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?
My family and I love how walkable Melrose is. We live in Ward 1 on Walton Park and often go out with our 20-month-old son, Leo — sometimes in the stroller, now often on foot as he gets more adventurous. We walk to the playground, nearby parks, and downtown, sometimes even all the way to Oak Grove. The sidewalks are in good condition and make walking easy.
Overall, Melrose feels safe and accessible for walking. A concern is speeding on through streets like Franklin Street, which creates safety and noise issues — especially with large trucks passing by. While biking is generally pleasant, the lack of continuous, connected bike lanes makes it challenging. Accessibility could also improve at some commuter rail stops, where boarding with a stroller is impractical.
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?
The City should continue building a culture of walking, biking, and transit. Encouraging families and their children to walk, bike, or transit can instill lifelong sustainable habits. We can promote events that teach residents how to safely walk and use local bike routes and public transportation. But encouragement only works if paired with reliable infrastructure so residents can confidently choose those travel options over their cars.
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.
Transportation and climate resilience go hand in hand. Melrose already has a strong foundation through existing sustainability plans. Perhaps one area we can focus more on is city incentives for clean energy — such as local solar tax credits — especially as federal incentives are being phased out. We can try to fill that gap in a way that supports homeowners, small businesses, and transportation options while balancing our financial reality so that any incentives don’t compete with funding for schools and essential services.
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?
Melrose’s walkability is one of its greatest assets, especially for young families. A neighbor recently told me his dream was to walk his daughter to school — and that’s something every Melrose family should be able to do safely. We could explore designated “safe school routes” that prioritize walking and biking during school commute hours, connecting key neighborhoods to schools. These temporary traffic zones could make mornings and afternoons safer and less congested without restricting vehicle access at other times.
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?
Regional coordination is essential. We should continue to work closely with neighboring communities like Malden, Wakefield, and Stoneham, as well as agencies, to identify shared priorities and funding opportunities. Expanding and connecting existing paths — such as routes near the Fells, Oak Grove, and the commuter rail — would make active travel safer and more consistent. Collaboration is about teamwork and compromise — finding affordable, practical ways to connect residents across city lines without heavy reliance on cars.
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?
Street design can directly influence how vibrant and safe our downtown feels. Perhaps we can explore creating marked routes into Main Street, add more bike racks, and make outdoor dining a three-season, well-designed feature of our business districts. Small infrastructure changes — such as sidewalk extensions, raised crossings, or seasonal pedestrian zones — can add value. Given budget limitations, this progress will depend on strong public-private partnerships with local businesses and creative use of outside funding.
We can consider creating more seasonal pedestrian-friendly zones downtown — especially on Main Street — that encourage people to visit frequently while keeping the area accessible to walkers, bikers, and transit riders. These could be funded through local sponsorships or partnerships with businesses and community groups. Events like the Victorian Fair already bring great energy downtown; expanding that spirit throughout the year could make our business district even more welcoming and economically resilient to seasonality.
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.)?
Given our tight finances, we can explore public-private partnerships to fund new projects. I have also advocated for diversifying our revenues through thoughtful development and commercial expansion to have additional funding to be able to invest accordingly. These initiatives also require planning for the long term to cater for maintenance and enforcement so sustainable funding plans should be included.
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?
Speeding, especially on through streets, when the combination of fast-moving traffic and large trucks creates dangerous conditions. Too many tragic deaths are a sobering reminder of why we must make our streets safer for everyone.
A combination of prevention and enforcement. Speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and curb extensions, all aim at slowing vehicles naturally. Also, explore the use of technology, such as speed cameras and smart sensors, which can support monitoring while alleviating pressure from already strained police resources. In addition, worthwhile to review routes to divert large vehicles away from residential corridors.