Wheels of Wellesley event brings dozens of buffed & shiny cars to town

May 23, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Unless you were behind the wheel of a very sweet ride, Central Street from the Wellesley Square fire station to Juniper restaurant was closed to all traffic for “Wheels of Wellesley IX,” the annual car show that drew over 50 antique, classic, and vintage cars ranging from those in near-perfect to condition to rust-pocked (but still very cool). The pageant of vehicles parked up and down the street was part of Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend.

Organized by the Modifiers Car Club and the Wellesley Celebrations Committee, the event drew large crowds of admirers, some who seemed to actually know how things worked under all those open hoods, and others who were just out to enjoy the spectacle.

Wellesley Antique Car Show — Members of the Modifiers Car Club take a break from visiting each others’ pampered and beautiful cars.

Electric vehicle event let eager drivers take a test run around Wellesley

May 20, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Over 115 drivers got behind the wheel of an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid at a test drive event sponsored by the Town of Wellesley, Sustainable Wellesley, and the Wellesley Municipal Light Department last Saturday at the MassBay Community College parking lot.

Electric Vehicle showcase, Wellesley — Looks like someone is angling for an ever greener solution to transportation—a bike.

Dealers brought several makes and models from Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo for drivers to take on a spin around the Wellesley Country Club area. All the vehicles were beautiful and had that new-car smell, but in a sign of the times, there’s a waitlist if you want to purchase new. A dealer told me that although the chip shortage has eased up a bit, supplies and parts in general are in short supply. With a state tax credit of $2,500 as long as the vehicle’s price comes in at under 50K, and a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for buying EV or hybrid, those waitlists have no shortage of folks in the queue. The tax credits applies only to new car sales and do not apply to leases.

Electrical Vehicle showcase, Wellesley — From left: Marybeth Martello, Sustainability Director, Climate Action Committee; Erry Johnson, Wellesley League of Women Voters; and Laura Olton, Climate Action Committee.

As test drivers waited for their turn to come up, they toured the part of the parking lot given over to about 20 proud owners of EVs and hybrid. Hoods up on their spotless vehicles they were there to preach the gospel of owning and driving an EV. Here’s what they told us:

“I haven’t put gas into my Prius Prime in about a month and a half.”

“We’re fine to New York City in a single tank of gas. It gets 15 miles on a charge. We can go months without putting in gas. It’s really fun to drive.”—Mini-Cooper driver.

“I’ve had mine for four years and I love it. I hardly ever go to the gas station.”

Electric Vehicle showcase, Wellesley, Raina McManus — Raina McManus shows off her Mini Cooper.

Drive, she said

I wasn’t planning to join in, but organizers steered me over to an all-electric Mustang Mach-E Premium and before I knew it, I was pulling out onto Oakland Street. The dealer said the all-wheel drive beauty with an extended battery would get me as far as 240 miles before I’d have to refuel. A premium vehicle gets priced like one, $55k in this case, but I was assured a very nice Mach-E could be arranged for $49K, which would allow me to take advantage of the state tax credit.

I’m no car connoisseur—Can it get me to the RDF and up and down Central Street? Can I run it through any old car wash?—so I won’t try to wax eloquent over the way the vehicle hugged the curves or the quality of its torque. But I can tell you that after the test drive was over, I didn’t want to give it back.

Please don’t tell my trusty Subaru about my cheating heart.

Transportation in Wellesley—bus, shuttle and paratransit services

May 18, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: The following is a guest column by Colette Aufranc, Select Board and Mobility Committee; and Marybeth Martello, Climate Action Committee. This is the third 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.

In previous columns we’ve highlighted changes in the MBTA train schedule and enhanced T service, and introduced the Catch Connect Micro Transit service. Adopting these transportation options is critical in meeting Wellesley’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals and reducing congestion on our roads. If you need a few more ideas, why not ride a bus?

Local Bus Service

“Sometimes a bus ride is all it takes to feel better.” Wise words that could come directly from our very own planet and are an incentive to ditch your car and ride a bus. While Micro Transit is a tech-enabled service with schedules that shift based on rider demand, local buses operate with fixed routes or pre-scheduled on-demand services. Fares on all MWRTA services continue to be FREE.

In partnership with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA), there are lots of bus options for Wellesley riders:

Boston Hospital Shuttle Service—Need a ride to a doctor appointment? Take the Boston Hospital Shuttle serving the West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain V.A. facilities, New England Baptist, Brigham & Women’s, Beth Israel, Joslin Clinic, and the New England Deaconess hospitals. This shuttle runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Wellesley residents who register and book a trip through the MWRTA central reservations department can be picked up and dropped off at their homes (based on the bus schedule).

[Read more…]

Transportation in Wellesley—just what exactly IS micro transit?

May 11, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: The following is a guest column by Colette Aufranc, Select Board and Mobility Committee; and Marybeth Martello, Climate Action Committee. This is the second in a series of guest columns about transportation actions in Wellesley to support “May is Mobility Month.” The columns are authored by members of the Select Board, Climate Action Committee, Mobility Committee, School Committee, and Trails Committee.

Changes to transportation behavior in our community are critical to meeting our state and town climate and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. As our first column explained, the MBTA Commuter Rail is moving toward “clock face scheduling” where trains will run hourly to better meet regional rail needs. But what if you need door-to-door service? Try micro transit!

What is Micro Transit?

Micro transit is a curb-to-curb ride share service similar to Uber or Lyft, run by the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA). The service is called MWRTA Catch Connect, and it helps solve first-mile and last-mile service gaps—the need for a second mode of transportation to reach your end destination. Micro transit feeds existing fixed transportation infrastructure—home, work, school, recreation, retail or dining to the Green Line, MBTA train station or bus transfer. Riders using micro transit also highlight transportation needs that are not currently serviced by fixed infrastructure and help identify where there are transportation gaps and fixed line service would be worthwhile.

