ven on an ordinary New Year's Eve, First Night, that citywide festival of pirouettes, dramatic turns, and frozen sculpture, is a complicated affair.
This New Year's Eve, First Night is the biggest ever, stretching to three days instead of one, and boasting four fireworks displays, seven ice sculptures, and 1,200 artists performing at 60 venues around town.
Yesterday, city officials unveiled their plans to cope with the larger-than-usual crowds - 2 million people - expected to flood the city for the millennial celebration, which kicks off tomorrow.
''We all have to work together to enjoy ourselves and make sure it's safe,'' said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. ''We'll show America a great time.''
Several city services will increase staffing and extend hours to ensure 2000 is ushered into Boston safely and smoothly. Workers at the Emergency Operations Center on the seventh floor of City Hall will be on hand beginning at 4 p.m. tomorrow and throughout the weekend to respond to any disruptions in city services or other problems.
Several roadways around Boston Common, Copley Square, and Government Center will be shut down to accommodate such events as the fireworks display and the Grand Procession, which leaves the Hynes Convention Center at 5 p.m. tomorrow and ends at the Common. Officials stressed downtown parking will be limited and parking rules will be strictly enforced.
Street closures and detours are slightly different from past years because of alterations in the First Night schedule, not because of fears about terrorism or computer glitches, said Richard Loring, the city's supervising traffic engineer.
The area around Copley Square, for example, will be closed because of a millennium countdown and light show in front of the Boston Public Library, which is being held for the first time, Loring said.
To help avert traffic problems, officials are encouraging partygoers to use public transportation, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is extending operating hours. Beginning tomorrow, T service will run continuously until 2 a.m. Sunday. It will be free from 8 p.m. tomorrow until 6 a.m. Saturday.
Other safety measures include medical and lost children stations at the Hynes Convention Center, the Charles Street side of the Boston Common, the lobby of Boston City Hall, and the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel on State Street. Additional medical personnel will be stationed throughout downtown.
Some other cities, concerned about terrorist threats and the possibility of computer shutdowns, have taken more drastic measures. Seattle Mayor Paul Schell Tuesday canceled his city's planned festivities beneath the Space Needle. The decision came two weeks after an Algerian man was arrested in the state and charged with bringing bomb-making materials across the border from Canada.
Security will be particularly tight in New York City, which is expecting millions to gather in Times Square to watch the ball drop. Police are welding shut manhole covers and locking streetside mailboxes.
Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci yesterday drew criticism for plans to keep the State House open until midnight tomorrow for a 12-hour celebration that begins at noon. The building's second floor will remain open after the usual 6 p.m. closing time so visitors can stroll through exhibits and sign a guest book. Cellucci rejected criticism that his decision left the site and its occupants vulnerable to attacks.
Menino said the only unusual precaution being taken in Boston for First Night is the removal of trash bins from city streets. For security reasons, Boston Police Sergeant Detective Margot Hill could not say exactly when bins along the parade route would be removed. Officers also will be removing Boston Globe and Herald coinboxes from the street, Hill said.
Other measures in place are either standard for New Year's Eve or were planned long before news about possible terrorist attacks, officials said. Though he encouraged residents to exercise caution when heading out on New Year's Eve, the mayor said the night should not be marred by fear.
''You need to be alert, but not alarmed,'' Menino said.
City officials also aren't expecting serious problems from the much-publicized Y2K computer bug. Boston, which spent $43 million ensuring systems are compliant, has been preparing for the big day with the state for two years, said Stephen McGrail, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Administration.
Officials urged people not to let talk of Y2K and other concerns keep them away from First Night.
''On Monday, the PCs will be on, the elevators will be running and we'll all say, `Wasn't that a great weekend?''' said Dennis DiMarzio, the city's chief operating officer.
Boston's Emergency Operations Center, (617) 635-3050, will be staffed starting at 4 p.m. tomorrow a nd throughout the weekend.
