After much discussion among Waltham officials, residents and business owners, the Waltham Traffic Commission decided to allow Moody Street to close to vehicle traffic on a limited basis from May 25 to September 25, 2023.
- Moody Street closes to vehicular traffic every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. until Monday at 5:00 a.m. from May 25 to September 25 (including the section between Chestnut and Cushing Street that remained open during previous closures
- Moody Street open as usual for two-way traffic from Monday to Thursday afternoon
- Impacted side streets are open to residents only
Although businesses will not need to break down outdoor setups every week (they can remain in a barrier enclosure in parking spaces in front, outdoor dining & retail is allowed only during the street closure. Businesses wanting to use public sidewalks or parking spaces for outdoor dining must seek approval from the Waltham City Council.
This schedule differs from the past three years when the road shut down from May until October to help restaurants during the pandemic. With the COVID emergency lifted, the responsibility to shut down the street for outdoor dining switched to the Traffic Commission.
The commission held several public hearings on the issue, hearing from residents and restaurant and business owners before reaching this decision.
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