The Court of Common Council President, Maly D. Rosado, introduced a resolution calling on the state delegation to permit a red-light camera pilot program in the City of Hartford. She has secured the support of fellow Democrats Councilman Nick Lebron, Councilwoman Marilyn Rossetti, and Councilman James Sanchez. Hartford Party Councilmember John Gale also joined the group in supporting the resolution.
“As one of the chairs of the Quality of Life and Public Safety committee, it’s my responsibility to ensure safety and quality for our community,” said Councilman James Sanchez. “For several years we’ve had fatalities by individuals with complete disregard to motor vehicle laws and rights-of-way. In response, our community leaders and residents have demanded increased public safety measures. Thinking outside the box, this fairly new red light camera technology adds another level of protection for our community while addressing dangerous driving behaviors and reducing intersection accidents and fatalities. There are no words we can say to the families who’ve lost a loved one to these types of tragedies, but I personally want to say to those families we are trying.”
If authorized, the pilot program would send “notices of violation” instead of tickets. Fines would also not be implemented until after the pilot period. The purpose of the pilot would be to collect statistics from specific intersections to design a fully realized program that is equitable, data driven, and sustainable. The program would also help identify other traffic calming measures.
According to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, 2,735 traffic collisions in the City of Hartford were recorded between August 31st, 2020, and August 31st, 2021. Of that total number, 1,293, or 47 percent, of traffic collisions occurred at an intersection, and 99 traffic collisions were caused by a driver running a red light traffic signal. A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the use of red light cameras reduced fatal red light running collision rates by 21 percent.
“Community leaders have called for action on this issue so that’s what we are doing with this resolution,” said Council President Maly D. Rosado. “I came into this office with the goal of improving the quality of life for our families and increasing public safety within our neighborhoods. For too long people have come into our city and disregarded our laws. Red light cameras do not discriminate based on race or income. Nationally, they reduce fatal interactions with law enforcement. More importantly they decrease intersection collisions and unnecessary loss of life.
By launching this pilot I hope we can gather enough data to show Hartford can implement an equitable and effective program. Residents should also know that education is key with this pilot. Tickets will not be sent out and violators will not be immediately fined but folks should be educated about the steps the city is taking to curb reckless driving behaviors. I also want to make it clear, this is a resident led effort and I’m grateful for the members of the community who have e-mailed, called, and met with my office to see policies like this through.”