How to use the MWRTA Catch Connect Service

Like most ride share services, you can access the Catch Connect with a smartphone app.

Download the MWRTA Catch app to a smartphone, set up an account, then use the “connect” button to enter your destination and wait for the transit (usually a mini-bus) to pick you up.
Catch Connect fares are currently free. Once fare collection begins, the cost of a Catch Connect ride will be fixed at $2.00 per one-way trip. [Read more…]

Transportation in Wellesley—what are our options?

May 4, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: The following is a guest column by Colette Aufranc, Select Board and Mobility Committee; and Marybeth Martello, Climate Action Committee. This is the first in a series for Wellesley’s “May is Mobility Month” campaign dedicated to transportation actions available in Wellesley that support the town’s Sustainable Mobility Plan and Climate Action Plan. The columns are authored by members of the Select Board, Climate Action Committee, Mobility Committee, School Committee, and Trails Committee.

As spring returns to New England, and pre-pandemic routines have ramped up, traffic and congestion in Wellesley have returned. During the month of May, Wellesley is celebrating MOBILITY!

As part of this initiative, we’re encouraging all residents to re-evaluate our behaviors and hopefully keep some of the “COVID silver linings”—more outdoor activity and mobility for all, less traffic, reduced pollution, and more. Also our continuing volatile weather—unseasonably warm days followed by cold and snow—has intensified a sense of urgency to meet our town and state climate goals: achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and interim goals of a 50% reduction by 2030 and a 75% reduction by 2040.

These two objectives go hand in hand: Transportation contributes to 43% of our GHG emissions in Wellesley. By shifting our transportation behavior, we can all contribute to a healthier lifestyle, improve our community environment, and help reduce the impact of climate change. Where do we start? What is effective? What resources are available to use?

The MBTA and Commuter/Regional Rail

It’s still known as the “Commuter Rail” but the MBTA transformation to a “Regional Rail” is underway. Coming soon, the MBTA will offer bi-directional “Clock Face Scheduling” where weekday trains run at the same, dependable time, hourly throughout the day—no service gaps! Design has started on a third train track for the Framingham/Worcester line that will add capacity for more frequent service and decrease travel time. Due to construction, check the MBTA website for temporary schedule changes to midday and weekend service. There are no changes to weekday peak service.

[Read more…]

Where new drivers can practice in Wellesley

April 24, 2022 by Bob Brown 3 Comments

We were recently asked by a reader who is learning how to drive about the best places in Wellesley to practice this important skill.

Our initial thoughts went back to where we taught our kids to drive, largely at the Wellesley High School parking lot on weekends or other off-hours, as well as at the MassBay parking lot on Oakland Street, also on weekends. We also tried to learn about where our kids’ driving school did its testing, and practiced on some of those streets.

But we know our world is limited, so reached out to others, including the Wellesley Police Department and a local driving school. We haven’t heard back from either yet, but will update this post if we do. We know this is one of those subjects where people might get nervous about suggesting anything due to liability concerns, so might be inclined to keep mum.

The richest source for ideas came from readers on our Facebook page, so here’s a summary of their suggestions:

The town-owned train station parking lots on Linden Street (Tailby Lot) and at Wellesley Farms (Squirrel Road). These lots are nearly empty on weekends, and during much of the pandemic, have been thinly populated even on weekdays.

Wellesley Farms Train Station, parking lot — A wide-open Wellesley Farms train station parking lot

Area cemeteries, such as Woodlawn off of Brook Street. “Lots of intersections and sometimes narrow roads to practice getting a sense for the cars size relative to the edge of the road,” wrote one advocate. Though of course as soon as we started asking about this topic, a new driver plowed into some headstones at a Melrose cemetery.
MassBay Community College parking lot on Oakland Street. Includes lots of parking space lines to practice parking. Babson’s got some big lots, too, but we didn’t tell you to go there.
Wellesley High School or Weston High School/Middle School parking lots during off-hours.
Elm Bank Reservation on the South Natick/Wellesley line on Rte. 16. I find Elm Bank to be dicey for new drivers since the road is relatively narrow, and there are lots of walkers, dogs, runners, cyclists there depending on when you go. One reader warned about the potholes here, too. Though the parking lots at the top can be good for new drivers during off-hours, and there’s no pressure to go fast here.
While some suggest practicing at local office parks, others warn to avoid this private property.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

Free school transportation for Hunnewell Elementary School families: Sign up by April 8

April 5, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Hunnewell Elementary School building is slated to be closed for good at the end of this school year to make way for a new structure in 2024. Families are in for exciting swing space action spread across four other schools until the new building opens in early 2024, if all goes according to schedule.

The Wellesley Public Schools (WPS) system hopes to minimize challenges for parents who might have to shuttle kids to multiple schools, and reduce overall drop-off and pick-up traffic, and score sustainability points by offering Hunnewell families free busing.

wellesley school bus

The sign-up deadline is April 8.

To register, go to the WPS Fee Payment link. Click “Login”, and enter your username and password. Click on the photo of the yellow school bus located in the middle of the page to begin the registration process. To enroll Hunnewell student(s) only, choose the second Activity for FY23, “Hunnewell Bus Transportation enrollment.” More information on WPS transportation services.

Meanwhile, WPS has cut bus fees for all from $521 to a still-painful $500 under its FY ’23 budget just approved at Annual Town Meeting. Over the next 5 years, WPS looks to eliminate transportation fees entirely as one of its “moonshot” goals, Supt. Dr. David Lussier said recently at Town Meeting.