Submitted by Susan Mulvey Rattray
I oppose further implementation of the speed camera project which was not only illegally adopted without state sanctions but also applied to vehicles and drivers without sufficient notice or explanation.
I am a supporter of speed limits and traffic safety, but the Blue Line’s program does not monitor Greenwich traffic in a manner that involves making drivers themselves responsible for their actions. Insufficient notification and inadequate, confusing speed limit postings contributed to residents’ outrage as expressed at the “explanation” meeting finally scheduled at Town Hall in May.
I suggest posted speed limit signs that say Speed Limit “xx” miles per hour.
Underneath which there is a lighted number indicating the speed the vehicle is registering. (There is one of these on River Road next to the Mianus River as well as several other places in rural areas of Greenwich.)
The current Blue Line speed cameras are placed in school areas where there is little pedestrian traffic except on the Post Rd at the intersection with Hillside Road near Greenwich High School.
The arrangement with Blue Line seems to be a profit maker for Blue Line’s management and an easy excuse for lack of genuine local speed limit enforcement.
The privacy concerns are worth consideration as well. The information gathered is not processed locally, but sent to Tennessee where it, as well as the money collected, stays. This does not benefit the town but unnecessarily exposes residents’ personal information to an outfit that asserts its FBI vetting, which may or may not be any guarantee.
The speed cameras that have been installed are CHECKED FOR ACCURACY ONCE A YEAR. How often in a year do we have electrical outages in parts of Greenwich? Do residents need to be burdened with inaccurately issued speeding tickets?
In shortened form, I do NOT support the Blue Line Speed Limit monitoring system.
Greenwich can do a better job of speed limit monitoring than outsourcing to Blue Line.