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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Some North End business owners are calling on Mayor Michelle Wu to bring back the neighborhood's outdoor dining program.
A petition on Change.org started by restaurant owners Frank and Karen Pellino says phasing out the program in the North End will leave restaurants there "devastated."
More than 2,000 people have signed the petition so far.
The petition argues that outdoor dining brought hundreds of new jobs to the area. The program began in 2020. The city is allowing sidewalk dining, but it's unclear exactly how much of the North End has wide enough sidewalks for that to work.
Residents in the area told WBZ's James Rojas that they had mixed feelings.
"If you're trying to drive through the streets, it's definitely hard," one resident said. "It is sad. It's cute and nice when it's warm outside," said another.
Wu announced that she was canceling the on-street dining part of the program in the North End last month. She cited complaints from local residents about the crowding the on-street dining brought and the increased traffic from the Sumner Tunnel closures.
The petition is calling for a compromise.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) has more:
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