| Rose Kennedy Greenway | |
|---|---|
 The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway as seen from above | |
 | |
| Type | Linear park |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Area | 17 acres (69,000 m2)/1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Created | 2008 |
| Operated by | Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy |
| Status | Open all year (daily 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.) |
| Public transit access | South Station Aquarium station Haymarket station North Station |
| Website | www |
The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is a linear park located in several Downtown Boston neighborhoods. It consists of landscaped gardens, promenades, plazas, fountains, art, and specialty lighting systems that stretch over one mile through Chinatown, the Financial District, the Waterfront, and North End neighborhoods. Officially opened in October 2008, the 17-acre Greenway sits on land created from demolition of the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway as part of the Big Dig project.[1]
The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is named after Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy family who was born in the neighboring North End neighborhood, the daughter of the former Boston mayor for whom the demolished expressway was named. Her son, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, played an important role in establishing the Greenway.
The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy was established as an independently incorporated non-profit organization in 2004 to guide the emerging park system and raise funds for an endowment and operations. In 2008, the State Legislature confirmed the Conservancy as the designated steward of the Rose Kennedy Greenway;[2] the Conservancy operates with a lease from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (now Massachusetts Department of Transportation).[3] Since February 2009, the Conservancy has operated the park, leading the maturation of this new civic space, strengthening its physical beauty, and encouraging a sense of a shared community in Boston.
The 2008 legislation established a 50%-50% public/private funding model. Through a multi-party funding agreement announced in June 2017, public funds from the State and City represent ~20% of the operating budget, a new Greenway Business Improvement District funds ~20% of the operating budget, and the Greenway Conservancy generates ~60%.
- ^ "The Big Dig - Highway Division". Massdot.state.ma.us. 2006-01-13. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ "Session Laws: Chapter 306 of the Acts of 2008". Malegislature.gov. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
- ^ "Lease Between the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Inc" (PDF). Rosekennedygreenway.org. Retrieved 2015-05-05.