We need policies that intertwine smart development with specific community needs. The MFHZO does not meet that goal.

For the better part of 100 years, Garden Street was a street that allowed two-way automobile travel. In 2022, the Department of Transportation determined that Garden Street should be converted to one-way automobile traffic, with separated bicycle lanes on either side of the street. Since this change, cut-through traffic has increased on adjacent side streets and traffic congestion in the surrounding area has increased exponentially.

Easter is a season of hope, renewal, and compassion. It is my hope that our President will work for peace through diplomacy. Lives, families, and futures hang in the balance. I pray that dialogue, understanding, and humanity will prevail over conflict. This Easter, may we choose hope over fear, and peace over war.

We can meet our housing needs without erasing the communities that make Cambridge special. We can grow responsibly, affordably, and fairly — with respect for our history and a plan for our future. Most of all, the City Council must listen.