Bill seeks to expand speed cameras on CT highways. DOT says 24,900 warnings issued in pilot
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has made it clear: The crisis of accidents and fatalities the state sees on its roads would decline if drivers were to follow the speed limit, kept their phones put away and follow other rules put in place to keep motorists, passengers and pedestrians safe.
Now, with the goal of further enforcement of speeding and reckless driving laws, a Connecticut General Assembly bill passed by the Transportation Committee calls for a plan to expand speed safety cameras on state highways. The bill was approved by the committee and placed on the House calendar, records show.
The proposed bill, HB-7058, would require the Department of Transportation commissioner to develop a plan to expand speed camera use on state roads by Feb. 1, 2026.
It also would 'permit a municipality to use any funds generated from the use of an automated traffic enforcement safety device to reimburse a vendor for the expenses associated with the design, installation, operation or maintenance of such device.'
The bill was introduced on Feb. 20, a public hearing was held, and it has been on the House calendar since April 1. The calendar does not indicate whether or when it could be taken up.
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'This bill aims to reduce instances of reckless driving and support local and state law enforcement in monitoring and detecting instances of reckless behavior, while saving local municipalities the massive costs associated with installing and maintaining these cameras,' according to the Transportation Committee's joint favorable report.
According to an Office of Legislative Research summary, the proposed bill would require the Department of Transportation commissioner also to submit any proposed legislation to the Transportation Committee by February 1, 2026.
Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto provided written testimony in favor of the proposed bill.
'CTDOT has long advocated for the use of speed safety cameras, as they are a proven safety tool that can be deployed as part of comprehensive speed management programs to target speeding‐related safety problems,' Eucalitto said in the testimony.
Eucalitto said the DOT 'administered a highly successful pilot program to operate speed safety cameras in select highway construction work zones' from April to November 2023.
During that span, the DOT issued more than 24,900 warnings, as well as 750 fines in five pilot locations. The data showed a reduction in speeds and lower drivers going slower when there were warning signs and cameras were effect.
'Of the five pilot locations analyzed, all showed reductions in driver speeds, with four locations showing significant reductions in speed when compared to data collected prior to enforcement,' Eucalitto said.
'Speeding was reduced at two work zones on I‐95 by 17 to 18 percent. This reduction can be attributed to the active speed enforcement, signage, and public outreach,' he said. 'In addition to showcasing a low percentage of drivers who were subject to fines, the small number of repeat offenders highlights that work zone safety technology can be effective without adding substantial costs to drivers. Based on the demonstrable success of the pilot program, the General Assembly authorized CTDOT to re‐establish the work zone program on a permanent basis, and we expect the program to launch in the summer of 2025.'
Ronnell Higgins, the commissioner Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, also supported the bill.
'Our agency supports Section 1 of the bill which would allow the Department of Transportation to develop a plan to expand the use of speed safety cameras on the state Highways,' Higgins said in written testimony. 'We look forward to being a thought partner in this endeavor as roadway safety remains a top priority.'
'Our agency also supports leveraging technology to assist our troopers especially as we continue to face challenges with recruitment and retention,' Higgins wrote. 'Concerns about reckless driving and speeding motorists have been growing since the start of the coronavirus pandemic five years ago.'
Higgins cited the growing number of traffic fatalities in the state that has included more than 300 traffic fatalities in the state since 2021 as well as rising numbers in speeding infractions of motorists driving at 100 mph and above as well as between 80 and 85 mph.
'In developing the plan, the commissioner must consider the Federal Highway Administration's Speed Safety Camera Program Planning and Operations Guide and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's High Visibility Enforcement Toolkit,' the OLR report notes.
Scotland First Selectman Dana Barrow also supported the bill.
'As the First Selectman of a small town in Eastern CT without a police department this is the only way to slow down the traffic,' she said in testimony.
Town of Winchester-Winsted Town Manager Paul Harrington and Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett also were the supporters of the legislation, specifically with reference to the municipal camera portion. Under current law, municipalities can start speed and red light camera programs but only after they adopt an ordinance that meets the law's requirements and get a speed and red light camera plan approved by DOT every three years.
CT's first speeding cameras are set to roll out in January in town with just one stoplight
The Office of Fiscal Analysis found the bill would add no municipal or state fiscal impact.
'The bill requires the Department of Transportation to develop a plan to expand speed camera use on state roads and does not result in a fiscal impact because this is within the department's current expertise,' the OFA report said. 'The bill also allows municipalities to use revenue from fines collected as a result of municipal speed and red-light cameras to reimburse a vendor for camera design. This does not result in a fiscal impact as it does not change the revenue a municipality will collect from these devices.'
'Regarding the use of municipal speed and red-light camera fine revenue, current law allows municipalities to use the revenue to pay costs associated with camera use. The bill specifies that these costs include reimbursing a vendor for speed and red-light camera design, installation, operation, or maintenance. By law, fine revenue may also be used to improve transportation mobility and invest in transportation infrastructure,' the Office of Legislative Research said.
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