The Swellesley Report

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

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

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Linden Square, Wellesley
Details, Wellesley
YMCA Needham

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

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley
MassHort, Festival of Trees, Wellesley

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

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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

The Cashmere Sale, Wellesley

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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Fran's Flowers

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

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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

 

Wellesley Antique Car Show

 

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

 

Wellesley Antique Car Show

 

Wellesley Antique Car Show

 

Wellesley Antique Car Show

 

Wellesley Antique Car Show

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

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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

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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.

Wellesley Mobility Month

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).

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Transportation in Wellesley—just what exactly IS micro transit?

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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!

Wellesley transportation

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…]