The mayor of Boston has ordered the city to "fire up the duck boats" for the New England Patriots' victory parade following the team's come-from-behind 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl.
Mayor Marty Walsh took to Twitter late Sunday night to offer his congratulations "to the greatest team, the greatest coach and the greatest quarterback of all time."
Walsh said a parade celebrating the championship will be held on Tuesday at 11 a.m. He said the Patriots "have made Boston and New England proud."
"We're ready, we're geared up" for the Patriots victory parade, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said.
Quarterback Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, highlighted by a Julian Edelman catch that was almost beyond belief.
The Patriots pulled themselves out of a 25-point hole against the Falcons for New England's fifth NFL championship. It was the first Super Bowl decided in overtime.
"Coming down from 25 points, breaking all kinds of records, is an incredible feat," Walsh said. "So we certainly have, what I think, what I would say is the greatest football franchise in history, along with the greatest coach to ever coach in the NFL, along with the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL, so they certainly made Boston and New England proud yesterday."
Tuesday's parade will start in Back Bay at Boylston and Dalton streets, turn on Tremont Street and then wind its way to City Hall.
Walsh said Monday that more than one million people could be expected to be celebrating in the streets of Boston.
"We're asking the fans to behave responsibly, work with our public safety officials, listen to them," he said. We're going to make sure that in certain areas that it's safe for fans. We don't want people pushing and crowding in certain areas. we don't want to put anyone at risk."
There is a chance of rain or snow during the parade.
The Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins have all celebrated championships in recent years by climbing aboard duck boats, amphibious vehicles that are normally used to show tourists around town.
Numerous road closures and parking restrictions were also announced as a result of the victory parade.
"The roads will close at 9 o'clock, but we'll have tow crews out there starting at 6 a.m.," said Gina Fiandaca, Commissioner, Boston Transportation Department. "So we'll be clearing the parade route and we'll also be clearing some of the streets around the parade route."
Parking restrictions begin early Tuesday morning on the following streets:
- Belvidere Street, both sides, from Huntington Avenue to St. Cecilia Street
- Dalton Street, both sides, from Belvidere Boylston streets
- Boylston Street, both sides, from Massachusetts Avenue to Tremont Street
- Cambridge Street, both sides, from Tremont to Staniford streets
- New Sudbury Street, from Cambridge to Congress streets
- Congress Street, both sides, from New Sudbury to State streets
- State Street, both sides, from Congress to Court streets
- Court Street, both sides, from Tremont to Cambridge streets
- New Chardon Street, both sides, from Cambridge to Merrimac/Congress streets
- Staniford Street, both sides, from Cambridge to Merrimac streets
- Union Street, both sides, from North to Hanover streets
- North Street, both sides, from Congress to Clinton streets
- Plympton Street, both sides, from Albany Street to Harrison Avenue
- East Dedham Street, both sides, from Harrison Avenue to Albany Street
- Cambria Street, both sides, from Boylston Street to end of Hynes Center garage
City officials are asking fans to consider taking public transportation into Boston for the parade, and the MBTA also announced that it will maintain frequent, rush-hour levels of service on all subway lines beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday in order to accomodate parade-goers.
New England Patriots
Customers are urged to purchase round-trip fare in advance to avoid lines.
Parade-goers intending to travel on the commuter rail are asked to board at stations with ample parking, including:
• Newburyport/Rockport Line – Beverly, Salem, and Lynn
• Haverhill Line – Bradford and Lawrence
• Lowell Line – Lowell, Billerica, and Anderson/Woburn
• Fitchburg Line – Fitchburg and North Leominster
• Greenbush Line – Greenbush, Nantasket, and Weymouth Landing
• Plymouth/Kingston Line – Kingston
• Middleboro Line – Campello, Montello, and Bridgewater
• Fairmount Line – Readville
• Providence Line – Route 128
• Franklin Line – Forge Park/495, Walpole, and Dedham Corp.
• Needham Line – Needham
• Worcester Line – Worcester
Additionally, bus routes 9, 39, 43, 55, Silver Line 5, 92 and 93 will be detoured around the parade route.
For more information, visit mbta.com/events or follow @MBTA on Twitter.
City officials are also reminding parade-goers to refrain from smoking cigarettes and/or marijuana, drinking alcohol in public and climbing on top of things for a better look at the duck boats.
"With such crowds, we'll have a lot of officers under cover inside the crowd," said Evans. Obviously it's a different world. We'll have plenty of uniformed officers out there and we'll be out there early."
