A guide for the community this Fourth of July

Guidance from the MIT Police

This year's traditional fireworks celebration on the Esplanade will be held Thursday night, July 4. Approximately 500,000 people will fill the banks of the Esplanade along the Charles River in Boston, and approximately 200,000 in the Cambridge area, for the festivities, which include a free concert. Approximately one-third of the concert's attendees are tourists from outside of New England.

With that in mind, the MIT Police ask your cooperation with the following:

• In an effort to reduce thefts and increase safety, please secure all office doors and accessible windows. Outsiders may try to gain access due to the excellent view of the fireworks, convenience of bathrooms or the opportunity to steal unlocked and unattended items — laptops, digital cameras or wallets and cash.
• Under Massachusetts General Law, the simple possession or use of fireworks, or the selling or offering for sale of fireworks, is illegal. A violation of this law shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both. Please also be advised that the throwing or shooting of fireworks off the rooftops is strictly prohibited. This practice may result in serious injuries to people and property below and rooftop fires.
• MIT policy expressly prohibits anyone from accessing any area they do not have permission to access, either through policy or express permission by the proper authority. While most of those areas will have posted prohibitions, or will be secured against access, this policy also covers academic rooftops. Other prohibited areas include: dorms in which you do not reside, and areas which may be accessed by others but for which you do not have proper authority to access. Violation of this policy will result in referral to the Office of Student Citizenship, the Committee on Discipline and/or arrest for trespassing and other related charges.
• There are several new regulations issued this year by the Massachusetts State Police. We have included the link for your reference. Please become familiar with the regulations before July 3 and 4.
• The Cambridge Police Department has posted a July 4th website that includes further useful information, such as boating rules, road closures in Cambridge and Boston, and detailed information about what people can and cannot bring with them to the Charles River.

Guidance from MIT's Parking & Transportation Office

For those planning to come to MIT to view the fireworks on the Fourth of July, please be aware of the following:

• Complete event information can be found on the Boston Fourth of July website: http://www.july4th.org/.
• We recommend using the MBTA, which will provide extra service on the Fourth of July and a free ride to the public after the concert.
• The Hayward Lot and the E51 Lot are reserved for Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Vehicles. There will be no parking allowed in the E51 Lot and the Hayward Lot on July 4th.
• As usual, evening parking will be in effect in all gated facilities on campus.
• There will be limited access to campus parking after the 4:30 p.m. road closings.

Road closure information

• No parking all day on July 4 on Memorial Drive between Mass. Ave. and the Longfellow Bridge (vehicles will be towed).

After 4:30 p.m. on July 4:

• Memorial Drive in both directions from Mass. Ave. to the Longfellow Bridge closed;
• Main Street, from Third Street to the Longfellow Bridge closed;
• Ames Street from Main Street to Memorial Drive closed;
• Wadsworth and Amherst Streets, closed;
• Land Boulevard from Binney Street to Longfellow Bridge closed;
• Hayward, Carlton, Charlotte's Way and Dock Street closed;
• Longfellow Bridge closed in both directions;
• Mass Ave Bridge closed in both directions from Beacon Street in Boston to Vassar Street in Cambridge;
• Memorial Drive from Mass. Ave to the BU Bridge closed;
• Vassar Street, from Mass. Ave to Memorial Drive closed with access for residents only.