Personal Experience with Non-Car Travel
Please share your recent experiences walking, biking, using public transit, or traveling with someone who has mobility challenges around Melrose. How safe and accessible did you find those experiences outside of a car?
As someone who frequently jogs around Ward Four, walks my dog, and joins my daughter on walks to and from the Winthrop Elementary School, I spend a lot of time getting around Melrose on foot.
I recognize that I’m fortunate to be able to move comfortably through our community, and that’s not the case for everyone. Many of our sidewalks and crossings present barriers for residents with limited mobility, parents with strollers, and older adults. Issues such as uneven pavement, missing curb ramps, and narrow walkways make it harder for people to get where they need to go safely. These areas should be prioritized in the city’s annual maintenance and accessibility improvement plans.
For the most part, Melrose is a very pedestrian friendly city, particularly in the neighborhoods of Ward Four.
However, there is still much that can be done to improve the safety of pedestrians and encourage more non-vehicle travel. One immediate step that I would take as a City Councilor is to work with the city and state to explore the continuation of a sidewalk and installation of a crosswalk on the Lynn Fells Parkway near River Lane. I had a recent conversation with a neighbor who expressed concern for school-aged children in that neighborhood as they attempt to cross the heavily traveled Fells without the aid of a sidewalk or flashing crosswalk.
Near-Term Municipal Actions
Please name one concrete step the City of Melrose should take within the next two years to make streets and sidewalks safer for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices. How will you ensure this step will serve people of all ages, abilities, and neighborhoods equitably?
There are simple steps that the City can take to make it easier for those who travel by foot, bike or transit. I would encourage the City to increase the number of bike racks in frequently traveled locations, including downtown, near the three commuter rail stations and at our parks and playing fields.
I would also encourage our schools to host more “walk to school” days, where communication is shared with students and families about the benefits of walking to school, both from a health and environmental perspective.
City’s Role in Advancing Active Transportation & Climate Goals
Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in Massachusetts. What role should the City of Melrose play in encouraging people to travel by foot, bike, or transit? Please share one specific action you would take as a councilor, and explain how it supports Melrose’s sustainability and climate goals.
I am proud that Melrose was included in the inaugural designation of Green Communities in 2010 and would look to build upon the success of the past 15 years in decreasing the municipal energy usage and obtaining grants to fund energy efficiency upgrades.
I would encourage the City to consider energy efficient purchases and upgrades any time that the City is renovating or replacing city property. While this cannot be a mandate given the current fiscal challenges in the City, I would strongly advocate for the consideration of long-term costs, both fiscal and environmental, when evaluating all potential options.
School Travel & Family Transportation
Melrose does not provide school buses and students are not assigned to their neighborhood elementary school by default, contributing to significant car traffic at drop-off and pick-up. Name one specific thing you would do to help families who want safe, reliable options to get children to and from school without relying on cars?
As a parent with a daughter at the Winthrop Elementary School, I was very concerned at the beginning of this school year to see the significant reduction in crossing guards, particularly at heavily traveled points along Upham and the Lynn Fells Parkway. I understand that it is difficult to hire crossing guards for a part-time position, but it is essential that those crosswalks are guarded while our youngest students are walking to and from school.
As a Councilor, I would work with the City to prioritize each crosswalk in Melrose that has traditional employed a crossing guard and make sure that the crossing guards are assigned according to that prioritization. I would also work with the City to explore how we can hire more crossing guards, including what incentives or tax credits can be offered to encourage more individuals to devote a few hours each day to their community.
Regional Connectivity
Many nearby communities are investing in interconnected trails and paths that support both recreation and commuting. How would you work with neighboring communities and state/regional agencies to expand safe walking and biking connections to and from Melrose?
I would welcome opportunities to collaborate with our neighboring communities and regional partners to explore connections between bike and pedestrian paths. While Melrose’s density and existing infrastructure make large-scale expansions difficult, we can still look for practical improvements—such as filling in short gaps, improving crossings, or coordinating routes—that make regional travel safer and more accessible.
Street Design & Business Districts
How can street design improve safety and foot traffic in Melrose’s business districts? Name one specific thing you would do to encourage the city and business community to make these areas more inviting for people walking, biking, or arriving by transit?
I have closely watched the recent reconstruction of the Fells and Melrose St intersection and am pleased to see that expanded curbs that will offer greater pedestrian safety while reducing vehicular speed and unsafe maneuvers. I am grateful to the businesses along this project that worked with the City to allow for the expanded curbs.
I am also pleased with the recent addition of a flashing crosswalk on Main Street, as this has made downtown more pedestrian friendly, particularly during the evening hours when it can be difficult to see pedestrians moving into the crosswalk.
As Councilor, I would encourage the City to explore the expansion of the above mentioned procedures in an effort to make our business district more accessible. As we continue to develop new housing projects with commercial space on the first floor, I would advocate that the City ensure that new sidewalks are pedestrian friendly with amply bike racks.
Budget and Staffing Priorities
Budget cuts impact the City’s ability to implement street projects, pursue state transportation grants, and enforce safety laws. What specific actions would you take (e.g., prioritizing budget, accessing other funding sources) to improve the City’s ability to respond to resident requests (e.g., traffic calming, speed enforcement, street design, etc.)?
As Melrose continues to grapple with budget challenges, it is important that our local government explore all available state and federal grants to address pressing concerns within the City. The U.S. Department of Transportation annually awards Safe Streets and Roads for All grants to states and municipalities to prevent roadway injuries. As a Councilor, I would ensure that Melrose is very aggressive in pursuing this grant, along with similar grants that have a required use to address concerns such as traffic calming, speed enforcement and street design.
Most Pressing Street Safety Issue
What do you see as the single most pressing street safety issue in your ward (for ward council candidates) or in the city as a whole (for at-large candidates)? As a City Councilor, how would you address it?
While walking the streets of Ward Four to speak with residents, I frequently heard about – and saw – vehicles traveling at dangerous speeds on residential roads. This safety issue is not unique to Melrose, it is a well-known impact of popular navigation apps that reroute vehicles to avoid heavy traffic areas. However, many Melrose families report that this issue is getting worse as drivers travel at higher rates of speed near residents walking and children playing.
Temporary traffic calming measures, such as speed enforcement signs, have an impact, but often only for the duration of the measure. I would look to partner with the Melrose Police Department to encourage greater enforcement of traffic violations on our residential streets, including speed and stop sign infractions. I appreciate Chief Faller’s commitment to having more police officers in our neighborhood while on duty, allowing them to build relationships in the community while more quickly respond to calls. This commitment can be built upon to include efforts to ensure safe streets for our residents.