West Hartford PD To Catch Speeders Via Cameras

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford's share of $1.7 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will keep local law enforcement's eyes on your vehicles next year.

That's because West Hartford is pegged to receive $669,007 to fund an 18-month "speed management program" in town that will include 15 speed enforcement cameras, West Hartford Town Manager Rick Ledwith reported to the West Hartford Town Council last month.

Those cameras will be installed at "key locations around town," Ledwith's report stated.

He said the Town of West Hartford would have to come up with 20 percent of that amount.

The funding would also pay for a police officer to review video footage to determine if a fine will be administered, Ledwith's report stated.

While there is no exact date when the cameras will go up and the fines issues, Ledwith said it would be sometime next year.

There is a lot of work to be done between now and when the fines start rolling in for speeders.

"It is difficult to predict when the program will start, but it should be in 2024. The next steps include getting guidance from the CT Department of Transportation, executing an agreement with U.S. DOT (which requires Town Council action), creating new ordinances that allow us to use the cameras and issue fines, creating a fines structure and an appeal process," reads Ledwith's report.

"Concurrently, we need to select a vendor, install the cameras, and commence the program."

A year ago, West Hartford endured a brutal stretch of fatal traffic accidents/pedestrian incidents in the lead-up to the 2022 holidays.

That horror included a triple-fatal collision on Christmas Day 2022 that seemed to push the town into an undeclared war on traffic scofflaws.

The West Hartford Town Council formed the Vision Zero Task Force, which is analyzing data and drafting a report on improving pedestrian/vehicular safety in town.

In fact, the task force is hosting a public forum Wednesday, Nov. 6, on the topic at the Noah Webster Library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

As for the grant funding, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was in town last week to formally announce the funding on the steps of West Hartford Town Hall.

He was one of several members of Connecticut Senate and Congressional delegation that issued a joint statement last month about the $1.7 million in instrustrure funds aiding Connecticut traffic safety projects.

“More people are dying on Connecticut’s roadways than ever before, and this $1.7 million in federal funding will help towns plan and make serious safety improvements to prevent these senseless tragedies from occurring,” said Blumenthal in a statement.

“These critical projects target traffic and roadway issues at the local level so that Connecticut motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists can feel safer on the roads.”

From Dec. 3: 'WeHa's Roadway Safety Plan Topic Of Dec. 6 Forum'