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Friday, March 29, 2024

The state has agreed with City Manager Yi-An Huang’s request to cancel “Riverbend Park” on Saturday and Dec. 17, as people using the space for recreation had dropped off while holiday traffic had picked up.

A portion of Memorial Drive near Harvard Square will still close to cars Sunday and Dec. 18 to allow pedestrians, cyclists and others to enjoy the riverfront roadway without cars.

After Dec. 18, Riverbend Park will be closed until the spring. DCR and the city said they will announce the schedule for 2023 in the coming months.

The car-free area created by cutting off vehicle traffic has been known as Riverbend Park for almost 40 years, starting in 1985, when the Legislature passed a law requiring the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to close Memorial Drive between Gerry’s Landing Road and Western Avenue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Sunday from the end of April until mid-November. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic closed indoor recreation opportunities, the Cambridge City Council asked DCR to close the area on Saturdays as well.

Information is here.