RTM to Consider Traffic Camera Program Improvements While Maintaining Public Safety

Road safety, reckless driving, and speeding are issues Fairfield has grappled with for years. Constituents have routinely raised these concerns and have asked Town leaders and elected officials to make road safety a priority.

In early 2024, after two horrific pedestrian deaths, our town had the opportunity to implement a new program from the CT Department of Transportation to allow for Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices (ATESDs), or speed cameras. Research shows that even a small change in driver speed can make the difference between life and death – a pedestrian struck at 20 miles per hour has about an 18% chance of severe injury. That number climbs to 50% at 30 miles per hour, and more than 80% at 40 miles per hour. The intent of trying this new tool was for one purpose – to change drivers’ behavior to reduce speed and, by extension, protect the lives of drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

School zones are one of the four State-approved areas where cameras can be installed in a town, and the six Fairfield school zones were chosen because their residential locations and high usage by families make them some of our most vulnerable areas. Since the warning period began in May 2026, the cameras appear to be working. Speeding incidents in the school zones have decreased a staggering 86%. And, despite covering less than 1% of Fairfield’s 270 miles of roadway, the program has had a ripple effect and is slowing traffic throughout town.

Since the start of the program in May, the RTM and town leaders heard clearly from the community that there were concerns about the mechanics of the program, the implementation process, and the data and privacy protections. The RTM responded to the public request to revisit the program, and offered an opportunity to influence a decision moving forward.

On August 24th, we voted to recommit to the plan after hearing a report from the Fairfield Police and First Selectperson, and comments from the public in person, online, and by email. Public opinion has varied, from a desire to eliminate the cameras, to keep the cameras and make changes, and to keep the program unaltered. The RTM vote was 25-12, not along party lines. RTM members weighed the evidence, the concerns of their constituents, and their personal concerns regarding road safety and surveillance.

That same night, the RTM unanimously voted to form an Ordinance Drafting Committee to allow us to consider amending the original ATESD Ordinance informed by data and resident concerns and suggestions, such as changing the fee structure, the appeals process, and data protection. Their meetings will be publicly noticed and allow for public comment. Once a draft is finalized and reviewed by the Town Attorney, the amended Ordinance will go through the RTM process to be voted on, which includes more public meetings and opportunities for public input. We will keep the public informed as the process unfolds to ensure their involvement.

As the Majority Leader, I support this program and, given what we have heard from the community and the experience of months of implementation, I support improving it. I believe we can make meaningful changes, while allowing for the increased road safety and speed reduction to continue, especially as we head into a new school year.