Photo: Courtesy of Defend the North End
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — North End restaurant owners have a new ally.
Former Boston police commissioner Willie Gross attended a rally at the Paul Revere statue on Friday, throwing his support behind a group of restauranteurs in their complaint against the City of Boston for the North End's exclusion from the outdoor dining program.
Mayor Michelle Wu defended the neighborhood ban when it was initially put in place in 2023, citing complaints from local residents about congested streets and concerns over increased traffic from the Sumner Tunnel closures.
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21 restaurant owners subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Boston in January of this year. In March, the group amended the complaint, seeking millions of dollars in lost income and a refund of $7,500 in fees.
At Friday's rally, Gross said the ban was based on "false narratives on traffic," and that other Boston neighborhoods with more congestion and traffic due to bike and bus lanes were not being excluded from the program.
The 2024 outdoor dining season is set to begin on Wednesday.
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