Should red light cameras come to Bristol? The city continues to consider that option, but it’s being met with mixed reaction from people who live in the area.
Could Bristol see red light cameras installed in some places? The city is still looking into it going into the new year. During an ordinance committee meeting Tuesday, there was mixed feedback from neighbors about having the cameras. Debbie Streeter who lives along Pine Street, a stretch of Route 72, says she supports it to slow down drivers.
“Telephone poles have been hit many, many times. Sounds like my house is falling down,” she said.
Others raised concerns about how the data collected from the cameras would be handled.
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“The data is on the internet and subject to hacking and whatnot and personal and [personal information] is made widely available to the deep dark web,” Art Mocabee, of Bristol, said.
Mayor Jeff Caggiano says the number one complaint the city gets is about speeding drivers. He’s open to having the cameras and believes it could complement the work police are doing with stepped up traffic patrols.
“This could potentially be a force multiplier, so we’re not going to stop with the police enforcement,” he said.
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A draft ordinance recently introduced includes things like what the fines would be, where the cameras could be installed, and how someone could appeal their ticket, but this all needs to go through an approval process before the city could even start looking at getting the cameras. The mayor says he appreciates the public input.
“Bristol is a place now that I think is standing out that is somewhere where you can have open and honest debate,” he said.
But he warns police will be more vigilant this year after making more than 3,000 traffic stops last year, which is in line with pre-pandemic levels.
“If you’re driving through Bristol, those warnings are going to turn into tickets,” he said.
The ordinance committee decided to continue the discussion on a red-light camera ordinance to their next meeting on February 4.
