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By Ken Carlson
I am proud to endorse Will Mbah for State Representative (Middlesex 34th). As a Somerville City Councillor, neighbor and resident, Will has consistently demonstrated that he will fight for safe streets, better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and a transportation system that works for everyone.
I have known Will for 15 years and I have always been impressed with his dedication to the vitally important cause of safe streets. Even before Will was a city councillor, Will led efforts to advocate for a safe crossing of Alewife Brook Parkway for Somerville kids to get to Dilboy Stadium. As city councillor, Will has been a consistent champion for safer streets, bicycle infrastructure, and transportation equity on the Somerville City Council. His commitment to bicycle safety began years before Somerville adopted its 2022 Bicycle Plan, with his first policy order on the City Council calling for a robust bicycle infrastructure network in Somerville. He also joined me and others in the early days of the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets, where we brought residents and advocates together around the need for safer, more accessible, and more equitable transportation.
Since then, Will has helped move Somerville from planning to implementation. He has supported the expansion of protected bicycle lanes on high-volume streets, recognizing that people biking should not have to share dangerous road space with fast-moving vehicles. He has also supported neighbor-ways on lower-volume streets, creating safer connections through residential neighborhoods and connecting people to the broader bicycle network. Will supported Somerville’s 2022 Bicycle Plan, which established a comprehensive framework for coordinating bicycle advocacy, planning, financing, construction, and maintenance.
But Will’s vision goes beyond simply building bike lanes. He has consistently connected bicycle safety to transportation equity, climate action, Vision Zero, and Complete Streets. He believes our transportation system must prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and other vulnerable road users, particularly in neighborhoods that have historically received less investment.
Will understands that safe streets are not a luxury. They are essential infrastructure, climate infrastructure, and equity infrastructure.
I am proud to endorse Will for state representative because he has already demonstrated that he will fight for safer streets, better bicycle infrastructure, and a transportation system that works for everyone. We need that same leadership at the State House.
Ken Carlson is a former Somerville resident and now lives in Cambridge.
