 Get ready to participate in walk, bike and roll to school day on Wednesday, Oct. 12. It’s a healthy, safe, and fun way to start the school year. If enough people participate, the event also potentially reduces traffic and emissions in town for the day.
Wellesley’s elementary schools — Bates, Fiske, Hardy, Schofield, Sprague, and Upham — are regular participants in the yearly effort, as are the middle and high schools.  The weather is good, so this is the prime time to try out new mobility options in town. More than 30% of our emissions come from transportation in and around. Like what you say? How about FREE rides around Wellesley and useful neighboring spots on the Catch Connect van service for folks 12 and over. Try taking the train to Natick or Boston; the T to the Red Sox game; walk, scoot, or bike to work, to friend's houses and to do errands this month.
While you are trying new transportation options, try combining your Amazon deliveries (maybe your neighbors too) to 1 x a week to reduce truck deliveries in town. These are all part of Town of Wellesley's Sustainable Mobility Plan which also includes more sidewalk connectivity, new bike racks and bike repair stations, more road crossing lights, bike lanes, and electric vehicle charging stations.  Who: Middle Schoolers (grade 5 and up) that live or go to school in town
What: Fun, smart cycling event Where: Hunnewell School parking lot When: Saturday, June 4th from 10-11.30am (rain date June 11) How: Register here To support middle school students to ride more independently on our busy streets, Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and the Wellesley Police Dept (WPD) are spearheading this event with Wellesley’s Natural Resources Commission, Sustainable Wellesley and Wellesley Green Schools. The goal is to create a mindset that bikes should be treated as a vehicle, and to build overall skills and confidence for riding safely and legally to school and throughout town. Meet at the Hunnewell School parking lot to learn some “rules of the road” before enjoying a guided bike train along Wellesley’s beautiful Brook Path and some on-street riding. Safe Routes To Schools will offer some giveaways and Winnie the WPD community resource service dog will be there to greet the kids as they embark upon the ride! The first 25 registrants will get a free Truly Yogurt coupon and all participants can win a raffle item from Pappa Wheelies! Register here Rain date is June 11th.  Looking for a fun and family-friendly outdoor activity? Take a leisurely bike ride or walk along a 2.8-mile garden tour around Wellesley that highlights pollinator gardens in Town. The self-guided tour will take you past gardens at the Wellesley Post Office, Town Hall, the Police Station, the WHS garden and some private gardens, as well - all of which are pesticide free. Click here to learn more.
Pollinate Wellesley is a joint initiative of Sustainable Wellesley, Wellesley Conservation Land Trust, and the NRC. When we protect our pollinators we protect ourselves!  Create Healthy Habits While Helping Wellesley Reduce Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The new school year is a chance to begin new routines. Recent climate studies show that 30% of Wellesley's traffic is school-related transportation. Instead of driving, start some new school traditions this fall. - Get together with friends and walk to school - Form neighborhood walking groups with other parents, caretakers, families – take turns leading the group. - Ride bikes or scooters with neighbors. -Check in with the Wellesley Public Schools to see if there is space on the bus: it is free if you live more than 2 miles from school. More information on Wellesley's upcoming “Safe Routes to School” walking and biking initiative is coming out soon. Learn more about it from the Town's Mobility Committee members (see below). Better yet, consider participating in it by serving as a parent representative for your school. Wellesley Select Board member Colette Aufranc at caufranc@wellesleyma.gov Wellesley School Committee Chair Catherine Mirick at mirickc@wellesleyps.org  Give input on Wellesley's Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP).
As part of the SMP, the Town has launched a series of short surveys to gather more information on a range of mobility topics. Each survey takes five minutes or less to complete. Please respond to as many or few that apply to your travel and spread the word to friends and family. The most recent survey asks about school travel and is designed for either students or parents. Your input is important as we seek ways to make low impact travel modes (walking, biking, buses) safer and more attractive. In addition to the school survey, we encourage you to take any previous surveys that apply to how you travel, get deliveries, and plan for future travel. The first five of 10 surveys are available at this link under the “Wellesley Wheelhouse” Tab. So far the topics focus on: Survey 1- Work from Home trends Survey 2 - Biking and E-bicycles Survey 3 - Use of Ridehailing Services (e.g. Uber and Lyft) Survey 4 - Use of E-commerce Survey 5 - School Travel In the future watch for surveys on autonomous vehicles, bikability, use of food delivery services, microtransit, and electric vehicles. If you have questions, please email smp@wellesleyma.gov. Thank you for your help with this community project! |
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