Fairfield To Start Issuing Fines For Speed Camera Program Next Week

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield's new speed camera enforcement program will begin issuing fines on Monday as scheduled to motorists who speed through six school zones, despite state Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, calling for a pause in the effort for further review.

On Thursday, Hwang called for Fairfield officials to pause and reevaluate the program, citing the number of projected violations and concerns about public understanding of the initiative.

Fairfield’s program includes multiple speed cameras at a half-dozen school zones. According to town estimates, once fines are implemented, the program could generate about $3.2 million in revenue in the first month. During May, only warnings were issued, not fines.

"We are looking at 190,000 projected violations in a single month in Fairfield alone," Hwang said. "Those numbers are staggering and alarming. However, they are not surprising. What they reveal is that speeding and breaking speed limit laws has become normalized in our communities and throughout our state."

Connecticut’s automated traffic enforcement law, Public Act 23-116, was approved in 2023 and allows municipalities to install speed and red-light cameras under state oversight. The law was enacted as part of the state’s Vision Zero traffic safety initiative.

Hwang said he supports the use of traffic cameras as a safety measure but believes Fairfield should increase public education and awareness efforts before moving forward.

"Let me be clear: I support speed and red-light cameras because they are an important tool for police to improve roadway safety," Hwang said. "We also need to recognize the frustration and concern from residents who feel blindsided by the implementation. If people do not fully understand the program, we risk undermining the broader public safety mission."

Fairfield First Selectperson Christine Vitale, as reported by CT Insider, said late this week that there are no plans to pause the beginning of issuing fines on Monday, but the program will continue to be reviewed.

Patch reached out to Vitale's spokesperson, Communications Director Lisa Clair, for comment, but did not immediately receive a reply.

Greenwich, which installed speed cameras in school zones last fall, halted the program after a few months due to complaints from residents.

Hwang said the state law was intended to improve safety in areas such as school zones and encourage long-term changes in driver behavior.

"This is not about punishment," Hwang said. "This is about changing a culture of speeding that has become commonplace. One life lost on our roadways is one too many."

Hwang also called on town officials to remove projected traffic camera revenue from Fairfield’s general fund budget and instead dedicate those funds to roadway safety efforts.

Vitale reportedly agrees, telling CT Insider that the revenue generated by the program will be moved from the police department budget to a road safety improvement account.

"We wrote the 2023 law in a way that was explicit that funds generated through these programs must be dedicated to roadway safety purposes only," Hwang said. "The projected revenue should be placed into a dedicated roadway safety account for education, signage, awareness, and traffic safety improvements and not viewed as general operating revenue."