Re-name Storrow Drive to Barack Obama Drive (Boston, Harvard: buyers, law school)

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by msRB311

So that means he should have a major road in boston named after him? Sorry to tell you but Harvard could give two sh*ts about Boston.

When he was a student at Harvard he racked up hundreds of dollars in unpaid parking tickets. Maybe we could name a parking meter after him? I think he lived in Somerville.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

When he was a student at Harvard he racked up hundreds of dollars in unpaid parking tickets. Maybe we could name a parking meter after him? I think he lived in Somerville.

$400. Paid but without interest.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17516764

In today’s world, a batch of parking tickets would be much, much higher than just $400.

[lrfox]

I don't have anything against Obama, but I really don't like the idea. Cambridge (where he actually went to college) has several numbered streets which could be renamed (or complimentary named - i.e. "First St/Obama Ave.") without bumping another name off of the map. If that's something the city wanted to do. I'm not sure why it's necessary though.

Interestingly, I believe I read somewhere that Storrow had little to do with the roadway and his wife was adamantly opposed to naming it after him. And personally, I'd rather see Storrow buried, put on a road diet, or outright removed and the land re-claimed for the park rather than given a renewed spotlight.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I'd rather see Storrow buried, put on a road diet, or outright removed and the land re-claimed for the park rather than given a renewed spotlight.

I'd rather see that as well.



A little history on the area with some period concept photos and dwgs

https://milohooper.com/writing/storrow.pdf

Despite the death of its greatest detractor in 1944, Helen Storrow, some Back Bay residents continued to fight against the road and
for tranquility. Additional advocacy groups formed, such as the Storrow Memorial Embankment Protective Association, and a group called
Mothers Against Storrow Drive that routinely marched on the state legislature.

The 1948 proposal included a six-line expressway and numerous
complicated intersections as shown in Figure 9 intended to facilitate
traffic through the expressway and out of Boston. The $6,200,000
highway would eliminate half of the available width of the Storrow
Memorial Embankment, and would run from Soldiers Field Road south
of Cambridge along the Esplanade up to Leverett Circle near what is
now North Station. It would be funded from a $100,000,000 state bond
for highway improvements.


To increase the irony,the legislature decided to honor the legacy of James and Helen Storrow
by dedicating Storrow Drive in their name, despite the fact that the
road stood against everything they fought for throughout their lives.

[JGBigGreen]

So name a street in Cambridge after him since that is where Harvard Law and Law Review are located.

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

First Black editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review!

[id77]

Originally Posted by L00k4ward

Don’t name anything after a living person -is just a common sense.

You just never know - what if he commits a horrible crime?
Or something untoward would be uncovered?

Why the rush?
Isn’t Illinois, Hawaii, etc have the right of first refusal?

Hopefully they got on that already because Los Angeles has been busy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama_Boulevard

[MrDee12345]

Is this just a hypothetical or is this a real plan?

Either way, I see no reason to name it after him. Find his old street in Somerville and name it after him and that should be fine.

[msRB311]

Why does the street have to renamed? My God leave it alone.

[MMS02760]

It already has a name which should stay in place.

[BruinsGirl]

Originally Posted by MrDee12345

Is this just a hypothetical or is this a real plan?

It is a bait.