Boston Mayor: New England Patriots Parade Can’t Be Delayed
The New England Patriots parade is still happening on Wednesday at 11 a.m. despite the record-setting snowfall that hit Boston over the past week. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh defended his decision to hold the parade, much to the dismay of Boston residents. He assured that the Patriots parade won’t be delayed and will go on as planned.
The duck boats at the New England Patriots parade were originally ready to roll out on Tuesday, but that plan was delayed by 24 hours. Walsh announced that schools would be closed on Tuesday due to the snowstorm that affected most of the Northeast on Monday. Walsh not only addressed the snowstorm but the very important Patriots parade.
“We can have a parade in the city of Boston. It’s been what we’ve always done after a championship team wins.”
According to CBS Boston, the New England Patriots parade will begin at Prudential Tower, then will move up to Boylston Street and end at City Hall. Unlike Boston’s past Patriots parades, there won’t be a rally at City Hall Plaza due to the dropping temperatures and large amounts of snow.
More than 40 inches of snow fell in Boston during a 7-day period. Some residents have been concerned about the dangerously high snow banks. The snow emergency and parking ban was just lifted on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Still, the massive amounts of snow have caused traffic delays and problems in the city. The traffic gridlock caused delays for the evening commute on Tuesday. Residents fear what Wednesday’s going to bring with the Patriots parade.
Walsh is still set on having the New England Patriots parade. He said, “If I felt I was going to be a public safety issue, I would’ve canceled it.” The Boston police department announced that they will make sure that fans won’t climb or sit on the snow banks.
Not everybody agrees with Walsh’s decision to hold the New England Patriots parade. A whopping 80 percent of Boston residents polled on WCVB 5 don’t agree with having the parade on Wednesday. Some viewers believe that the city should hold it on a Saturday, but the mayor said that the decision was made to accommodate the New England Patriots players.
“The reason for the rally tomorrow is because the players leave Boston, leave New England, go on vacation with their families. It’s no longer a work day for them.”
Boston residents are clearly concerned about the traffic and parking problems in the city. The city is under its $18 million budget for snow removal, but that might not last for long. Walsh said that Boston is working hard to clear the snow in every one of its neighborhoods, not just the parade route.
Even if the path is cleared for the New England Patriots, Weather.com predicts that there will be snow showers around 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Live stream of the Patriots parade can be seen at CBS Boston for those who can’t make it to the event.
The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl at a score of 28-24.
[Images: Devin Ford/Flickr and CBS Boston]
