After questions began swirling online over whether the city would hold Open Newbury Street again this summer, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu confirmed the popular car-free events are on the agenda.
But they will scaled back this year as the city juggles a host of other celebrations, from World Cup festivities to 250th anniversary events, and the arrival of the Tall Ships, Wu said on Saturday on Reddit.
“June and July are mega-programmed with lots of events already,” she commented amid the speculation. “Hosting one Open Streets per month is what’s manageable for city public safety and coordination resources.”
The city piloted Open Newbury Street in 2016. That event — where the tony Back Bay street was blocked off to cars so pedestrians could wander freely among vendors and businesses — was so successful it continued to grow over the years, and expanded to other neighborhoods in 2022.
Last year, Newbury Street was closed on 10 summer Sundays and once in the winter for a holiday stroll. Open Streets events were also held in the summer and fall in Roxbury, Hyde Park, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain.
Last week, the city announced four Open Streets events planned for this year, starting with Jamaica Plain on Aug. 2, then Mattapan on Sept. 12, Allston/Brighton on Oct. 4, and Roslindale on Oct. 18.
Meanwhile, dates for Open Newbury Street are still being finalized, Wu said on Reddit.
In addition to some of the larger events on the calendar, Wu said neighborhood block parties will also be held this summer, and that World Cup watch parties will be hosted by small businesses and the city.
Wu did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Boston has faced public criticism over its World Cup preparations compared to other cities, such as Philadelphia, where the marketing rollout has been smoothly run and well-funded. Meanwhile, Boston officials are currently locked in a battle with state transportation officials over closing a section of Summer Street to vehicle traffic for all seven local World Cup matches.
Wu said the Open Streets series will return to its regular programming next year.
“Each year we look at the entire calendar,” she said. “Once we close the books on FIFA and this big summer of mega events, we’ll be back in 2027 with more of a regular Open Streets schedule (and Open Newbury too)!”
Still, her response was met with some pushback online.
Echoing complaints dating back to her reelection bid last year that Wu has pulled back on her public transit and safe streets agenda, some bemoaned the lack of communication from her administration about Open Streets.
“Why hasn’t there been any proactive communication from your office about these street related initiatives? Lately it only seems like you make a statement when there’s enough social media outcry,” one person on Reddit replied to Wu. “I’m seeing cities across the country do way more in terms of street closures and pedestrian plazas. They’re not acting like they’re limited by these big events, they’re going all out because of them.”
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.