Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE – Friday, July 5, 2019 ~ LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ Candidate for Ward 3 Councillor writes about local transportation To the Editor: My name is Amanda Linehan, and as many of you have read in these pages, I am running to represent Ward 3 on the Malden City Council. What you may not know is that I also work full time and take the Orange Line from Malden Center to Boston every day. I’ve seen first-hand how drastically bus cuts have hit local riders, and I know from my daily commute that Orange Line cars are in rough shape, with chronic delays and breakdowns. As a public school parent, I also know that the MBTA serves as our de facto school bus system, transporting hundreds of students to Malden classrooms every morning. We are a city that relies on the T. That’s why, early Monday morning, I joined hundreds of volunteers across Greater Boston as part of the #BostonTParty to protest the MBTA’s most recent #UnfairHikes. The six percent fare increase that went into effect July 1 comes on the heels of several other fare hikes in recent years, adding up to a staggering 41 percent increase since 2012. To do this without a real plan to fund the transit system Maldonians rely on every day is simply unacceptable. Raising fares amid worsening service gives commuters one more reason to choose driving and ride-hailing over transit, and that’s not good for our Amanda Linehan, candidate for Ward 3 Councillor traffic, our climate, or our quality of life. Our system is in decline, and desperately needs the kind of long-term, sustainable investment and accountability that raising fares alone won’t provide. When everyday residents can’t get to daycare pickup on time, or are late to important meetings or job interviews, or (worse) lose pay or employment because of the T, we as a community need to stand together to demand better. On Monday, I stood beside friends, neighbors and colleagues to do just that, to tell the MBTA loud and clear: enough is enough. Maldonians deserve an affordable and reliable public transportation system and we need to pursue proven solutions that will get us there. Tools such as increasing the gas tax, raising fees on Uber and Lyft, and exploring regional congestion pricing would all help directly fund a robust transportation system, including better roads, transit, and bike and pedestrian amenities. Massachusetts should also allow cities and towns to band together and vote locally on regional ballot initiatives to fund transportation improvements where they are needed most, without waiting on state or federal dollars. Working with our newly-funded transportation planner, City Hall could explore dedicated bus lanes, an expanded biking network, drop-off zones for Uber and Lyft to alleviate traffic, and so much more. If you elect me to the City Council, I promise I will continue to advocate for a transportation system that serves all commuters and helps to solve the problems our city faces, not exacerbate them. I will work with elected officials in Malden, Greater Boston, and the Legislature to ensure our needs are heard. Please join me in raising your voice to demand the kind of modern transportation network we deserve. Working together, we can make it a reality! Amanda Linehan Ward 3 City Council Candidate B Malden legislators applaud $153K MassTrails Grant for Spot Pond Brook Greenway T he Malden legislative delegation – State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representatives Steve Ultrino, Paul Donato and Paul Brodeur – is pleased to announce that Malden has been awarded a $153,056 MassTrails Grant. This grant funding will be used to pay for the design, engineering and permitting of the Spot Pond Brook Greenway (SPBG), a proposed multiuse path alongside the MBTA Orange Line’s Oak Grove Station. The SPBG project will extend an existing shared use path along MBTA and state Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) property adjacent to Oak Grove Station in Melrose and Malden. This stretch of the trail will take advantage of the MBTA's ongoing roadway and parking lot reconstruction project at Oak Grove Station, and the design of the roadway project has been modified by the MBTA to allow room for the construction of the shared use path. “This grant is great news for our ongoing efforts to improve access and safety for pedestrians and cyclists at Oak Grove Station,” said Senator Lewis. “I want to thank in particular Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley for his hard work and advocacy in helping the city to secure this grant.” “We welcome these funds from the Commonwealth as we continue to develop alternative ways of transportation and increase the amount of environmentally friendly recreation for our residents,” said Representative Ultrino. “All the stakeholders have worked extremely hard to plan this innovative approach allowing them to be a recipient of these funds.” “I applaud all involved in securing this grant,” said Representative Donato. “It is yet another example of interested parties working together to better our community.” “Multimodal access to quality transportation is a major asset our residents value,” said Representative Brodeur. “This grant will complement our ongoing efforts to improve the facilities at and around Oak Grove, and I am grateful to have played a role.” Funding for MassTrails Grants comes from DCR’s capital budget and from the motor fuel excise tax on off-road vehicles, including ATVs and snowmobiles, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Surface Transportation Act, in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Maldonian earns Honors at Boston College High School oston College High School junior Theodore Cartales of Malden achieved Honors for the fourth quarter. Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men founded in 1863. The school enrolls approximately 1,500 students from more than 100 communities in eastern Massachusetts. DISTRICT | FROM PAGE 2 Law Offices Of Joseph D. CatalDo, p.C. “ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW” • ESTATE/MEDICAID PLANNING • WILLS/TRUSTS/ESTATES • INCOME TAX PREPARATION • WEALTH MANAGEMENT • RETIREMENT PLANNING • ELDER LAW 369 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 (617)381-9600 JOSEPH D. CATALDO, CPA, MST, PFS, ESQUIRE. AICPA Personal Financial Specialist Designee opt out of the program rather than accept another pay cut. School officials are hoping to attract 7th and 8th graders throughout the district to ensure the program is viable. “The key to this is around enrollment,” said School Committee Chairman Mayor Gary Christenson, adding that if the program doesn’t attract at least 68 students, the plan will have to be amended. “If we get 68 students, it will be cost neutral to the budget,” said Christenson. Both Christenson and Oteri acknowledged that the decision to end the Extended Learning Time program at Salemwood without any alternative plan in place was a mistake. “It was botched, and we are trying to make it right,” said Christenson, adding that school officials have heard from families that needed and depended on the program. “Now, we are just trying to move the ball forward,” he said. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net
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