The south end of Wayland has suburban development along the Route 30/Massachusetts Turnpike corridor; the rest is nearly rural or low-density residential. There are two shopping areas, one at in the south end of town and the other just west of the junction of Routes 126 and 20 in the center of town.
Highways 30 and 126 are 24 feet wide without shoulders, though traffic is not heavy on Route 126. Route 27 has two-foot shoulders in addition to the 12-foot travel lanes, and is an excellent example of the increase in bicycle/motor vehicle compatibility that can be achieved through this minor improvement. Route 20 is wide for a mile or so to east of the junction with Routes 27 and 126, but otherwise it would benefit from added shoulders as well.
Wayland has sidewalks along part of Route 126 and 27 which may have been intended as bicycle paths at one time. However, due to their location and width, they are not suitable for travel at normal bicycle speeds.
Back roads in Wayland except for the south end are very lightly traveled and excellent for bicycle travel. There are a few exceptions: several stretches have deeply potholed pavement (though some streets including Claypit Hill Road and Rice Road have been repaved very recently). Rice Road traffic is moderate rather than light. Note that Rice Road is one-way between Route 20 and Old Connecticut Path, imposing an unfortunate barrier to bicyclists. Lincoln Road is unpaved. If it were paved, it would afford a better north-south alternative to Route 126.
1) An aqueduct enters from Weston south of of Old Connecticut Path, crosses it and parallels it to the north, then passes under its intersection with Routes 126 and 27 and proceeding southwest near Route 27. This aqueduct then turns west and recross Route 126, then Stonebridge Road. Everywhere except near the crossing of Route 126, where it goes down and up a steep hill, this aqueduct is a fine potential route for a path. It would provide an alternate route to Old Connecticut Path, with a connection into Weston where there are now no roads. "No trespassing" signs at road crossings are widely disregarded by walkers and off-road bicyclists. The top of the aqueduct is flat like a railroad bed and approximately 15 feet wide. In some stretches it is elevated on an embankment -- but usually only at one side -- and barriers or increased shy distances (placing a path near the other side) would be required.
2) A Shell oil pipeline corridor goes south from Blossom Lane. This intersects the aqueduct and could connect it with Weston residential areas just to its south. There may be other parts of the pipeline corridor that are useful.
3) An aqueduct corridor at the south end of Weston and Wayland along Route 30, also discussed in the Weston report, enters Wayland just north of Route 30 and crosses north of Dudley Pond, crossing Route 126 before it leaves Wayland at the Sudbury River. This aqueduct ppasses through the most populous part of Wayland and passeds near schools and shopping. It has great potential as a recreational and transportation path.
4) The Waltham-Hudson rail line conveniently crosses Wayland's commercial district at the Route 20 -- Route 126 intersection. The Route 20 crossing needs more than just a crosswalk, due to heavy traffic. The Route 126/27 crossing is in an underpass, and with its connection to Millbrook Road, could provide an off-street alternative route through the town square area. Since population along the line is light in Wayland, a path here would serve mostly through-traveling recreational and commuter cyclists. It would be a less hilly and traffic-free alternate to Route 20 between Wayland and Sudbury; it deviates to the north of the Route 20 corridor as it proceeds toward Weston.
There may be a few other utility corridors which would be suitable for paths as well.
The major problems with riding in Wayland are the need for maintenance of Route 30, and width upgrades to it, Route 20 and Route 126. The two aqueduct corridors and rail corridor provide promising opportunities for off-road routes.