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?
One of the reasons that we chose to live in Melrose is to have walking access to downtown. I love being able to walk to where I’m going, whether it’s to pick up food or shop for a gift. I also like walking into the Fells at the several entry points along Washington Street and off of Aaron Street. My husband and I regularly take our kids around town both by stroller and by cargo bike, and we also enjoy our easy access to the Orange Line to take trips into Boston.
While most of the walking I do within Melrose is easy and pleasant, there are some streets and intersections that are harder to navigate safely. There are hurried drivers who won’t stop for crosswalks on West Wyoming, and the intersection of Main with Lynn Fells Parkway has fast traffic turning quickly through crosswalks, as drivers try to make a light or get across town. When out with the stroller certain areas with uneven sidewalk or lacking curbcuts (such as on crossing Grove Street at Myrtle Street) become apparent. It’s also surprising to me that crossing over to the Fells from Washington Street isn’t easier – the lack of a crosswalk or signage across from The Cascade leaves hikers scrambling across Washington Street without any indication to cars to expect them.
The City should hold to their promise to establish a Vision Zero Commission to come up with a holistic plan to guide efforts, instead of a patchwork of partial solutions. Building infrastructure is difficult to do in two years, but this plan should include quick-build traffic calming solutions as well as steps toward addressing more difficult areas. The City’s existing Traffic Calming Prioritization toolkit (https://www.cityofmelrose.org/410/Traffic-Calming-Prioritization-Tool) will help identify areas through an equity lens.
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 work toward a future in which people throughout Melrose have easy non-driving routes available to access key amenities without cars. Key amenities would include downtown and other business centers, the library, Ell Pond, the Fells, and the Commuter Rail stations. The City should prioritize work that moves us in this direction in terms of infrastructure, as well as through features such as planting street trees to shade these routes. I would also like Melrose to pursue relevant projects with the MBTA, such as opening up a path for biking and walking alongside the commuter rail, or putting a walking bridge across the commuter rail at Stone Place. Paths for biking and walking that are separated from cars make both bikers and drivers safer, and the space available in the commuter rail corridor provides that separation while also avoiding other tradeoffs such as moving existing street parking. Additionally, connecting people to the T by routing the path here would naturally lead to the ability to go on further car-free trips using the Commuter Rail or Orange Line.
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 would continue to advocate for improving pedestrian infrastructure along Washington Street and Main Street to improve access to the Oak Grove T station. Looking at the recent Walkability Map of Melrose, produced by the Council on Aging, clearly highlights the gap in amenities on this key walking route. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1K8PjwPBevLEICgrQti1S5LS2bXH4Jts&ll=42.451698845484856%2C-71.07080143704457&z=15
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?
Everybody — be they in cars backed up at the drop-off line, kids scrambling across crosswalks, or young bikers rolling into the Lincoln’s parking lot — wants fewer cars on the road. That’s in addition to all of the physical and mental health benefits that walking and biking bring!I would support our local Lincoln bike bus by spreading the word, and work with that group on an expansion of the days or routes offered and unblocking issues that arise, such as increasing available bike parking to support the program. https://melrose-bike-bus.notion.site/Melrose-Bike-Buses-24c167de69ef80f281bac039a0ab1869
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 work with our neighboring City Councillors in Malden, as well as Melrose’s MBTA Advisory Board representative, and the Bike to the Sea organization, to understand how we can move forward connectivity in Melrose and Malden to the Northern Strand. Malden has recently worked on a plan for an additional North-South connecting piece through their downtown (https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/07/18/malden-debates-a-new-greenway-to-connect-the-northern-strand-through-its-downtown), and we should attempt where possible to connect to or towards that path from the Melrose side of Oak Grove.
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 crossings should prioritize visibility for pedestrians and physically prompting drivers to slow down, whether that be through eliminating slip-lanes, adding raised crosswalks, or employing other traffic calming techniques.This will improve pedestrian safety and foot traffic.
I would advocate for the return of parklets in to Melrose’s downtown; they were not reinstalled for the summer of 2025 due to budget constraints.
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.)?
The recent change to televise and record the Traffic Commission meetings is a step forward, and something that I had advocated for with the Mayor’s office. Increased visibility into decision-making and the process leads to better opportunities for the community to advocate for these things. I would also be happy to advocate for specific “free cash” requests that improve safety, such as permanent traffic calming implementations in specific areas that have had successful pilots.
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?
West Wyoming Avenue is a busy commuting path, with cars often rushing and speeding, and also has many pedestrians, including children, walking along or across the street to school. A longtime business owner was killed at West Wyoming and Berwick in 2018, as they crossed in the crosswalk. We need a holistic review of this street and relevant changes made to better direct traffic and protect vulnerable users.
Also in Ward 5, we need marked crossings at additional locations, such as across Washington Street and at Meehan Island, to support and improve safety for pedestrians. While not our single most pressing issue, these improvements should be quicker projects which would provide immediate improvements in pedestrian safety.
I would work with the Mayor’s office and DPW to understand the future plans for West Wyoming Avenue and to advocate for relevant improvements. I would work with residents to bring relevant safety issues to the Traffic Commission, whether at West Wyoming, Washington, or elsewhere. And, I would advocate for establishment of the Vision Zero Commission, to further address these needs.