WALTHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It was a sunny day on Waltham's Moody Street on Saturday, which opened to pedestrian-only traffic for the second year in a row.
The closure is part of a move to support the outdoor dining season in the city -- by allowing restaurants to use the sidewalk space for added seating.
"We love it, we think it should be this way every year," one diner said. "May to November -- block off Moody Street -- I think it's great for the businesses."
Restaurant owners are also appreciating the move after a bustling outdoor dining season last year -- and a subsequent winter of shutdowns forced by Covid-19.
"I think people are exhausted, and hopeful, but still careful," Solea owner Fernando Leon said.
The Spanish tapas restaurant is still operating at reduced capacity under state guidelines, in order to maintain social distancing.
"[Today is] the beginning of some relief, after a very, very long, slow, tedious winter," Leon said. "With the spring coming and the summer coming -- there's a feeling of optimism, and people like sitting outside and people like being outside, so we're hopeful that people will flock to Moody Street like they did last summer."
According to the city, the street will be closed off to bike and vehicle traffic until October to accommodate the season.
WBZ NewsRadio's Mike Macklin (@mikemacklinwbz) reports.
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Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Mike Macklin/WBZ NewsRadio)