Community Meeting on Memorial Drive Closures: September 14

Update: Go to the Riverbend Park webpage for the latest information on Memorial Drive closures. 

The City of Cambridge and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) are seeking input from Cambridge residents on the overnight and Saturday closures of Memorial Drive.

• The September 13 meeting has been canceled due to forecasted thunderstorms. If you would like to share your thoughts on Memorial Drive closures, you can attend the Zoom meeting or email your testimony to Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Communications Manager Elise Harmon-Freeman at eharmonfreeman@cambridgema.gov. We will assemble emailed comments and provide them to the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Cambridge City Council. On Tuesday, September 13, we will host an in-person meeting at Riverside Press Park from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 
• On Wednesday, September 14, we will host an online meeting on Zoom from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

For almost 40 years, DCR has closed a portion of Memorial Drive to motor vehicle traffic on Sundays to allow pedestrians, cyclists, and others to enjoy the riverfront roadway without cars. In 1985, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a law that requires DCR 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. Right now, Memorial Drive is closed from Gerry’s Landing Road to Western Avenue from Saturday at 8 a.m. to Sunday at 7 p.m. The car-free area created by these closures is sometimes referred to as "Riverbend Park."

The City and DCR want to hear what residents think about the current closure schedule. At this community meeting, residents will be able to give feedback and speak about their experiences with the closures.

This meetings build on previous engagement opportunities around Memorial Drive closures, including a series of meetings hosted by City Councilor Denise Simmons and a “Riverside Transportation Conversation” open house and survey.

Visit the City of Cambridge’s Memorial Drive webpage to learn more.