Boston Drivers Can Avoid Traffic with New Video Screens
The rush hour bottleneck that occurs at many of the entrances to major arteries and highways out of Boston could become a thing of the past in the near future. The city of Boston transportation department will install six “variable message screens” which will display real-time, GPS-based traffic data during the evening commute beginning this fall, according to the Boston Herald Monday. The screens will show the best route for a driver to get onto a nearby highway – most notably Interstate 93 – along with estimated travel times, the Herald reports. The signs could be placed at the South Boston waterfront area and Government Center garages to start, according to the story, but sites have not yet been determined. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
VIDEO: One Week Later, Crowd Returns to Boylston Street to Honor Boston Bombing Victims
One week after thousands of people gathered on Boylston Street to cheer on runners as they crossed the finish line of the 117th annual Boston Marathon, several hundred people returned to the area to honor those who were killed and injured in the bombings that forever changed a Boston tradition. At 2:50 p.m.—the time when, one week prior, the first explosion went off, followed 10 seconds later by a second—the city of Boston and communities throughout Massachusetts held a moment of silence. With the Copley Square area still cordoned off as a crime scene, hundreds of visitors gathered behind fencing at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley streets where a makeshift memorial sprouted up in the week following the event. The memorial, which features thousands of tributes such as flags, T-shirts, running shoes, posters, cards, teddy bears and flowers, has been moved off the street to the sidewalk outside the Bank of America building, presumably in anticipation of Boylston Street being reopened to the public—though a date for that opening has not yet been announced. The crowd at Boylston and Berkeley offered more than a moment of silence on Monday, standing quietly for several minutes before and after the appropriated time. At around 2:49 p.m., the crowd began softly singing “The Star-Spangled Banner”—just barely heard over the occasional honk and motorized splutter of the busy city. When the anthem concluded, the crowd went silent again for well over a minute. Some people bowed their heads, some cried or wiped away tears, some took photographs and video of the scene and some stared quietly down the deserted part of Boylston Street, perhaps imagining what it looked like on Monday last. As the crowd began to stir, with people beginning to head off to wherever they needed to be, a man waving a Boston hat with one hand and an American flag with the other began singing “God Bless America” and was soon joined by many others in the crowd. As the singing concluded, a loud cheer went up through the crowd, as people turned and waved to police officers on the other side of the barricade. The crowd began to disperse as, in the distance, church bells rang out and played “Amazing Grace.” South End Patch
VIDEO: SWAT Police Sweep Home for Suspected Bomber
Watertown resident and Patch Sales Manager Alfred Wilson was briefly detained by police in Thurday night’s frantic search for the marathon bombers. On Friday, the police were back, this time for a routine sweep of Wilson’s house. South End Patch
VIDEO: Boylston Street Business Shows Support with ‘26.2together’ Signs
Two women from Breakaway Innovation Group on Boylston Street were at the Boston Marathon victims’ memorial at Boylston and Berkeley streets on Thursday afternoon handing out printed signs to show their support in the aftermath of Monday’s bombing. The small posters show a Boston skyline with an overlay of a red Boston “B” and text reading “26.2gether.” “We just thought it would be nice to print these out and give them to local places in support and solidarity for the whole community,” said Breakaway employee Megan Brock of Somerville. ProPrint on Boylston Street donated 250 copies of the poster. South End Patch
VIDEO: Revelers Sing ‘Sweet Caroline,’ Cheer for Boston
After a day of eerie quiet, Boston got loud Friday night. Check out these videos of people celebrating the end of a citywide lockdown and the apprehension of two suspects in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing with songs, cheers, screams and “thank you”s. South End Patch
VIDEO: Marathoner Reacts to President’s Speech
For many inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Thursday morning, hearing Boston and national leaders speak was a moving experience. “This time next year the world will return to this great American city to run even harder and cheer harder than ever,” said President Obama. One attendee of the ceremony, Cheryl Babel, a school teacher in Danville, California, said that although she doesn’t live in Boston, she was moved by the ceremony. Watch her reaction in the video above. What did you think of President Obama’s speech? What stuck with you the most? Tell us in the comments. South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Marathoner, Presidents', Reacts, Speech, VIDEO
FBI: Have You Seen These Men? Bomber Photos, Video Released
The FBI has released photos and videos of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. Lead agent Richard DesLauriers said the FBI has developed a two suspects in the case. Suspect One is seen in the photos wearing a dark hat. Suspect Two is in a white hat and set down a bag just in front of the Forum restaurant. The suspects were seen walking together at one point, he said. There is also photos and videos of the men apart. “We know the public will play a critical role in identifying and locating these individuals. Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends neigh coworkers or family members of the suspects,” said DesLauriers. DesLauriers said the suspects are considered armed and extremely dangerous “Do not take any action on your own. If you see these men, contact law enforcement,” he said. You can see all of the photos at the FBI website. Anyone with information about these men can contact officials at boston@ic.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), and select prompt #3. South End Patch
VIDEO: Arrests at State House Protest Over Proposed MBTA Cuts
Police arrested several people who were blocking Beacon Street in front of the State House as part of a protest against cuts to the MBTA’s service for disabled and elderly passengers. The protest began peacefully around noon but moved into the street 20 minutes later. After seven in folding chairs or wheelchairs stopped traffic for another 20 minutes, police moved in arrested “four to five” of them, according to an officer on the scene. The rally, organized by MassUniting and the Massachusetts Senior Action Coaltion, was called to protest the large fare hikes to the MBTA’s paratransit service The RIDE. According to MassUniting, while fares for regular MBTA service went up 23 percent, the cost of The Ride has ballooned up to 150 percent over the past year. The most recent transportation proposal calls for an addition $ 6.5 million cut to The Ride. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Patrick Addresses Hundreds at Rally to Support His Budget Plan [VIDEO]
Hundreds of people bused in from across the state packed into a State House auditorim Tuesday morning to rally in support of Gov. Deval Patrick’s tax plan, which they say is critical to make much-needed improvements in education and transportation infrastructure. The rally, which was organized by Campaign for our Communities, a coalition of over 120 organizations across the commonwealth, ended with attendees heading off to the offices of their representatives, urging them to vote for Patrick’s plan. The governor’s $ 34.8 billion budget proposal calls for an increase in the income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent and the elimination of 44 deductions coupled with a decrease in the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent and a doubling of personal exemption. Patrick said at Tuesday’s rally that the time had come to speak as “grown-ups, in a fact-based way, about taxes, because taxes are the price of civilization.” By Patrick’s estimates, those who make under $ 62,000 a year shouldn’t see an increase in taxes and that those who make $ 100,000 will, on average, see a rise of a $ 300 to $ 400. To allow individuals to see how the plan would affect their taxes, the governor’s office last week released an online tool that calculates users’ tax bill. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
VIDEO: Go Inside a Boston Snow Plow During a Storm
With another possible storm headed our way this weekend, Boston’s public works employees could have some long hours ahead. Ever wonder what a storm looks like from their point of view? Curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and take a look. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch