What's Up With That Big X On Route 27 In Sudbury?

SUDBURY, MA — It's pretty simple: If you stop your car on the white X along Route 27 in Sudbury, you might get a ticket.

The new road marking was painted recently in front of the police and fire stations along Hudson Street. Police issued a bulletin about the marking on Thursday, gently asking locals to be aware of what it means.

"This X marks our egress spot, it must be kept clear, it's so that we can respond to those who need our assistance. We understand this is a new marking, there is a learning curve, and mistakes happen, but please don’t block the box," police wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The fine in Massachusetts for blocking the box is $150. And obviously, the box is right in front of the police station, so it's not really something you ignore. But Sudbury police say they would prefer to educate drivers rather than hand out tickets.

And one important note: state law says that you can't stop on the box even if there's a green light in front of you.