Wellesley has received $35K in funding to analyze and prioritize Complete Street improvements, that is, making it easier to get around town regardless of travel mode, age and ability.  The state approved Wellesley’s Complete Streets policy in late 2018.

The town is working with a consultant on its prioritization plan, which will pave the way for the town to receive additional funding for construction of projects in the plan. Natick, Newton and other nearby communities have undertaken such projects in recent years.

A big piece of this prioritization plan is getting the public’s input on areas in town they see as barriers to mobility or certain transportation modes. This could address everything from walkability to cycling safety to public transportation.

One example of a pedestrian- and cycling-unfriendly spot is the bumpy dirt and rock shoulder just east of Pond Road on Rte. 16 (Washington Street). Making that easier to navigate could better connect Elm Bank Reservation to Wellesley Square given that Rte. 16 is such a narrow road for cycling.

Wellesley’s Complete Streets website will collect this feedback.

A public meeting will be scheduled early in the new year to discuss identified priorities, plan next steps, air cost estimates and project timelines.

More: What the MBTA’s doing to address Wellesley commuter rail accessibility shortcomings

For Wellesley DPW, “Old Town Road” song is no hit

Wellesley is on the cusp of losing some of its most bad-ass graffiti,  as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) readies to replace the Bacon Street bridge along Rte. 135 beginning on Monday, Oct. 28. For those who take the commuter rail through Wellesley, it will of course be tough to tell whether it affects the train schedule based on the already erratic track record.

Contractors for the state will be clearing shrubs and trees, taking soil boring samples and prepping the construction site. All work will take place within the railroad right-of-way, according to an announcement shared by the Town of Wellesley.

Residents can expect some noise from the work, which will be limited to daytime hours between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Construction is expected to take several weeks. The schedule is weather dependent, however.

For questions or to report concerns, email the MBTA or call the 24-hour hotline at 617-571-7878.

More: What will it take for Wellesley commuter rail stations to become accessible?

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Update (10/22/19): According to the Wellesley Police Department, the cyclist was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for evaluation and came to the police station a few hours later to retrieve his bike. The cyclist was traveling west on Central Street and a Jeep SUV was turning left from Central Street east onto the Weston Road bridge.  The cyclist and Jeep collided.  The operator of the motor vehicle was issued a citation for failure to yield.

Saturday morning got off to a scary start in Wellesley when a cyclist was hit by a car at the intersection of Weston Road and Central Street. Fire Engine 1 from across the street was the first to respond, according to a Swellesley source who happened to be nearby.

(Mrs. Swellesley and other drivers were detoured by police in the aftermath of the incident, and I happened to be a couple of miles down the road in Wellesley Hills when I saw an ambulance whiz by, presumably wth the cyclist in it.)

We don’t have further details, but will update this post if we learn more.

As if Howie Carr, the local radio host and Boston Herald columnist, needs to stand out any more than he already does. The Wellesley resident is now proud winner of a new low number license plate: 63M.

Carr is one of 2 Wellesley residents to win a coveted (for whatever reason) random low number license plate in the state’s annual lottery. Some 13,652 applications were submitted for what turned out to be 231 eligible plates.

It’s free to apply, though you must pay a $40 special reserve plate fee on top of the usual $60 registration fee. You must renew it every 2 years if you want to keep it, and you can do so for as long as you’re a driver in good standing.

Wellesley’s other low plate winner is Geoffrey Burns. Leo Li is #25 on the alternate list in case enough people can’t figure out why they applied in the first place.

Carr has poked fun at low number plates in the past as being for “insider hacks.”

And this isn’t the first time Carr has won the lottery. He got one back in 2008, when the lottery was aired live on his radio show.

More: Why you might see a license plate with 3Y on it in Wellesley

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