Walsh repeats an Olympic mistake

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/10/24/walsh-repeats-olympic-mistake/ZNjRMnyUS4mX2TPFzf2loI/story.html



A lone car led the field during the Grand Prix of Baltimore in 2013.

Walsh repeats an Olympic mistake


~snip~

It’s certainly more Indianapolis than Athens of America, if that’s the preferred image of Boston 2.0. But this makeover is a mess.

~snip~

Last May, Mayor Martin J. Walsh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Grand Prix of Boston for up to five Labor Day races in the Seaport area. It all happened without any public hearings or information revealed about resident inconvenience or taxpayer investment — just like Boston’s ill-fated effort to host an Olympics, albeit on a smaller scale.

The first race, scheduled for next Sept. 2-4, would loop around a 2.2 mile circuit, covering land that is mostly owned by Massport and the city of Boston. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and MassDot also hold some property rights along the route.

~snip~

A race like this requires more setup than a pub crawl. Pre-race preparation involves the installation of 6,000-pound road barriers, 12-foot high metal fences, and the dismantling of entire median strips. Sewer caps must be welded down and an inch of asphalt poured to provide a smooth, continuous surface.