Speed Cameras To Be Installed In School Zones In Fairfield: Police

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Police Department will install Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices, or speed cameras, in six local school zones "to deter speeding in areas where children and pedestrians are most at risk," the department announced Wednesday.

An exact date for when the camera-based technology will be installed has not been determined, but Sgt. Jenna Wellington told Patch in a statement that it will happen in the near future.

The six school zones are Dwight Elementary (Redding Road); Notre Dame High School (Jefferson Street); Burr Elementary (Burr Street); Riverfield Elementary (Mill Plain Road); and Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde high schools.

Those six were chosen "based on crash history, engineering analysis, and feedback from the community," according to officials. Additional school zones may be added in the future.

"The Fairfield Police Department is committed to reducing speeding in our school zones and preventing tragedies before they occur," said Capt. Hector Irizarry, Commander of the Special Services Bureau, in a statement. "This technology allows us to address dangerous driving behavior where it matters most, near our schools, where children walk, bike, and ride every day."

The first violation will carry a $50 fine, and subsequent violations will carry a $75 fine. Both will also carry a $15 processing fee, officials said.

Automated enforcement zones will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but during the start and end of each school day, the cameras will enforce a reduced speed limit of 20 MPH. See the table below.

Outside these designated school hours, and when school is not in session, a speed limit of 25 MPH will be enforced, except on Mill Plain Road, where the normal speed limit is 30 MPH, according to Wellington.

— Table from Fairfield Police Department

More information about why each school zone was selected:

• Dwight Elementary (Redding Road): Selected due to two past fatal pedestrian crashes, one involving an impaired driver and another likely caused by distraction.
• Notre Dame High School (Jefferson Street): The site of a major crash involving a speeding driver that resulted in multiple injuries.
• Burr Elementary (Burr Street): Chosen due to frequent complaints about speeding and anticipated traffic shifts from nearby enforcement zones.
• Riverfield Elementary: Identified for infrastructure concerns, including long stretches of roadway with limited traffic controls, which often result in excessive speeding.
• Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde high schools: Included due to the high volume of younger, less-experienced drivers.

The Fairfield Police Department and Town officials have conducted site assessments, and permit applications have been submitted to the Office of State Traffic Administration, which is conducting a 60-day review. The speed enforcement camera installations will be pending approval from OSTA, once engineering and traffic studies are completed and submitted by the device vendor, Altumint.

All enforcement zones will be clearly marked with signage to notify drivers of camera monitoring in the area, in accordance with state law, officials said. To ease the transition into this new safety initiative, the Town will begin with a 30-day warning period, during which violators will receive mailed warnings rather than fines.

Once enforcement begins, violations will result in a mailed citation to the registered vehicle owner. These infractions are considered civil penalties and will not result in points on a driver’s license or be reported to insurance providers, according to authorities.

"This initiative supports the Town’s broader Vision Zero strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, and to make Fairfield’s streets safer for everyone," officials said.