BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) - Boston Mayor Marty Walsh found himself on the defense Tuesday morning on a litany of issues following two major snow storms that have hit his city in the last week. Walsh said the snow total from the last seven days are higher than the infamous Blizzard of 1978. He said while it's easy to second guess him, removing snow is "not something that is done easily," especially when you factor in Boston's old, narrow streets.
He hinted the city is reaching its limits when it comes to capacity. "If we get more snow, we may have to ask for help from surrounding towns," Walsh said. Of course those surrounding towns are also measuring snow totals in record amounts.
The mayor also defended his decisions surrounding the New England Patriots Super Bowl victory parade. He said his original schedule for a Tuesday parade was made in part because of a forecast that proved to be on the light side. He said he delayed pushing it to Wednesday because he was dealing with the storm, as well as communication issues with the football team. Walsh said he could not reach Patriots owner Robert Kraft to discuss postponing it because Kraft was on an airplane flying back to Boston.
Walsh also had to defend the current decision to hold a parade Wednesday, even though the city is still in process of removing mountains of snow and the MBTA is experiencing weather-related service problems. Walsh said many people have suggested delaying the parade until Saturday. He said that's not feasible because by the weekend the players will have returned to their home cities.
The Rolling Rally route will begin at the Prudential Center at 11 a.m. It will end at City Hall. The shortened route is also due to the freezing forecast.
Boston hasn't held a Super Bowl victory parade in 10 years. Back in 2005, more than a million people lined the streets on a very chilly Tuesday morning.
Duck boats will be the mode of transportation once again. There will be 25 of the amphibious vehicles moving the team along the route. Rolling Rallies have become the norm for Boston World Championship celebrations. The ducks boats have been in hibernation for the winter, which means the Duck Boat Tour operators also have a big job ahead. They have to get the two dozen vehicles parade-ready in one day. A manager of the tour company said the boats will be ready in time even if staff has to work all night. The fans won't be the only ones freezing during the parade - players will be out in the elements as well. The duck boats have small heaters on board, but they won't be nearly enough to keep the Patriots warm for the outdoor affair.
The mayor asked Pats' fans attending the parade not to stand or sit snowbanks because of the dangers involved, and to dress appropriately for temperatures expected to remain below freezing into Wednesday.