The Wellesley Board of Selectmen on Monday approved an amendment to the town’s traffic regulations to include an anti-idling violation that would mirror a state rule but result in a $15 ticket rather than a $100 fine. This would in theory make it more palatable for cops to ticket idlers (or initially, give a warning) in a way that is more educational than punitive.
“That’s not to say if somebody deserves the $100 ticket they won’t get it,” Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki told the Board of Selectmen.
The proposal was brought forth in July by Pilecki and a couple of the town’s sustainability movers and shakers.
The town will launch an educational campaign before the new ticketing would go info effect. Anti-idling warnings will be printed out, similar to those given for all-night parking violations.
There might be some exceptions to the rules, such as vehicles that need to keep their engines running (possibly refrigerated grocery trucks).
Wellesley has been discouraging people from idling their vehicles in town for years now, whether it’s at schools, supermarket parking lots or the Recycling & Disposal Facility. Signs warning against idling have been installed at the schools, where cars waited in long lines pre-COVID-19. Students giving out flowers and flyers have pleaded with those in line at the middle school to stop idling in the name of human and environmental health. The Natural Resources Commission has installed signs near its properties to ward off idling, as it emphasizes that vehicle exhaust has been linked to increases in allergies, asthma, cancer and other conditions among children.
You can catch the brief discussion about this new rule at about the 1-hour, 20-minute mark of the Wellesley Media recording of the Board of Selectmen meeting.
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Does no idling apply to “cops” in Swellesley? They seem to be the biggest offenders of this rule.
I actually raised that question when we first wrote about this. There are exceptions to this rule, and they will be spelled out. Chief Pilecki told me: “We are asking our officers to shut off the cruiser engine when possible and practicable. There are a few issues with this. The computers in the cruisers time out and shut off after a certain amount of time, as does the radio they use to communicate with dispatch. And clearly if they are running radar it can be problematic to have to start the cruiser when you are trying to get out into traffic and stop someone.”
I object to you referring to our town’s wonderful police as cops. Really hit a nerve with me!
Thanks for bringing this up. I’d be surprised if Wellesley police find this term offensive since they use it themselves for events such as their annual “Coffee with a Cop.” Meanwhile, I won’t be offended if I’m referred to as a hack rather than a journalist.
When will the illegal turning off of Rt16 into the Whole Foods parking lot be stopped? There are numerous signs indicating DO NOT ENTER and POLICE TAKE NOTICE. I have yet to see anyone get ticketed for making this illegal turn. I can’t count high enough for the number of times I have driven by there and almost got totaled coming through the light due to some idiot in front of me jacking up on the brakes or cutting me or others off crossing traffic to make this illegal turn from both directions on Rt16. Even cutting across Rt16 to go to or coming from the Mobil station. Does the right person have to be injured or killed due to this before that exit is closed or reverse puncture grids are installed to stop this? That place is a fatality in the making.
This idling issue is a good thing. What I’d like to see now is for the illegal turning off of Rt16 into the Whole Foods parking lot. There are numerous signs indicating DO NOT ENTER and POLICE TAKE NOTICE. I have yet to see anyone get ticketed for making this illegal turn. I can’t count high enough for the number of times I have driven by there and almost got totaled due to some idiot making this illegal turn from both directions on Rt16. Does the right person have to be injured or killed due to this before that exit is closed or reverse puncture grids are installed to stop this.
Bob & Deborah – thanks for writing about the new idling traffic regulation. Your mention of it brings attention to the issue which is really helpful. And Phyllis & I appreciate being referred to as “a few of the towns movers and shakers” :)