NEW HAVEN, Conn. — New Haven is one step closer to using red light and speed safety cameras after legislation passed Monday night.
The Board of Alders unanimously passed both pieces of legislation proposed by Mayor Justin Elicker earlier this year. The legislation outlines a framework for using the cameras and identifies 19 locations at schools and pedestrian zones where there have been recent crashes.
"There’s a reason so many people are calling for more traffic enforcement. That’s because people drive very recklessly, just this weekend a motorist died because it appeared they were drag racing on Foxon Boulevard," said Elicker.
Officials said each speed safety camera site will be near schools, and 11 red light cameras will be at intersections. You can find the full list here and a corresponding map here.
The traffic cameras will take a picture of a car's license plate, sending a $50 ticket in the mail for a first offense and $75 for a second offense.
Elicker said the cameras are a "critical tool" in helping to ensure that drivers travel safely and responsibly near the city's schools and intersections.
"When you drive recklessly, you put others and yourself at risk, and we're committed to holding people accountable for their actions," Elicker said following the legislation passage.
The city's next steps are to submit its plan to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for review and approval. It will also issue a request for proposals to identify the vendors for the cameras' purchase, installation, and operation.
New Haven will be one of the first municipalities in the state to install these cameras following the passage of statewide legislation that allowed the cameras' usage last year, and subsequent state guidance issued by CT DOT.
The use of cameras have been argued by the NAACP, which says it disproportionately impacts Black and brown neighborhoods.
Elicker said the city is encouraging every community to adopt similar policies to keep roads safe.
"While in New Haven we have cameras very spread out around the city, it’s also important for our suburban counterparts to adopt this kind of technology too," said Elicker.
Elicker's office said traffic-related deaths in the city have steadily decreased in recent years (21 in 2020, 19 in 2021, 16 in 2022, and 11 in 2023) and that this latest legislation is the latest in the city's efforts to improve safety.
Officials are hoping they're up and running by early 2025.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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