Milford moving forward with red light and speed cameras to address road safety

A push to crack down on bad driving in Milford is getting the green light to move forward.

The Board of Aldermen approved a request from Milford’s police chief earlier in March to send a plan to the state about installing speed and red light cameras in the city.

“It’s like the Indy 500 over here and people don’t pay attention to the traffic lights. They go through everything,” Danielle Pekle, of Stratford, said.

Commuters said they’ve seen their fair share of risky driving in Milford.

“I’m here in Milford five days a week. Same stretch of road, same problems, same accidents, same issues,” Pekle said.

These are issues other commuters want to see addressed as well.

“They’re in a rush. They’re on their phone. I see people reading books. You’re behind a car, that’s a dangerous machine so I think people are taking that for granted,” Jerry Zajac, of Bridgeport, said.

The City of Milford has taken action with the Board of Aldermen approving earlier this month a request by the police chief to send a plan to the state about installing red light and speed cameras at certain intersections.

“The number one complaint that this police department gets, and many police departments, is speeding,” Milford Police Chief Keith Mello said during the board meeting.

In the Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices Plan Chief Mello made, (https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:772768c8-92f4-47a3-a5df-69652c4110db) there’s been a an upward trend in speed-related crashes and traffic deaths in town. Last year, the town saw four traffic deaths and more than 300 accidents involving injuries. Chief Mello says it’s a big reason why the cameras are being looked at.

“The people that are driving at unbelievably dangerous and reckless speeds, driving behavior has changed,” he said.

The plan would have speed cameras proposed at intersections mostly in school zones and red light cameras in stretches of Boston Post Road.

“We have an opportunity to use technology. We have an opportunity to have something really meaningful,” Chief Mello said.

Pekle and other commuters believe the cameras could help deter bad driving behavior.

“You would think someone would learn. Well, now they’ll just catch you on camera when they put one up and then you’re going to get your ticket and then that’s it,” she said.

The state Department of Transportation will look at the plan for approval and Milford will join several cities and towns, including Bristol and Washington, in moving to have these cameras.