City Manager Letter

This is in response to Policy Order No. O-12 of 9/15/14 regarding the request for a legal opinion on the proposed amendment to the Municipal Code entitled "Prohibiting the Use of Wild and Exotic Animals in Traveling Shows and Circuses; and

Awaiting Report Item Number 14-98

, regarding the request for information related to the proposed ordinance entitled "Prohibiting the Use of Wild and Exotic Animals in Traveling Shows and Circuses" ("Proposed Ordinance").   Policy Order No. O-13 asks that "the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on the travel route taken by the circus animals including the City streets that are used to transport the circus animals, the educational provision in Section VI of the proposed ordinance entitled ‘Prohibiting the Use of Wild and Exotic Animals in Traveling Shows and Circuses,'" and to "provide copies of the proposals to ban exotic animals from Somerville and Plymouth to members of the Ordinance Committee."

Joseph Barr, the Director of the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department described the traffic route previously taken by circus animals in Cambridge as follows:

Historically elephants from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus have walked through Cambridge on their way to the TD Garden. The animals are brought in by train along the Grand Junction rail line and disembark behind MIT's West Campus, adjacent to Pacific Street. The elephants would then use Albany Street to access Massachusetts Avenue, and then follow Massachusetts Avenue to Memorial Drive. The parade would then proceed along the river on Memorial Drive and Land Boulevard, then turn towards Boston on O'Brien Highway, crossing the Charles River on the Craigie Bridge. On local streets, the parade would be escorted by the Cambridge Police Department and the State Police, with the State Police taking sole responsibility from Memorial Drive onward. Spectators would often line the streets as the parade made its way to Boston. The animals would return via the same route, but typically during the night or evening with less fanfare.

With respect to the remainder of the questions posed in Policy Order No. O-13 and in response to Policy Order No. O-12, please see legal opinion of City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa submitted herewith.

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Jacquie Gambarini, one of the proponents of the Proposed Ordinance, provided information by email that the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus will no longer use elephants in their shows starting in 2018, that the proponents of the Proposed Ordinance would like to strike the clause related to railroads, and provided internet links to the Somerville and Plymouth ordinances related to wild and exotic animals.

A copy of this email is attached to the opinion of the City Solicitor submitted herewith.