Committee Launches Survey for All Road Users to Complete, Mulls Options Including Speed Cameras, Speed Humps

OLD LYME–The Old Lyme Road and Public Safety Committee would like road users’ thoughts on whether there are safety issues on local roads, and what may be done to make travel safer in Old Lyme.

In response to local complaints, and a statewide concern over vehicle speeding and serious traffic accidents, the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen created a Road and Public Safety Committee in August 2024. 

The committee, in its efforts to explore the best ways to address traffic-related concerns across town, has created an online survey for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bikers who use Old Lyme roads.

Everyone 18 years and older is asked to take a short, anonymous survey. People may also write to the Committee with specific concerns or questions. 

Access the survey at this link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OldLymeRoadSafety or via the QR code at left. The deadline to complete the survey is July 31.

The committee is interested in whether road users believe there are safety issues on Old Lyme roads, and their thoughts on possible countermeasures.

After research and deliberation, the Committee may make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen for action items.

Since its inception, the committee has started to research driver behavior and consider various traffic safety measures that may be appropriate for Old Lyme.

Meeting minutes show the committee continues to look at options for using enforcement cameras to detect speeding cars and mail tickets to the registered owner.

Committee Co-Chairman Gregory Futoma in a Monday phone interview said the survey is a way to gauge people’s input on the scope of the unsafe driving problem in town, and where it’s most prevalent. They also want to know what kind of solutions might work in Old Lyme. 

“We’d like to basically come up with a solution that’s accepted by all,” he said. 

The committee was formed after the issue of speeding was brought to the forefront last spring by a Sill Lane homeowner, who said a 16-year-old driver wiped out eight historic shrubs and destroyed the front porch of her 18th century home. 

The committee since its inception has been looking at fixes ranging from updated signage, to speed humps, to speed cameras with ticketing technology.

Speed Cameras

State lawmakers in 2023 authorized cities and towns to install automated speed cameras and to issue tickets. 

Information on the state Department of Transportation (DOT) website specifies tickets are mailed to the owner of the vehicle. A ticket cannot exceed $50 for the first offense and $75 for each subsequent offense, with up to $15 for electronic processing. The installation of each new camera comes with a 30-day grace period during which only warnings are allowed. 

Car owners are liable for tickets even if they weren’t actually driving.

The civil fines do not appear on the car owners’ records, according to the state DOT. That means there are no points assessed against their licenses or sent to insurance companies.  

Washington became the first Connecticut town to be approved for speed enforcement cameras under the new law early this year, with Middletown joining the ranks as the first city earlier this month. 

Proponents of the cameras say they can cut down on speeding significantly. Critics describe the remote technology as a revenue generator that jeopardizes the civil liberties of those accused.  

In addition to seeking input from those who use Old Lyme roads through the survey, Futoma said one of the committee’s key priorities is to consult with towns that have implemented a speeding enforcement camera program. 

He said questions will include how the program was introduced, whether residents were resistant, and what kind of education could help ease the transition. 

“I think we’re at the beginning of what perhaps may be a more common enforcement technique in the future, but it’s still fairly new and people certainly have some questions about it,” he said. “It needs to be explained to people carefully about what the aim is, and how it might work.

The Board of Selectmen is the state-recognized traffic authority in town. Futoma emphasized that any move to institute speed cameras would require approval by Old Lyme voters through an update to the town’s ordinances and by the state, which must determine the measure is likely to improve safety in the specified locations. 

“So it’s a long road,” Futoma said. 

The committee at its June meeting said feedback from the police department indicates speed notification signs – the digital devices on various roads in town that announce drivers’ speed and tabulate data but do not send out tickets – are helping to reduce speeds. 

Speed Humps

The committee has also spoken with officials in North Stonington about multiple speed humps installed in that town over the past several years, Futoma said. 

Futoma described the traffic-calming devices as flatter and more elongated than the speed bumps already installed in some of Old Lyme’s beach areas. He said the humps are designed so that emergency vehicles aren’t slowed down or stressed by traveling over them. 

Town public works and public safety officials at the committee’s March meeting were “universally opposed” to speed humps because of concerns about response time and damage to plows and emergency vehicles, according to meeting minutes. But member Sophie Diamond said emergency services personnel in North Stonington, who were initially opposed to speed humps, did not have complaints after they were installed. 

Futoma said he welcomes input through the survey and in emails to the committee, which can be sent here. 

“We want to make sure that whatever we do, people view as reasonable, and they look forward to basically having the road safer,” he said.