Police Chief Robert Irving advises Wayland residents that the Wayland Police Department will be conducting extra traffic enforcement patrols on Wednesday, August 31st and Thursday September 1st, in conjunction with the beginning of the new school year in Wayland. These days will be “Slow Down Wayland Days” and all residents and commuters are asked to carefully monitor their speeds as they drive on local roads. The number one complaint that the police department receives from citizens is the presence of speeding cars, trucks, and buses, especially on residential streets.

Officers will be assigned to streets in the vicinity of the various schools in town and will be enforcing speed zones and other motor vehicle violations. The department’s signboard will be used to educate the public of the importance of driving at the speed limit. Motorists are urged to use extreme care in the operation of their vehicles, as many children will be walking or riding bicycles to school. 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.

Parents are asked to have their children use school buses as much as possible to cut down on the number of vehicles entering schoolyards to drop-off or pick-up their children. 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.

The Wayland Police Department employs several school traffic supervisors to assist children that 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.

A “pick-up” lane has been 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. In the past, during the afternoon pickup, there were times when vehicles lined up in both directions on Main Street causing traffic congestion and safety concerns. This is the second year that the “pick-up lane will be used.

Vehicle and pedestrian safety is the responsibility of everyone that uses our public roadways. Chief Irving asks all residents and commuters to work with the police department to make “Slow Down Wayland Days” a success.