Article 53: Bicycle Road Safety Signs
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or transfer from available funds, a sum of money for the purchase of 4 bicycle safety road signs along Hudson Rd., (preferably on the westbound side at 18 Hudson Rd., on the eastbound side at 427 Hudson Rd., on the westbound side opposite 427 Hudson Rd., and eastbound nearest 5 Spruce Lane), including all incidental and related expenses, stating “bicycles in roadway” on a yellow diamond shaped sign, or the equivalent, in compliance with the requirements established by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; or act on anything relative thereto. Submitted by Petition. (Majority vote required) PETITIONERS’ REPORT: Town roadways are marked with road signs warning users of dangerous intersections, crosswalks, oncoming traffic signals, and more. There are no signs on Town maintained Sudbury roads warning users that bicycle traffic is in the road. Just as we warn motorists to be aware of pedestrians in the crosswalks, the Town needs signs alerting users to be aware of bicycle traffic. This article will keep Sudbury consistent with the neighboring towns, 100% of which have bicycle safety signs installed on their most heavily traveled routes. There have been several deaths of bicyclists in town. No one can say those deaths could have been avoided if we had traffic safety signs installed. But as a town can have a clear conscience by having done all we could to notify the motorists that bicycles travel in the same roadways as cars. BOARD OF SELECTMEN POSITION: The Board of Selectmen supports this article
Article 55: Polystyrene (PS) Reduction Bylaw
Prohibits food and retail establishments from using, distributing, or selling disposable food service ware – including raw meat/fish trays, egg cartons, and cups – made of foam or solid PS ( ).
Prohibits retail establishment from selling or distributing 1) packing peanuts, 2) coolers or other containers, 3) pool or beach toys, or 4) floats/buoys made from foam polystyrene that are not fully encapsulated in a more durable material.
This bylaw does not apply to prepared food or non-food goods packaged with PS outside of the Town if these products are sold without repackaging or alteration. Exemptions can be made in cases where it can be shown that not using a specific item would cause undue hardship to an establishment.
Polystyrene is among the most toxic plastics, and is made from the probable human carcinogen styrene. Residual styrene in foodservice wares can be leached into food and drink during common uses. Furthermore, unprotected foam polystyrene is especially likely to escape into the environment and fragment into microplastic particles.
Article 56: Authorize Select Board to Petition for a Checkout Bag Charge
Authorizes the Select Board to petition the state legislature for a special law requiring that retail establishments in Town charge at least $0.10 for each new checkout bag.
Any money collected for bags would be retained by the retailer.
The special law must be passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor to go into effect.
A bag charge is a win for consumers, retailers, and the environment. The cost of bags is currently included in shopping bills; an avoidable $0.10 charge gives consumers the opportunity to save each time they bring their own bags. A charge is also proven way to reduce overall bag use, reducing retailer costs and stress on the environment.
Article 57: Disposable Plastic Pollution Reduction Bylaw
Prohibits food establishments from providing disposable plastic straws, stirrers, or splash sticks to a customer. Disposable straws, stirrers, or splash sticks made from non-plastic materials may only be provided upon request by the customer or using a self-service dispenser.
There are no restrictions on reusable items, or items brought by a customer for personal use. Exceptions are made for persons in need due to a disability or medical condition.
Retail establishments are prohibited from selling disposable plastic straws, stirrers, or splash sticks, unless non-plastic or reusable alternatives are also available and clearly labeled.
Plastics break up into microplastics in the environment. These tiny plastic pieces absorb toxins, disrupt ecosystems when mistaken for food by fish and other wildlife, and are ending up back in our food supply. The average person now eats about a credit card worth of plastic every week.
Why Vote Yes for these Articles?
We use far more disposable plastic items than you might think. For example, market research firms estimate that 170 to 390 million disposable plastic straws are used EVERY DAY nationwide. Lincoln and Sudbury’s share of this is at least ~13,700 straws per day, enough to cover nearly 7 laps of the L-S track when laid end-to-end.
Residual styrene from polystyrene food service ware can be leached into food and drink during common uses. Styrene is a likely human carcinogen and 45+ years of studies have consistently found that an appreciable fraction of food or drink samples touching PS can have styrene levels nearing or substantially exceeding drinking water guidelines.
Plastic items are easily lost into the environment, both land and sea, where they can cause ecological harm for hundreds of years. Ecosystems around the world are under stress and plastic pollution pushes us closer to the tipping point. Plastic in the ocean breaks into tiny microplastic pieces, which can accumulate toxins from the water, be mistaken for food by wildlife of all sizes, and risk disrupting the very food chains on which our own health and economy depend.
Microplastics are ending up back in the human food supply. A recent World Wildlife Foundation study found that each of us could be eating the equivalent of a credit card worth of microplastic every week.
Reusing items is the best choice for the environment and for our pocketbooks. Both ecological impacts and financial costs are spread out over multiple uses.
Recycling and waste disposal are getting expensive. Recycling and waste management costs have skyrocketed and are an increasing drain on personal and municipal finances. Using more disposable items that need to be recycled (like paper bags) or thrown away after just a few moments (like straws, stirrers, and splash sticks) only makes an expensive problem worse.
‘Compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’ plastic items are not a good alternative. Many plastics marketed as ‘compostable’ require the controlled conditions of industrial composting facilities to break down, thus causing problems similar to those of conventional plastics when lost into the environment. Using such materials before the required industrial composting is widely accessible here would be irresponsible.
Extensive work has already been done in other communities to identify effective, cost- competitive alternatives to most disposable plastic products. Lincoln and Sudbury will not be close the first to take these steps. Polystyrene and disposable straw, stirrer, and splash stick regulations are already in place in scores of communities across MA and around the world. Bag charges have been implemented in MA cities like Boston, Newton, Cambridge, and Lynn, in California, and elsewhere around the world, providing an opportunity for both businesses and consumers to save money.
For more information, or to join our campaign to pass these articles, please email: