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Write Ahead, Wellesley

Does Wellesley need a new traffic light? Slow down before you drive to any conclusions

January 25, 2023 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

The Town of Wellesley is mulling over the pros and cons of installing a traffic light at what might be the toughest meeting place in town—the Cedar, Hastings, and Hunnewell intersection. That challenging area near Fiske Elementary School brings not only upwards of 7,000 vehicles a day, but a lot of baggage to the discussion on what do do with them all.

As things stand right now, the Town must decide if installing a traffic light would be significantly beneficial in this complicated location, and they’re looking for residents’ input. Share your thoughts at a Zoom meeting on Monday, Jan. 30 at 6:00 p.m. Please sign up in advance.

intersection hunnewell hastings

Where the rubber meets the road

In a report from the town’s Traffic Committee, a laundry list of challenges at the busy roadway were ticked off. Poor sight lines. The awkward geometry of the roadway. Ingrained behaviors of those who travel the route.

The town has looked at installing a mirror to aid drivers. Apparently, that wouldn’t be pretty. “A mirror is not a solution at this location based upon the sight distance, speed and volume of vehicles,” the Traffic Committee said in its report.

How about a roundabout? The research suggests that could work for the nameless, faceless 7,000 who zip through the current intersection daily. But for the six Wellesley homeowners who would have to give up significant land to the town to make a roundabout work? Not so much.

What about speed bumps? The Wellesley Traffic Committee isn’t a fan, citing expected limited effectiveness as well as undesirable results such as increased noise and exhaust, as well as vehicle damage.

How about one of those flashing yellow lights? The Committee says a flashing yellow light would likely have little to no effect on driver behavior. Seems the regulars know the terrain, they navigate it in their own way, and are unlikely to be bossed around by the kind of light that, let’s face it, most people take as a suggestion.

Perhaps make Hastings Street a one-way from Cedar St. toward Fiske School? The Committee says such a plan “would create less overall traffic at the intersection, since there would no longer be exiting traffic. It would remove the uncomfortable turn exiting Hastings St, thereby removing the most difficult sight lines for turning.”

Good points, but the Committee also points out that Hastings Street residents would have to leave their homes only in one direction, and Fiske school traffic would be forced onto surrounding streets. Doesn’t sound like a plan for neighborhood harmony.

The Committee, feeling that there are limited options to mitigating concerns at this intersection, is seeking a resolution that is, at the very least, “significantly beneficial at this location.” A full-blown traffic light could go up. Calling it a solution to the problem would be a stretch. The good news: ease of entering and exiting the minor roads (Hasting/McLean) would likely improve with the addition of a fully signalized traffic light. The bad news: the roadway sight lines are poor, which could cause an increase in rear end collisions. Traffic backups are likely, as is an increase in emissions from stop-and-go traffic.

This call-and-response of “here’s an idea” and “here’s why it won’t work” is what the Committee is talking about when they said in their report, “Addressing one situation will likely cause the worsening of a different situation.”

Share your thoughts at a Zoom meeting on Monday, Jan. 30 at 6p.m. Please sign up in advance.

If you are unable to take part in the Zoom meeting, please email comments to dpw@wellesleyma.gov


A swell memory

If you sense that Mrs. Swellesley seems just a teensy bit more excited about traffic reporting than your average journalist, you’d be right. Her dad was a transportation engineer for the City of New Haven. Working through thorny traffic problems like the one above was regular dinner conversation. By the time I could see over the dash of the family Oldsmobile, I could point out a jug-handle turn; tell you why a particular intersection experienced high-efficient (or low-efficient) traffic flow; and knew why signs that said, “don’t event THINK of parking here” weren’t funny. Answer: parking is serious business, not a joke, missy.

Keep the clouds moving in a free-flow manner up there, dad.


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Filed Under: Government, Safety, Transportation

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Business buzz: First looks at Natick’s new recreational cannabis dispensary & luxury EV maker Lucid; authors coming to Wellesley; Mature Caregivers provides help for elders

January 5, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

First looks at Natick’s new recreational cannabis dispensary & luxury EV maker Lucid

Wellesley-ites may have missed news of the recent opening of luxury electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors at Natick Mall and this week’s debut of Natick’s first recreational cannabis dispensary—dubbed Redi—at Cloverleaf Mall. But believe me, the operators of these establishments are well aware of their neighbors in Wellesley—in fact, the CEO of Redi is a Wellesley resident.

I took a tour of both new businesses and you can come along for the ride on our Natick Report:

  • First look at Lucid’s new Natick Mall showroom
  • Sneak peek at Redi, Natick’s first recreational cannabis dispensary

Lucid Motors natick mall

redi

 


Authors coming to Wellesley

Join Author Jen Frank at the Wellesley Free Library on Wed., Jan. 11, 1:30pm-2pm as she reads her new book The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken. Stay for a fun craft that ties into the book. For ages 3—6. Registration encouraged (but not required) starting January 4.

Wellesley Books will host Elinor Lipman, author of On Turpentine Lane and Good Riddance, on Wed, Jan. 11, at 7pm, to discuss her latest book, Ms. Demeanor, a delicious and witty story about love under house arrest—perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Maria Semple, and Linda Holmes.

This is a ticketed event. More information here.


Mature CaregiversMature Caregivers elder care—there when you need them

SPONSORED CONTENT: Mature Caregivers provides geriatric expertise and reliable in-home eldercare from certified providers age 50+. Thoroughly screened and trained care givers can handle your loved one’s in-home care needs such as basic personal care, medication assistance, companionship, transportation, or help with dementia.

When Wellesley resident Paul Brady’s 96-year old mother started experiencing memory loss, it was clear she needed a helping hand with meals, laundry and other tasks. “She was living on her own in the house my father bought in 1956, ” he said.

At first Paul’s mother was very resistant to the idea of caregivers coming into the home. But once she met with a care concierge, she agreed to try out the service. Gayle Thieme, director of client care, “sat down with my mother and she helped make it easy for her to at least try it,” Paul said.

Paul’s mother passed three months later, peacefully and at home, in accordance with her wishes.

“She loved having the caregivers,” Paul said. “There was always good stability, and Mature Caregivers has a very organized system. Gayle and her team are extremely accommodating. Once the needs are identified, they really bend over backward to make sure your loved one is cared for.”

When Anne Brady, Paul’s wife, needed help for her mom, Anne knew that she would also go with Mature Caregivers. “My mom had a fall, and Gayle got us care that night. We did a couple of weeks of overnight care, which she really needed.”

Contact Mature Caregivers today for a free professional examination of your family member’s at-home care needs.


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Filed Under: Business, Transportation

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Car smacks into utility pole on Rte 16 near Wellesley-Natick line

January 2, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

We received numerous reports Monday afternoon around 3:30pm of a single-car accident on Rte. 16 just past the Natick line in Wellesley. The car smashed into a utility pole, breaking it in half. Crews worked to repair the pole as the sun went down.

The car’s airbag deployed and the driver was seen speaking with emergency responders. The vehicle was undrive-able, and according to Wellesley Police the driver was not taken to the hospital.

accident 3(1)
Photo via Maureen Staley Cary

 

rte 16 car accident
Photo via Maureen Staley Cary

 

After the vehicle was removed…


rte16accident
Swellesley Report photo

 


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Filed Under: Transportation

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Free parking in Wellesley ends Jan. 3, 2023

January 2, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

parking meter
Wellesley’s compliments end on Jan. 3

The last day of free, holiday-time, 2-hour street meter parking in Wellesley is Tue., Jan. 3, 2023.

So make sure you feed the beast or you’ll get a parking ticket, and that’s no way to start out the new year.

We’ll miss jumping out of our vehicle without a thought to how we would make rent for our prime on-street space. Now it’s back to using the app or hunting around for change to stay on the good side of the parking clerk. Free parking was fun while it lasted.

On-street metered parking in Wellesley

Wellesley has on-street metered parking in Wellesley Square, Wellesley Hills, and in the Wellesley Farms/Lower Falls areas. Metered spaces are available at the rate of 5¢ for 5 minutes, 10¢ for 10 minutes, 25¢ for 30 minutes, and 50¢ for a full hour.

Commuter and business lots in Wellesley

Parking is available in Wellesley’s commuter and business lots for stays (map here). The eight lots offer a variety of 2-hour, 4-hour, 10-hour, and all-day spaces to meet your specific needs. Annual passes for all-day parking may be purchased from the Office of the Town Treasurer and Parking Clerk. Residents are entitled to annual passes at a discounted rate.

More on Wellesley parking.

Filed Under: Transportation

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Wellesley town government news: Intersection experiment; Select Board office hours; Interim planning director named

November 29, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., government news:

Intersection experiment

Wellesley has temporarily changed the all-way stop sign intersection at Forest Street and Wellesley Avenue near Babson College, and seeks the public’s opinion on this.

The town describes the sight lines as “acceptable” and the overall safety history as “good,” but has offered up a possible improvement in processing traffic by adding signage directing traffic to use Sawyer Park Road instead of turning from Forest southbound to Wellesley Aveneue eastbound.

One reader told us “I have never had any issues at that intersection and think it would be a mistake,” while others say it could prevent dangerous situations during backups when undisciplined drivers don’t take their turns.

