CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
April 2002
Archives—Table of Contents

Bridge Lighting Event Illuminates Need For Parkland Renewal

Motorists commuting along Charles River parkways last December 21st witnessed a unique phenomenon: For once, the shortest day of the year was not the darkest. Thanks to the Charles River Conservancy, bridges crossing the Charles at River Street and Western Avenue, along with Weeks Footbridge and Anderson Bridge were illuminated on the evening of the Winter Solstice.

Conceived as a "holiday gift" from the Conservancy to the people of Boston and Cambridge, the event highlighted the overall issue of parklands renewal. Several hundred people gathered on the Weeks Footbridge to support the much-needed restoration of parklands and bridges.

The event also served as a forum to support passage of the Environmental Bond Bill. This vital piece of legislation includes funding for a host of greenspace initiatives, including the restoration of MDC parklands.

At dusk, illumination artist John Powell powered up portable generators and floodlights that remained on until 9:00 pm. As the Russian Carillon Bells pealed from Harvard's Lowell House in the still, cold air, the lights cast an ethereal glow across all four bridges. The scene was at once dramatic and possessed of a rare beauty, with the response of spectators ranging from outright exclamations of delight and surprise to quiet contemplation.

In general, spectators agreed night-time illumination of the bridges spanning the Charles would transform the whole character of the river after dark

While enjoying the novelty of the evening, several hundred parkland supporters heard Conservancy board member Paul Walker introduce the evening's speakers. John Moot, president of the Friends of Riverbend Park, spoke of the successful "Battle of the Sycamores" to save a treasured stand of trees along Memorial Drive in the 1960s. Also, John praised recent Conservancy-led legislative successes directed toward defeating proposals to separate MDC parkways from parks.

Ali Noorani, president of the Boston Greenspace Alliance, stressed the importance of a strong green coalition to restore and maintain precious public resources like the Charles Parklands and greenspace throughout Greater Boston. Chris Hardy of Mass. Audubon reminded all present to contact their state representatives to support the Environmental Bond Bill. In closing remarks, Conservancy leader Renata von Tscharner stressed the need to restore the river parklands and bridges to their full beauty.

Subsequent to the event, the Environmental Bond Bill cleared a key subcommittee and as of this writing is in House Ways and Means where, hopefully, it will be passed before conciliation with a similar bill in the Senate. Conservancy members participated in a lobbying day at the State House on March 13th to gain support for the bill.

Three of the four bridges previously had never been illuminated individually, nor all four as a group. Lighting them made a wonderful holiday surprise for the communities of Allston, Brighton and Cambridge, as well as homebound commuters.

The project was conceived by the Charles River Conservancy and supported through private sponsors led by the Wise Construction Company of Boston, which provided funding and manpower. Wise president John Wise is an active Conservancy board member. The MDC sanctioned the illumination and selectively cut overgrowth around bridge abutments on the Boston side in order to create a more pleasing view.

Prior to the event, Conservancy president Renata von Tscharner was interviewed on "Morning Edition," a feature news show on WBUR radio, which is heard by over 300,000 listeners in the Greater Boston area.

Echoing remarks made during the broadcast, Renata told the warmly-wrapped crowd assembled on Weeks Footbridge on December 21st, "These landmarks, which are on the National Register of Historic Places, are possessed of enormous potential, but typify the shabby, run-down condition of our most visible public space. More people in the metropolitan area visit the Basin parklands than any other place. The parklands and the bridges need our help, now! As a world-class city, we have some catching up work to do. We are rich in parklands, but poor at maintaining them."

Light Boston, Inc., which worked with the Conservancy in encouraging the MDC to sanction the event, promotes creative and innovative lighting of Boston's historic and cultural features. John Powell of Light Time In Space, was designer of the Conservancy's solstice bridge illumination project.

Charles River Parklands is published by The Charles River Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of the Basin parklands of the Charles River.

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© 2002, The Charles River Conservancy. Photo of Weeks footbridge by Bob O'Connor.