To Close Moody Street Or Not: That Is The Question In Waltham

WALTHAM, MA — As Boston and Newton prepare to welcome outdoor dining April 1, just what Moody Street will look like is up in the air.

During the height of the pandemic, Waltham was one of the first cities in the state to completely close a roadway to allow restaurants more space for outdoor dining. It was held up as an example by communities across the commonwealth as an example.

As the city set to considering whether and when to close the main thoroughfare to cars once again to accommodate outdoor dining, some business owners that share the road with the restaurants are pushing back.

"Not everyone is going to be satisfied," said Mayor Jeannette McCarthy during a traffic commission meeting March 18. In the wake of a petition signed by nearly 30 business owners asking for a hybrid model rather than full closure, and results from businesses that showed that while restaurant owners surveyed were all for a full closure, businesses were split.

Restaurant owners are still reeling from a year in which people don't feel comfortable dining in doors, and say last year's experiment kept them open. Business owners on the street say with the parking gone, they lost customers.

On Friday, a subcommittee met for four hours to discuss options, including the possibility of closing a portion of the street to cars, in a way that would still allow for expanded outdoor dining, without disrupting traffic.

A vote and recommendation is set for the next traffic commission meeting after the Easter holiday.

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