Traffic safety and transit reliability emerged as a topic at the Chelsea candidate forum, with candidates identifying priority intersections and calling for coordinated funding to make redesigns.

Why it matters: Candidates said unsafe intersections and unreliable transit affect students, commuters and businesses and cited specific locations they would prioritize for redesign and enforcement.

Nicholas (first name recorded in the forum) named two priority locations: “Carter Street at the Route 1 exit towards Everett Avenue and Chelsea High School,” where he said drivers passing and cutting around queued vehicles create a blind spot; and the Bridal Lane / Fays Square area near City Hall, which he described as a choke point that affects Broadway traffic and local businesses. He proposed adding barriers or infrastructure to prevent risky passing and to improve traffic flow.

Nicholas said he would work with the mayor and council to include these priorities in Chelsea’s capital plan and to pursue state grants and other funding sources. He also urged a multi‑pronged approach — capital projects, traffic engineering and coordination with the state — to reduce crash risk.

Several candidates criticized MBTA service reliability. One candidate urged persistent engagement with the MBTA to address delays on lines that many Chelsea residents use; Calvin T. Brown said he has relied on Chelsea transit for decades and stressed the economic value of improving service for workers who commute to Boston and the North Shore.

No binding commitments to specific engineering designs or funding allocations were made at the forum. Candidates said the next steps would be to include projects in the capital plan, pursue state grants and coordinate with state transportation officials.