The Swellesley Report

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

Wellesley shut out in low number license plate lottery

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low plate numbersFor the first time in at least four years, no Wellesley drivers have won a low plate vehicle license plate number in the state’s annual lottery.

Typically, at least one or two Wellesleyites secure these random low numbers in the name of prestige, tradition, or something.

About 12,000 applications were received for a chance to win one of 100 plate numbers, such as 6P, 751, V35, K5, 2042 and T31. The lottery was even live streamed for the truly hard up for entertainment.

 

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Five Scenarios for the Next Decade

Empty Wellesley parking lots mean lean coffers

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One silver lining in the pandemic for many in Wellesley has been a respite from taking the crowded, inconsistent and expensive commuter rail into Boston or toward Worcester. But for the town itself, abandonment of the train by residents has been a financial gut punch.

Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop this week said during the Board of Selectmen meeting that the town pre-COVID was pocketing $60K or $70K a month from parking fees (mostly from the commuter rail lots, including annual passes). But with so many locals working from home, or driving to work if they are going in to the office or a work location, the town’s not getting much of those funds. Plus, it’s offering free two-hour parking at meters to boost local retailers.

wellesley tailby lot
Not a lot happening at Tailby lot during morning rush hour

 

Jop described the town’s traffic and parking account as self sustaining. The funds pay for everything from traffic engineers to line painting to parking attendants.

“Worse case is likely a $900,000 deficiency in funding, best case would be about a $500,000 shortfall,” said Jop, alerting the board that free cash could come into play to cover expenses.

And in fact, the town might want to consider various capital projects, like parking lot paving and LED lighting installation, while hardly anyone is using the lots. Wellesley does have enough funds for this year’s operation, and boasts a fund balance that will probably be around $400K.

I swung by the Wellesley Square lot a couple of mornings this week, thankful for not having to take the train since March and observing the scene. Both mornings only four cars were in the Tailby lot between 7:30am and 8:30am. Only one person got on the 8:19am inbound train, and just a handful got off the outbound trains that came through.

empty commuter rail platform wellesley square
Getting a car to himself

 

Commuter rail trains overall (not just the line that runs through Wellesley Square, Wellesley Hills and Wellesley Farms) are running at about 8% to 10% capacity, with a rosy MBTA projection that that could be up to around 60% by next summer, reported Board of Selectmen member Colette Aufranc, who recently attended an MBTA advisory meeting.

In the meantime, looking good for more drive-in movies in the lots.

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Wellesley wants to know how soon you’re going to buy that electric vehicle

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wellesley mlp municipal light plantThe Wellesley Municipal Light Plant is asking, casually of course, about your plans when it comes to your second-biggest purchase. (The first-biggest purchase would be your house, but they aren’t asking about that one. Yet.)

Basically, the MLP through a survey would like to know when they can expect to see an electric vehicle parked in your garage or driveway. Not if, mind you, but when. The survey questions make it pretty clear that it’s GONNA HAPPEN. So residents may as well get on board, right? Resistance is futile when it comes to these sorts of things.

Don’t leave the MLP dangling on this, here’s a link to the 2-minute survey Complete it for a chance to be entered into a chance to win “a $50 gift card provided by the MLP.”

Here are a couple sample questions, and our responses:

MLP: In which year do you think you will likely buy or lease a plug-in electric car, SUV or truck?

The Swellesley Report: As the old New Yorker cartoon goes, “How about never — is never good for you?” Heck, the station wagon is still trusty, and we seldom drive the other vehicle anymore. COVID has turned us into the hardest-working homebodies you ever did see. Electric vehicles were way too pricy the last time we bought a car 5 or so years ago. At this point, we’re angling to run our vehicles into the ground. Though we’d be delighted to see our kids go electric when they buy their first vehicles some day.

MLP: Which type of plug-in electric vehicle are you most likely to lease or purchase?

    • All-electric, or Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
    • Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
    • Don’t know/Not sure
    • I am not likely to buy an EV in the foreseeable future (Please enter the reason why not below)

The Swellesley Report’s reason: The last time we tried to foresee the future, the future imploded. All we were trying to do was plan a nice little family cruise for spring 2020. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Ever since our near-miss on getting stranded at sea during a pandemic, we’ve given up trying to plan for “the foreseeable future.”

Questions we think should have been asked, but weren’t:

How much longer do you intend to defile the air we breathe with a gas guzzling SUV?

What do you have against the better driving experience that an EV provides (smooth power, good handling, ride, etc)?

Do you care in the slightest about the environment?

