricted on Newbury along with adjacent streets, with enforcement starting at 5 a.m. Signs will alert drives to the changes.

"Open Newbury Street has become a treasured tradition for Boston residents, showing how we can celebrate community in public spaces," Mayor Michelle Wu said in a news release Friday. "Expanding Open Newbury to a weekly event and into the fall means returning college students and new residents will be able to join in on the fun. I want to thank BTD and our public safety officials for making this expansion a reality."

Open Newbury Street's expansion is part of Mayor Wu's push to reimagine city spaces through "temporary car-free zones."

"I am excited to see the Open Streets initiative transform our city and return to Newbury Street as another opportunity for residents, students, and visitors alike to enjoy our vibrant city," Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu in the release. "This initiative, led by our colleagues in the Boston Transportation Department, is an important initiative that continues to bring much needed support to our local restaurants and small businesses with increased foot and bike traffic."

The Boston Transportation Department first piloted Open Newbury Street back in 2016, with a single Sunday in August. The event was expanded to include three Sundays the next three years. It returned with three Sundays in 2021, after missing a year at the start of the pandemic.

You can learn more about the event on the city's website.

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