Governor Rell pushes on with traffic experiment
By ConnPolitics.tv Staff on Mar 7, 2008 | In News, Gov. Jodi Rell, DOT | 12 feedbacks »
Old Lyme (WTNH) _ Governor Rell said her highway speed-camera experiment is not dead despite a big thumbs-down from a legislative committee.
Gov. Rell said lessons have been learned from other states and the 13 to 9 defeat for her plan is not the end of the road.
The first selectman in Old Lyme says 25% of the town’s emergency service calls are for incidents on I-95.
The memory of the terrible crash at exit 75 in East Lyme last November that killed three people I still fresh in memory.
The locals say that because of the casinos, traffic is rapidly becoming as bad as Fairfield County. There are Department of Transportation traffic cameras, but not the ones Gov. Rell wanted which would photograph the license plates of speeders so the Department of Motor Vehicles could send them tickets.
Despite defeat in committee Gov. Rell says she’s not giving up on speed cameras on I-95.
The co-chair of the committee that voted the idea down, is Sen. Andrea Stillman. That section of the highway goes right through her district.
“In my district it was about 65% of the people were not in support of cameras on the highway,” Sen. Stillman said.
Sen. Stillman says that people in her district overwhelmingly prefer troopers using radar or laser guns in highly visible locations, saying it is the only real way to slow people down.
“Much of the reasoning was the fact that they didn’t think I twould make that much of a difference in terms of speed,” Stillman said.
However, in an event at the Resident State Trooper Barracks in Old Lyme today Gov. Rell said the speed cameras coupled with signs notifying motorists of the possiblity of a ticket would work and she pledged to push on.
“I’m disappointed that it didn’t get there, but I still think there is hope. There’s always the amendment process,” Gov. Rell said.
“I know. Explain what your next step would be to try to revive it.”
“Well, I think, certainly, we want to continue to wkr with the legislators,” Gov. Rell said
That means convincing enough members and getting someone to amend the idea to another bill before the end of the session.
12 comments
I would also like her to explain how a violator is supposed to cross examine their accuser(constitutional right).How is one supposed to question a camera? Whatever happened to discretion and at what speeds would summons be issued? To further trample on the peoples rights I understand a summons would be issued to the registered owner. The last time I checked everyone is accountable for their OWN actions and not someone elses. This idea is tyranny at its finest and I just hope we have enough right minded people who will say no to these revenue making gimmicks which only target the honest and hardworking citizens.
Comment feed for this postLeave a comment
| « Bill to ban plastic bags wins committee approval | Clinton, in Mississippi, again raises possibility of ticket with Obama » |
