Malden wins $850K grant for Salem Street improvements

Special to The Advocate

The City of Malden has been awarded $852,846 for improvements to Salem Street between Main Street and Broadway. The funds will be used to improve safety and efficiency for pedestrians, drivers and bus riders. Salem Street is a major east-west corridor in Malden and is home to the Malden Public Library, Malden Fire Department, Malden High School, Salemwood School, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School and the Davenport Memorial Home, as well as countless residences and businesses that are woven into the fabric of Malden’s community. The street is served by four MBTA bus routes: 106, 108, 411 and 430.

“With this grant, we will make Salem Street safer and more efficient for all who live, work, and travel along Salem Street,” said Mayor Gary Christenson. “Our competitiveness for these grants is critical, especially in our current fiscal climate. I’m grateful to MassDOT for their award of these funds which will meaningfully improve the lives of residents along this roadway.”

Proposed improvements on Salem Street: adding and repainting crosswalks, installing curb extensions and bump outs at intersections, installing parking and bus stop pavement markings and providing transit signal priority where feasible. These improvements will create safer, more efficient conditions for pedestrians, drivers, bus riders and those who live and work along Salem Street. The planned improvements do not include bus lanes or removing any parking.

Malden received the funds through the competitive Shared Streets and Spaces grant program of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The funding was secured by the City’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), which has brought in more than $44 million in grant funding since July 2021, including $12.6 million for transportation-related improvements.

For more information, please contact Transportation Planner Jim Tarr at jt***@**********en.org.