Send feedback to forestatwellesley@wellesleyma.gov The town says you should notexpect a response.

forest wellesley ave intersection

Select Board office hours

Wellesley Select Board member Colette Aufranc will be available via Zoom or for in-person meetings in the Juliani Room at Town Hall on Friday, Dec. 2 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Email her directly at caufranc@wellesleyma.gov to schedule your 15-minute appointment.

Interim planning director named

With Planning Director Don McCauley retiring this month, the Wellesley Planning Board has named Senior Planner Eric Arbeene as interim planning director. Arbeene’s been with the town for about a year and a half. The discussion begins at the Nov. 14 Planning Board meeting about 70 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording.

The town would likely look to post a job listing for a permanent director in the new year.

Here’s how Wellesley describes its Planning Department: “Specific responsibilities include drafting recommendations for zoning amendments, providing support to residents and developers through the permitting process, working on Housing and Mobility issues, and overseeing design guidelines to help maintain the historical integrity and character of Wellesley.”


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Filed Under: Government, Transportation

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Paying a visit to the smooth new Wellesley Police parking lot

October 12, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

We took a slight detour earlier this month to check out the newly reconfigured and repaved Wellesley Police Department parking lot, a project pushed from 2019 until this summer.

police parking lot under work
Police parking lot construction scene from the summer

 

According to Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop, the delay in part was due to having to come up with a memorandum of understanding with the Wellesley Housing Authority, which has neighboring property. The configuration of the space is unique, she said during a May 24 Select Board meeting (see Wellesley Media recording about 52 minutes in).

The project involved reconfiguration to add parking spaces, improve layout, and provide better accessibility. Also now gone from the area: the old green bus stop that used to face the street.

Wellesley bus stop, dismantled
Bus stop, dismantled during spring

 

The town’s been hanging on to $150K in capital funds for traffic/parking for the project since fiscal year 2019, and approved an additional amount of cash leftover from other traffic/parking work to bring the police parking lot project total to $314K. (Jeez, no wonder we keep putting off repaving our driveway…)

While the freshly lined spaces in the new lot easily contained our sedan, they proved more challenged by the half dozen humungous 4×4 pickups surrounding us.

Jop said the police are also looking to secure grants to install electric vehicle charging stations for which some of the aforementioned allocation could serve as matching funds. Not sure that’ll do the monster truck owners any good for their private vehicles, but the police force is converting to hybrid vehicles and testing an electric one.

For even smaller modes of transporation, the town installed a bike repair station outside the police headquarters a while back, and there is also bike parking available there.

police parking lot


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

Filed Under: Government, Police, Transportation

Wellesley Swim

Fall/winter commuter rail schedule: A few more trains to stop in Wellesley

October 6, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Citing a rise in commuter rail ridership, the MBTA and partner Keolis have announced a fall/winter schedule that includes more Worcester-Boston trains that will stop at Wellesley’s three stations. The changes take effect Oct. 17 (schedule embedded below).

Indeed, during one of my rare appearances at work in Boston last Wednesday, there was a noticeable increase in commuters at the Wellesley Square stop on the 7:19am train (and trains were relatively timely).

wellesley square commuter rail
Waiting for the 7:19 train in Wellesley Square

 

“Trains that were temporarily removed from the schedule to accommodate ongoing construction related to the Worcester Union Station Improvements project are back in the Fall/Winter schedule as construction has progressed to a point where these trains can be restored,” according to the MBTA.

From what I can gather, new inbound trains at Wellesley Square are scheduled for 10:55am, 12:55pm, 2pm (replacing the 1:55pm), and 3:55pm.  Add between 3 and 7 minutes for the Wellesley Hills and Farms arrivals. In all, 21 trains are slated to stop on weekdays, and you still won’t have a ton of choices at traditional morning commuting time.

Inbound from Boston, new trains are scheduled to arrive at 8:17am, 10:17am, and 1:22pm at Wellesley Farms, with Hills and Square stops between 2 and 5 minutes later.

We see no significant changes to the weekend schedule, which offers about half as many trains as during the weekday. If you’re staying out later than 11-11:15pm in Boston, depending on which stop you’re near, you’ll need another method home to Wellesley.

Download (PDF, Unknown)


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Filed Under: Transportation

Electric vehicle test drive & showcase returning to Wellesley

September 27, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

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.


swellesley green ad

Filed Under: Environment, Transportation

3-car crash at Wellesley Avenue & Clifford Street

July 14, 2022 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

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


Filed Under: Transportation

Path to Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley gets paved

July 9, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

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.


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Filed Under: Transportation

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