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Bostonians return to Boylston Street

By adamg on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 1:01pm
Marathon Sports on Boylston Street

Stephanie Giunta captured the crowd outside Marathon Sports at lunchtime, around the time a concert was going on inside the BPL in Copley Square.

To try to lure more people back, Mayor Menino announced this afternoon that meters will be free between Arlington Street and Mass. Ave. and adjacent to the Public Garden now through Sunday.

Neighborhoods: 
Boston
Topics: 
Photos
Free tagging: 
Copley Square
Boylston Street
Boston Marathon bombings


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Comments

By Mediacrity on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 1:23pm.

I was down there around 9:30 this morning and posted a bunch on my instagram. There are also several of the aftermath from the past week and a half on there.

http://instagram.com/flannfry

By Will LaTulippe on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 2:03pm.

Nonsense. People will come back anyway. Collect the fee.

By Saul on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 2:12pm.

I'm all for free parking.

As long as any T rider getting off at Hynes, Copley or Arlington is given a $2 CharlieCard.

Oh, that's right: let's have a city policy to encourage patrons to drive to the most urban and walkable part of town instead of taking transit.

By Lando on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 2:58pm.

The T is a state agency. The Mayor of Boston cannot give free rides or free Charlie cards unless they purchase cards and pay people to distribute them.

By anon on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:03pm.

from contacting the MBTA and requesting the give free rides? It's not like they didn't have any time to plan the Boylston re-opening in advance.

By Saul on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 5:36pm.

I e-mailed GM Scott with the suggestion that the Back Bay Green Line stops be made free this weekend.

Thank you very much for the note. We are truly blessed to have such a great community.

I definitely appreciate the spirit – but, would pass on the free service given our serious deficit.

Sincerely,
Bev Scott

By roadman on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 6:40pm.

never precludes the MBTA from opening the gates for free on the 4th of July or New Years Eve.

And, IMHO, encouraging people to go to an area where the businesses have been shut down for more than a week, without requiring them to drive, is far more important than either of those two events.

By FlyingToaster on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 6:45pm.

Corporate sponsors do the "free fare" holidays, as well as the free tolls on the Pike.

By roadman on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 7:01pm.

lost revenue from the free parking meters anyway?

If the City can afford to absorb the costs of free parking, the MBTA should be able to absorb the costs of free service for patrons entering only FIVE stations (Copley, Arlington, Prudential, Auditorium, Back Bay) in the entire system for a few days.

I'd even be OK with restricting it to off-peak periods, like the "Dime Time" promotion of years ago.

Sorry, but "no money" has become the MBTA's standard "knee jerk" excuse when they decide they don't want to do something. And it's sad that this idea didn't come up earlier, as it could have gained enough support among the right politicos to make it happen.

As for the "free fare holidays", if they're really subsidized by private companies, why doesn't the MBTA let the public know that? MassDOT lets Pike users know who's paying for "free toll hour" at Allston-Brighton.

By Saul on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 6:47pm.

The T probably loses more in revenue in a week from broken fareboxes on the Green Line and buses than it would by leaving the gates open at three Back Bay stops for a weekend, especially considering that many of the passengers using the stations probably have T passes anyway.

Instead of taking advantage of a forecast weekend of great spring weather and closing Boylston off to cars and throwing a grand street party to celebrate life and the reopening of the area, we have a mayor touting free parking on the street.

By anon on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 11:55pm.

Or every morning at Dudley when virtually every silver line rider walks on for free because the demand for transit exceeds the abilities of a bus to intake in a timely manner

By Charlie on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 3:43pm.

The Mayor should take all the parking meter revenue from the area and buy CharlieTickets to give to the local businesses, who could then give them out to people shopping in their store or dining in their restaurant! We need to encourage people to take the T to support the businesses, not drive into an already congested area.

By anon on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 7:20am.

I'll give you $2 if you can't afford it and wish to support the businesses affected by the bombing. Ease up on the rage, it's bad for your health.

By anon on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 2:21pm.

Free parking will result in less turnover in spaces and more circling traffic. It will hurt businesses more than it helps.

By Lando on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 2:58pm.

The two hour restriction probably still applies.

By Saul on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:40pm.

Does anyone sincerely believe that the streets would be teeming with empty spots on a forecast-to-be-beautiful spring weekend if the lucky ones who snagged a street spot had to feed a meter?

Has Newbury St been deserted the past few days?

By Boston_res on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:02pm.

It's going to be hard to.

Anyone else?

By Mediacrity on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:27pm.

It was hard this morning. I was helping a coworker move some things back to her office after spending this week displaced and wasn't quite prepared for how it hit me. Looking forward to the freedom to walk down Boylston now and getting back to my routine.

So I'd say prepare for the first time to be a little difficult and maybe do it during daylight and warm weather, like it is right now.

By anon² on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:37pm.

seems to have most people in good spirits. Lots of people too, which helps.

Seems people are starting to zero in on the positive things. Celebrating the lives of the victims, getting the city back to normal, ect. Too bad the media is still stuck on the DB Bro's.

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 4:02pm.

I would like to make a Trader Joe's run soon, but I thought I'd be more in the way today than anything. People need some space to settle back into the closed businesses and blocked off apartments.

By anon² on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 4:08pm.

Around 12:30 they had a smiling worker outside giving away free knit bags and welcoming back customers and sidewalk passer bys.

By Saul on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 4:28pm.

I plan to go back Friday and have lunch on Boylston.

I was two blocks past the finish line as a volunteer, so while I heard the blasts I did not see any of the bloodshed. So I probably don't carry the same emotional baggage as someone who was closer and saw everything in all its gore.

I wish the businesses in the area the best.

By anon on Sat, 04/27/2013 - 1:12am.

Place was packed and everybody was greeting the staff like long lost friends.

Nice.

I crossed the street to librart side while walking to copley. Wanted to keep it "normal."