More: Getting charged up in Wellesley

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Continued free 2-hour street parking in Wellesley, with a few simple rules

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Wellesley parkingTo help support local businesses and encourage shopping in Wellesley, the Board of Selectmen has extended free parking at all 2-hour street meters in Wellesley until January 1, 2021. These meters have been bagged.

This is the second time this year that the BOS has extended the 2-hour free meter-parking perk.

The town has  traditionally bags the 2-hour meters for the month of December.

To keep traffic moving and allow for frequent parking turnover, the 2-hour parking limit will be strictly enforced by Wellesley parking attendants. After 2 hours, vehicles must leave the street entirely or they will be ticketed. Drivers may not move to other free parking spaces on the street for another two hours. This will also result in a ticket as parking attendants are monitoring cars. The 2-hour meters are primarily located in the Wellesley Square and Wellesley Hills business districts and along Central and Washington Streets.

The free parking benefit is only for customers.

[Read more…]

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Wellesley gets its very own ‘storrowing’ under Bacon Street bridge

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Wellesley Police on Tuesday morning are warning the public to avoid Bacon Street between Rte. 135 in Wellesley and Oak Street in Natick, as a truck has gotten stuck under the bridge. (Update: The police reported the bridge has been cleared and Bacon Street is reopened, before 10am.)

The scene, reminiscent of the “storrowing” of moving trucks in Boston on Storrow Drive as students traditionally return to college, comes at a time when that bridge is already in the midst of being replaced. Wellesley Historical Commission says the bridge is historically known as Bridge 34A.

Perhaps this incident will nudge things along a bit faster. The project is slated to finish in 2022.

Bacon Street Bridge, Wellesley
Bacon Street Bridge
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Where to avoid in Wellesley this summer

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The Wellesley Department of Public Works Highway Division has a long list of summer road work planned. You’ll appreciate it when the work is done, and here’s how not to get frustrated while it’s happening.

Take note of where and when the work will be done, weather dependent:

  • Thursday, July 16 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on College Road and Bacon Street. Bacon Street will be closed for a few hours beginning at 11 a.m.
  • Friday, July 17 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Martin Road. Road will be open to residents and abutters.
  • Sunday, July 19 night work  from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Wellesley Avenue (from the Needham Town line to Forest Street).
  • Monday, July 20 night work from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Wellesley Avenue and Oakland Street (from Route 9 to Brookside Avenue).
  • Wednesday, July 22 and Thursday, July 23 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Benvenue and Fuller Brook Road.
  • Friday, July 24 from 7 a.m. to finish on Hillside Road to Bemis Road. Road will be open to residents and abutters.

Contact the Highway Division with any questions at 781-235-7600 ext. 3325.

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Wellesley mulls $15 tickets for vehicle idling

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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.

While many have gotten the message, others haven’t, despite the fact that there’s a state law against idling for more than 5 minutes that could whack you with a $100 motor vehicle citation for a first offense and up to $500 if you don’t learn. “It’s not a parking ticket,” said Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki during this week’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

idle free zone, fiske elementary school, wellesley
Idle-free zone at Fiske Elementary School

 

But Pilecki, in speaking with Sue Morris of the Green Schools initiative and Phyllis Theerman of Sustainable Wellesley, hit upon the idea of making anti-idling a new regulation on the town books that actually would be a like a parking ticket. So a cop could write you a $15 idling ticket that would be far less harmful to your wallet than a motor vehicle citation, but still get the message across.

This isn’t to say cops would be handing out tickets on 100 or 0 degree days when idling to keep the AC or heat on might be understandable. It’s for other times when idling is done more out of habit.

If this change to town traffic regulations goes through, it would first be subject to a public hearing. The town would also undertake an education campaign, and officers might start by doling out warning tags, like they do now for overnight parking violations.

It’s possible, too, that parking meter attendants could have this tool at their disposal. But that remains to be discussed.

 

What about town vehicle idling?

You might wonder: What about town employees and their idling vehicles?

Well, it’s true that the police may at times idle their cars to accomplish parts of their job.  “We are asking our officers to shut off the cruiser engine when possible and practicable.  There are a few issues with this,” Pilecki says. “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.”

The good news, Pilecki says, is that the Wellesley Police Department is testing a hybrid cruiser that operates like a Prius.

“It basically shuts down when the engine doesn’t need to be running.  So far the hybrid cruiser is working out well and we will be moving all of our cars in that direction.  We have 4 ordered for the next time we have to replace some cruisers,” he says.

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