The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Electric vehicle test drive & showcase returning to Wellesley

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A wide variety of electric and hybrid vehicles will be available to test drive and ogle at Wellesley’s free EV event on Sunday, Oct. 16 (2:30-5:30pm) at MassBay Community College on Oakland Street. (Rain date is Oct. 23, same hours.)

Pre-registration is required, and based on the popularity of a similar event held in Wellesley in May, you might want to sign up sooner than later if interested.

Electrical Vehicle showcase, Wellesley
A scene from the EV showcase held in May at Wellesley

 

Wellesley is encouraging more residents to go green with their vehicles as part of the town’s efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions, as outlined in its Climate Action Plan. The town itself has taken such steps through various departments, including the police and Department of Public Works, thanks to grants.

If you’re interested in a test drive at the event, you’ll need a valid driver’s license. As of Sept. 27,  the BMW i4 and iX, Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, and Tesla 3 and Y, and an Volkswagen SUV will be available for test drives.

Wellesley residents who own vehicles such as the Audi e-tron, BMW i3, and Mini Cooper Hybrid Countryman will be displaying their cars, answering questions, and boasting about their gas savings.

Various tax credits and rebates are available for buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles, which have started to fall in price but that can also be hard to get due to shortages of chips and other components. Automakers such as Ford have started to make moves to gain better control of supply chains in this promising market.

The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant offers a $96 annual electric bill credit for EV owners who charge their vehicles during off-peak hours.  The MLP has joined with Sustainable Wellesley and the Climate Action Committee to host the event.

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Linden Square, Wellesley
Dedham Country Day School, DCD
Wonderful Wellesley

3-car crash at Wellesley Avenue & Clifford Street

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First responders were on the scene late Thursday afternoon in the aftermath of a three-car accident at the Wellesley Avenue and Clifford Street intersection.

A Swellesley reader shared that two of the vehicles were involved in a near head-on collision, with an SUV veering off the road and into a tree. Air bags deployed. The condition of those involved in the accident was not known.

Wellesley Police issued a traffic advisory that there would be delays in the area.

According to the police, in a follow-up email, “A vehicle turned from Clifford onto Wellesley Ave in front of a vehicle that was traveling on Wellesley Ave, which caused the collision.  A 3rd vehicle was stopped to take a left turn onto Clifford and was struck as a result of the collision. All parties refused medical treatment.”

wellesley crash
Photo credit: Stephen Hahn

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Path to Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley gets paved

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Neighbors of Elm Bank Reservation appreciate a new sidewalk put in place in recent weeks along Washington Street (Rte. 16) just inside the Wellesley town line between Cheney Drive and Schaller Street.

sidewalk to elm bank

While a small segment, the previously dirt and gravel stretch wasn’t accessible during the best of weather and became even less so during snowstorms, as it is typically the one segment on that side of the road not plowed. That forces kids with sleds and others seeking access to Elm Bank to walk or run on the street.

elm bank sidewalk rte 16 snow

Stretch of Rte. 16 near Elm Bank before new sidewalk was put in
Stretch of Rte. 16 near Elm Bank before new sidewalk was put in

 

This Wellesley Department of Public Works project is part of the town’s Complete Streets project list, designed to connect the Washington Street sidewalk to the Natick line, according to Mike Quinn, superintendent for the Park & Highway Division. We had funding to complete this small section to help connect the Schaller Street neighbor to Elm Bank. “The larger project will most likely be several years out and will need engineering and design work,” he says.

Meanwhile, we’re glad to hear that potholes have been filled by the state along the road within Elm Bank Reservation (post updated with this info 7/10/22).

Back to Complete Streets: the Wellesley DPW is finishing the installation of several missing sidewalk sections on Dover Road, between Leighton Road and Ingraham Road. “This work is presently 80% complete. The contractor will be completing the remaining work in the next couple of weeks. Now Fuller Brook path will be connected to a continuous Dover Road sidewalk between Washington Street and Ingraham Road,” Quinn says.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Walk-In

Driver crashes into utility pole on Linden Street in Wellesley

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A driver crashed a car into a utility pole on Linden Street near Weston Road on Wednesday morning. Wellesley Police reported no injuries, but delays/detours on Linden Street between Crest Road and Weston Road.

