Malden’s work on transportation is not new.
“The Transportation Commission is a group of city officials and residents who work to make Malden streets safe and efficient for everybody,” explained Alexander Pratt, director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development.
The commission replaces the city’s former Traffic Commission, which had been in place for decades. Pratt explained that the new commission was created to “modernize that process” and give more people a role in transportation decisions.
The commission held its first meeting on September 28th at City Hall, bringing together city officials and residents to discuss transportation concerns across the city.
The new commission is also meant to look beyond cars and traffic. Its work includes issues involving pedestrians, bikers, public transportation users, and disabled individuals. Pratt explained that “the priority is not only traffic control, but transportation work broadly, which brings in topics like safety, equity, and multimobility.”
Transportation in Malden has also changed in recent years, with Pratt pointing to changes after COVID-19, including different bus and Orange Line ridership, and the growing use of E-bikes and E-scooters. “People aren’t always commuting at the same time in the morning [and] at the same time in the evening,” he said.
The commission’s first year will include both urgent transportation requests and longer-term planning. Pratt mentioned that the Commission will need to look at safety problems and identify areas where improvement may be needed in the future. “There are a lot of needs across the city, and we have to figure out a way to prioritize,” Pratt states.
“Funding is a big challenge for the city right now,” Pratt said. He added that some new projects may take longer if the city has to wait for more funding.
Parking was also one of the main concerns raised by Malden City Councilor Ari Taylor. Taylor said, “I probably handle more parking requests than anything else.” She also pointed out speeding, running red lights, and crosswalk safety as major concerns. One issue Taylor wants the commission to focus on is the residential permit parking problems in specific areas of the city.
Looking ahead, Taylor wants to “improve safety at all the crosswalks and ease the accessibility for getting on and off public transportation and kind of the general flow of traffic.”
As the new commission begins its work, it will have to balance immediate concerns, prioritizing parking and crosswalk safety, with longer-term transportation planning.
“The city is embracing the challenge of planning, and transportation work head-on,” Pratt concluded.
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