Police Enforcing 'Slow Down Wayland Days'

Police Chief Robert Irving is informing residents that the Wayland Police Department will be conducting extra traffic enforcement patrols on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and Thursday, Sept 3, in conjunction with the beginning of the new school year in Wayland.

Police are calling it “Slow Down Wayland Days” and all residents and commuters are asked to carefully monitor their speeds as they drive on local roads. Chief Irving states that the biggest complaint that the police department receives from citizens is the presence of speeding cars, trucks, and buses, especially on residential streets.

During “Slow Down Wayland Days,” officers will patrol the streets near various schools in town, and will enforce speed limits and other traffic violations.

“Motorists are urged to use extreme care in the operation of their vehicles, as many children will be walking or riding bicycles to school,” said the announcement. “Motorists should be aware of the 20 mph school zone speed limit and the fact that there will be buses and increased traffic on the roadways.”

Police are also asking parents to have their children use school buses as much as possible in an effort to cut down on the number of vehicles in the schoolyards.

“If children are being dropped off at school, parents should leave their children at a location that does not cause the child to walk through parking lots or across a traffic lane.”

Several school traffic supervisors will assist children who walk to and from school. Walkers are urged to cross streets at locations that have a school traffic supervisor, wherever possible.

The Wayland Highway Department has recently painted the crosswalks and school zones in town to help insure high visibility in these pedestrian areas. Many crosswalks are also marked with a yellow reflective pedestrian crosswalk sign. Signalized crosswalks have been installed at the Wayland Middle School and at the crosswalk from Daymon Farms to Loker Street. These crosswalks feature a blinking light that can be activated by the pedestrian prior to entering the crosswalk.

The police department is working with the Middle School to establish a better way for parents to drop off their children and pick them up at the end of the school day, continues the announcement. A “pick-up” lane is being established in the large parking area at the old Highway Building in an effort to get vehicles off of Main Street while waiting to pick up or drop their children. Last year, during the afternoon pickup, there were times when vehicles lined up in both directions on Main Street causing traffic congestion and safety concerns.