In Newton, Massachusetts, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has come under fire after halting a beloved Italian American tradition in the Nonantum neighborhood.
For decades, residents have painted red, white, and green stripes on Adams Street each July to celebrate the annual St. Mary of Carmen Festival, a cultural cornerstone for the area’s Italian American community.
This year, days before the festa, city crews laid down thick, rubberized double-yellow traffic lines, taking away red, white and green lines that had been on the road for nearly the past century, according to the Boston Herald.
Mayor Fuller defended the move, citing “safety concerns,” including visibility and crash risks. But critics labeled the rationale as vague and insensitive. In a letter to The Boston Globe, former Massachusetts transportation commissioner Gina Fiandaca called the decision “tone-deaf and dismissive,” especially given that no evidence was presented to support the safety claims.
Fiandaca and others noted that city officials failed to explore alternative options, such as decorative crosswalks, pole wraps, or seasonal banners that could preserve the festival’s spirit while addressing safety standards.
The backlash was swift. Social media users accused the city of cultural erasure, pointing out that the tricolor stripes were removed “in the middle of the night.” Many felt blindsided, especially as the decision came just days before the festival was set to begin.
Supporters of the tradition say the painted road is more than festive, it’s a symbol of identity and continuity for a community that helped build Newton.
The controversy has reopened broader questions about who gets to define community traditions, and whether long-standing cultural expressions are being pushed aside in the name of policy.
To quell complaints, Fuller alerted residents that the city would allow red and green paint between the white lines in crosswalks and that fire hydrants could be painted in the colors.
And there was a second “silver” lining: media outlets reported that the St. Mary Festa experienced a packed turnout, as people flocked to the event in support of the tradition and neighborhood.
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