The Municipal Light Plant quickly responded with a new pole. This is (at least) the second day in a row that a car has crashed into a pole in town, fortunately both times without injuries.

Linden st crash pole mlp
Photos by Dennis McCormick

 

Linden st crash pole mlp

Linden st crash pole mlp

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Bar Mitzvah Expo
Call and Haul, Wellesley
National Children's Chorus

Wellesley streets keeping first responders busy

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Wellesley first responders provide services at the scene of hundreds of accidents a year, and those using the town’s streets have been keeping them busy this month.

Swellesley Jr., happened upon a scene Sunday at Weston Road and Rte. 135 where a cyclist smashed into a car and flipped over the handlebars.

weston road accident

Separately, a driver crashed a vehicle into a utility pole on Tuesday morning at the corner of Seaver Street and Framar Road. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

The utility pole took a serious hit. It broke and careened into a driveway.

Among those on the scene was the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, equipped with a new pole and auger. Resident Ara Nazarian, who shared photos with us, gave kudos to the MLP for its swift response.

accident scene
Photos courtesy of Ara Nazarian

 

accident scene framar
Photos courtesy of Ara Nazarian

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Rick Cram, leader

Mobility in Wellesley: walking, jogging, and biking

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Wellesley Trails CommitteeThe following is a guest column by Allison Burson, Natural Resources Commission and Mobility Committee and Steve Park, Trails Committee. This is the final in a series of guest columns for “May is Mobility Month” about transportation actions in Wellesley that will support the town’s Sustainability Mobility Plan and Climate Action Plan. Previous columns have addressed public transportation with MBTA train and T services, the MWRTA Catch Connect micro transit and enhanced bus service, and personal transportation actions we can use for daily trips to school that improve traffic congestion, help combat climate change and provide lifelong health benefits.

One of the many benefits of living in Wellesley is being able to step outside and enjoy a walk on some of our lovely town trails. As members of the Trails Committee, we have been thrilled to see so many residents of all ages out walking, jogging and enjoying our trails, walking in their neighborhoods, kids walking and biking to school, and people cycling and walking for errands, exercise and leisure.

Wellesley is so human in scale that in a short time, it’s not difficult to find your way to destinations on foot and bike after quick glances at a map. And Wellesley is so scenic, the best part of this traveling this way is discovering a new garden, hidden street, or picturesque hideaway you may not have known about before.

Try our trails

In our community, we’re lucky to have 28 miles of marked trails and 18 more miles of unmarked trails. The Crosstown Trail, Sudbury Path, and Fuller Brook Park follow a generally east-west route across town. Along the route are two business districts, two libraries, and multiple train stations. Do you and your family have quiet options to walk to school, a library, the drug store, or a doctor? Spring is a great time to consider changing usual transportation behavior and taking steps, literally, to link sidewalks and trails to get to your destination.

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Deland, Gibson, Wellesley

School transportation in Wellesley—start early, change patterns, build habits

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SPONSORED CONTENT: The following is a guest column by Wellesley School Committee chair Catherine Mirick. This is the fourth in a “May is Mobility Month” series of guest columns about transportation actions in Wellesley that support the town’s Sustainability Mobility Plan and Climate Action Plan. Previous columns have addressed the MBTA commuter rail and T services, MWRTA “Catch Connect” micro-transit service, and bus services—fixed routes, shuttle service, and flag down options—that are available in the Wellesley area.

“Traffic in Wellesley is bad.” It’s a common complaint that’s even more apparent during school drop-off or pick-up times. We’ve all been stuck in the lines of cars on Linden Street, Kingsbury Street, Weston Road and other locations on weekday mornings and afternoons. Recent climate studies show that 30% of traffic in Wellesley is school-related transportation. We’re not in traffic—we are traffic.

Wellesley transportation
Biking to school is a great way for students to start the day with exercise.

How do we take ourselves out of that equation? By changing the way students get to school. Studies have shown that there are many benefits to students who walk, bike or roll to school including improved physical health, improved social/emotional health, and improved academic performance.

It’s time to start new traditions and build a community around sustainable transportation. In doing so, families just might build lifelong healthy habits too. What are the options in Wellesley?

Walking—Wellesley is known for its neighborhood schools. Get together with friends and walk to school. Live too far away? Check out other options, or drive partway, park and walk the rest of the way to school.

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Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley
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