Speed Cameras Planned For Major Highways In CT: Here's What To Know

CONNECTICUT — After dipping their toe into municipal waters, speed cameras will be slowly making their way onto Connecticut highways.

"The bill that passed this legislative session paves the way for us to study this concept – and develop a plan for speed cameras on the highways, with a report to be submitted early-next year," Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson Josh Morgan told Patch.

Once state lawmakers have blessed the DOT's report, the path would be clear for Hartford to pass new legislation that would place speed cams along state highways.

In the meantime, DOT analysts have been busy poring over municipal plans detailing local speed cam rollouts, following the success of a pilot program. As of July 2, nine towns have submitted their local plans to the DOT, and three of these have been approved.

Washington's plan was the first to get the green light, approved last December. The town collected $21K in fines in the first two weeks after turning the cameras on. In May, the state approved the plans for Marlborough and Middletown, where officials expect installation this summer. Municipal plans for Greenwich, Hamden, New Haven, Stamford, Stratford and Wethersfield have been submitted and are under review, according to Morgan.

The proposals submitted to the traffic czars thus far are hardly the surveillance state schematics some critics have feared. The Greenwich deployment map targets 10 school zones for fall 2025 activation, and New Haven is looking for just 11 red-light and 8 school‑zone speed cameras to be used throughout the entire city.

Do They Work?

In New York City, the more than 2,200 school‑zone speed cameras reduced speeding by 94 percent, contributing to record-low pedestrian fatalities, according to a 2024 report. The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration found that a single, stationary camera targeting one location can reduce crashes on urban principal arterials up to 54 percent.

Connecticut's DOT conducted a pilot speed camera program from April to November 2023 that was limited to just work zones — where construction or maintenance of state highways is occurring and may involve lane closures, detours, moving equipment, and workers — and published those results last year. During that span, the DOT issued more than 24,900 warnings, as well as 750 fines in five pilot locations.

Of the five locations analyzed, all showed reductions in driver speeds, with four locations boasting significant reductions in speed when compared to data collected prior to enforcement. In particular, speeding dropped at two work zones on Interstate 95 by 17 to 18 percent.

This reduction may be attributed to the active speed enforcement, signage, and public outreach through the Know the Zone campaign. That appeal included highway billboards, digital ads, social media, and signage which the state calculated raised awareness about work zone safety to the tune of 41 million impressions.

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Rising Deaths on Connecticut Highways

The impetus for the camera rollout across both town and state byways is rooted in the rise of traffic-related fatalities in Connecticut. Last year, there were more than 98,000 vehicle crashes reported throughout the state, involving more than 235,000 people. Of those, 203 were fatal. State highways accounted for the largest number of crashes between 2010 and 2023, with 142,391 incidents.

Morgan said the seeding of state highways with speed cameras could reverse the trend. "This could be another tool in our toolbox as the state looks to crack down on reckless driving-related issues seen across Connecticut."