It’s time to make Memorial Drive a weekend park for good
Riverbend Park is created by closing Memorial Drive to car traffic. (Photo: Chris Cassa)
Every weekend, Cambridge-area residents bring bikes, skates, strollers and running shoes to a 1.4-mile stretch of Memorial Drive between Western Avenue and Gerry’s Landing. Since its inception in the 1970s, Riverbend Park has become one of the parks in the city, providing joy every weekend from spring through fall. It is a unique urban jewel in a city trying to reconnect people with the riverfront and a symbol of the success of local advocacy – but its future is in jeopardy.
Over the past three years, the park’s schedule has expanded to include Saturdays and Sundays, built as a pandemic effort to provide more open space. The City Council requested in an 8-0 vote this spring that the expanded schedule continue this year and even that it be extended east as a matter of equity. But the park has recently become a matter of controversy. In late May, a councillor filed a policy order to end Saturday vehicular closings, citing opposition from a small number of people. In response, a community petition to keep Memorial Drive open garnered the support of more than 4,000 people.
It is worth noting that Memorial Drive (like its parallel neighbor, Storrow Drive) was never meant to be a throughway. The present-day green space on the banks of the Charles River is only a sliver of its original vision. Nonetheless, the Sunday closings have long provided a boon to a city struggling to move away from its overreliance on cars, improving public health and providing more space for recreational users to enjoy the riverfront safely.
Dozens of residents spoke at several council meetings about the benefits of Memorial Drive being open for recreation all weekend. We described how the park brings a greater sense of community and safety and aligns with Cambridge’s health and climate goals. The overwhelming support for Memorial Drive as a park met resistance from a few residents who demanded a return to Sunday-only closings.
Why were some residents concerned? That question drove me to attend several June and July community meetings with residents of streets next to Memorial Drive. What I learned was enlightening.
These residents felt the influx of visitors on Saturdays caused traffic congestion and detours, making it more difficult to run errands by car. They described situations in which their children felt unsafe due to the impatience of cut-through drivers. To be clear, these are legitimate concerns, and it is vital to take them seriously. But these concerns are only one perspective from Riverside residents. The City conducted a recent community survey that showed only 24 of 238 Riverside residents (10 percent) say they have experienced bad traffic delays from the closings. On the other hand, 94 percent say they use the park multiple times a year.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation seemed unwilling to discuss solutions with community members, though, and suddenly ended the Saturday park access instead.
That abrupt decision derailed the ongoing engagement between a vocal group of unhappy residents of one neighborhood and park supporters from all across the city. It led to a considerable outcry from the community, including comments from state Reps. Mike Connolly and Steve Owens. It also stalled progress on constructive improvements, such as traffic signal syncing and street markings.
After a few days, the state backtracked. The park is now open all weekend, a significant victory for open space advocates.
Now we need to send a clear message of support so this open space continues for many years to come.
The state is collecting feedback about whether to continue keeping the park open all weekend.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the city and DCR will host community meetings. The first meeting will be in-person at Riverside Press Park, and the second will be virtual. Showing up to either of these (or both!) will help support keeping Memorial Drive open to pedestrians, cyclists and others all weekend. It also shows the city that people desire walkable spaces and furthers the work toward that goal. You could also write a quick note to the City Council and city transportation staff.
Memorial Drive is a community asset for residents. It shows what happens when people work together to listen to resident concerns, consider solutions and improve policies for everyone. With these steps, we can keep the park – and the city – a safe and open environment for all of us.
Clyve Lawrence is an undergraduate at Harvard University
If by “never meant to be a throughway” you mean “it used to be owned by some very wealthy people who then died so the cities decided to put the land to good to use”….then you are correct.
@Sam, the government did put it to good use — they designated it as public land for conservation and recreation, and provided for an access road to the riverbank.
But rather than shouting the usual party lines, can’t we acknowledge that when there are fewer cars that use Memorial Drive for regional transportation on the weekends, why not re-use the road for something better? We do that with plenty of other roads for feasts, festivals, etc. This is smart repurposing.
And yes we do close roads. Or rather….side streets…..on infrequent occasion. Not a major thorough fair which then snarls traffic and pushes the overflow onto side streets.
But again, maybe the suggested change DOES return it to its original intention…exclusive usage for those privileged enough to still be able to afford to live in the area.
I’ve got no real dog in this fight since I was forced to moved a few years. And pleasantly discovered I was tired of the noise, congestion, and the lovely Central Square aromas in the summer time.
And now, there’s even less incentive to travel and spend money on the weekends. Once I manage to move Mom out of Bishop Allen, we’ll never go back.
@Sam, the thing is that people do love open streets. Look no further than Moody St in Waltham — people were convinced it would be a disaster to block off a main street, but residents (and businesses) loved it, and begged Waltham to bring it back. Same for Newbury St, which closes nearly every weekend this month. Both of those bring in tons of new visitors/shoppers/diners. Cambridge St was closed last weekend, Dorchester Ave is closed this weekend, as is Somerville Ave. for Fluff Fest.
Re: privilege of being close enough to use it, Cambridge residents are lucky to live near the River. The Memorial Drive petition to maintain weekend open space had 4,000 signatures, and a solid number are from people who travel from neighboring cities, so people do feel a connection and use it from other places.
Re: people who travel by car spending more money, it’s just not supported by the data. Many households (~35%) in Cambridge do not own a car, and they tend to do more of their shopping/dining locally, because they are not the ones most able to get to big box stores, etc.
I am sorry to hear that you were forced to move, but it sounds like you feel Cambridge is no longer a good fit for you and your mom. I am genuinely glad to hear that you found a place that fits better with less noise and congestion. Of course, given that you moved, I hope you find a way to weigh in on the issues in your community, and please be thoughtful about bashing ours. It’s okay to have sour grapes, but it is foolish to try and turn them into wine.
I politely challenge you: how would you respect the wishes of the _94%_ of Riverside residents who use the open space, while acknowledging and addressing the traffic issues that the unhappy 10% face? There are probably constructive ideas, such as signal improvements and timings, better signage, etc. which would be respectful and honor the wishes of both types of neighbors, without taking away a park that so many people use.
Why not open up the Fresh Pond Golf Course one day/week as a public park, as the Old Course at St. Andrews does in Scotland?
Thanks Chris, yeah, I’m also so in favor of keeping if not expanding the park on weekends. Its wonderful for families, and actually for the noise level of those living close to memorial drive.
That said, perhaps the city could do better signage or rerouted buses for those inconvenienced.
@q99, that’s a great point — there’s another op-ed that just came out today asking the state reps to push the DCR on solutions to reduce impacts:
https://www.cambridgeday.com/2023/02/28/moving-past-the-debate-solutions-to-traffic-challenges-on-memorial-drive/
A bunch of these would help residents every day of the week… Western Ave bus riders are stuck in traffic on weekdays, so it would be a big win to sync up those traffic lights. And as some neighbors from Putnam said… drivers block the box and honk at Putnam and Western all the time, leading to craziness like this https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/26/metro/cambridge-crash-injures-two-drivers-causes-minor-damage-buildings/