HAMDEN, Conn. — Hamden is now the latest Connecticut town to look into installing red light and speed safety cameras.
The consideration for new technology comes after the state legislature passed a law last year allowing municipalities to choose to opt into the new initiative.
“The entire reason we’re looking forward to doing this is because we need to keep our streets safer. We have too many car accidents in Hamden, too many people running red lights and speeding through intersections, making it very dangerous for everyone,” said Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett.
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Garrett hopes to work with the company Sitestream to make the project come to life. The company’s CEO presented the plan Monday night to the town council.
“People have become more dangerous in their driving behaviors in the last few years and this program could have an impact on correcting those behaviors,” Garrett said. “Right now, there’s a lot of data that supports there are a lot of accidents at our intersections.”
Garrett said the town is looking at about a handful of intersections now. She said in each of those intersections, there have been more than 20 crashes over the last three years.
The red light cameras, if installed at those intersections, would fine people for blowing through red lights and speeding through them at more than 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. The first offense would come with a $50 fine, with the second carrying a $75 fine.
“I think it should honestly be increased a little more. If you get caught running a red light, hey, yeah you did something wrong but also, somebody could be driving with their family. You could honestly kill them, it’s a serious matter,” said Michael Rambala, Quinnipiac University senior.
Rambala said he came to Connecticut from New Jersey and noticed right away how reckless some drivers can be in Hamden.
“I’ve seen it. People blow stop lights right next to me. And I’m just like, how is that allowed,” Rambala said.
While others admit to seeing the same problem, they don’t feel a fine will solve the problem.
“I don’t think the red-light cameras are the way to go. I just think they probably need to just have some more police in the area,” said Anthony Delfino, who visits Hamden often.
Mayor Lauren Garrett, however, said police can't be in all places at once and that cameras would have an advantage of catching "100% of the people who violate the rules of the road."
“In the intersections where there are traffic cameras, the red light cameras, we would have constant monitoring, there would always be a red light camera there,” Garrett said.
Garrett could not reveal the exact intersections the town is considering for the cameras just yet.
There is one stretch of Dixwell Ave, from the High School to Skiff Street, where she would like to put the cameras, but Garrett said that it would not be possible since that stretch of road is already blocked off for another infrastructure project, set to be complete in the next few years.
When it comes to the timeline for the red light cameras, the town council would need to approve a new ordinance. Each location must then be approved by them and the State Department of Transportation.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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