Greenwich High School Now Included in Speed Camera Program

The Town of Greenwich in conjunction with Greenwich Police are expanding the photo speed enforcement program to include Greenwich High School.

Police said speed studies conducted in 2024 at Greenwich High School identified a significant problem with speeding in this area, recording 6,342 violations in a 5-day period.

The idea of implementing a speed camera program started with discussions that included neighborhood input on the new Central Middle School project. Residents shared harrowing stories of speeding cars, especially on Orchard in Cos Cob. Around that time a new state law was passed authorizing Connecticut towns and cities to use of Municipal Automatic Traffic Enforcement and Safety Devices “ATESDs,” in school zones, pedestrians safety zones and other designated areas.

Greenwich contracted with Blue Line Solutions for the speed camera program.

Surveys were conducted at area schools and a select number of schools were initially chosen for a pilot program.

Initially the program was implemented in five school zones. Subsequently four more were added.

Since the program was implemented, police have recorded hundreds of violations.

The program is in effect Monday to Friday during school hours – 7:00am to 4:00pm.

The regular speed limit is enforced during the school day. However, during drop-off and dismissal, there is a reduced school zone speed limit that is different for each school zone. There are flashing beacons in the approach to each school zone indicating the reduced speed is in effect.

In each school speed camera zone, once the cameras are installed there is a 30 day warning phase for drivers exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more, followed by the “citation phase,” with a $50 fine mailed out for the first violation and a $75 fine for subsequent violations.

The violations are sent out directly from the vendor to the address of the registered vehicle owner.

This week Greenwich Police announced that in the GHS school zone, there were 63,462 drivers a week, with 6,342 speeding vehicles (9.99% of all vehicles). Of those speeding, 4,317 vehicles were speeding between 11-14 MPH over the enforceable speed limit (68.1% of speeders). Another 1,754 vehicles were speeding between 15-20 MPH over the enforceable speed limit (27.7% of speeders). An additional 271 speeding vehicles were exceeding 21 MPH or more over the enforceable speed limit across these school zones (4.3% of speeders).

In the Greenwich High School school zone the Warning Period began Monday, December 8. Warnings sent by mail to the address of the registered vehicle owner that carry no fine – they serve as a reminder that Greenwich Police Department is serious about keeping children safe.

This warning period will remain in effect for 30 days from the start date.

The Citations Period will start on January 8.

Police said, “These citations will not carry points on your license or an impact on your insurance, but they are to be taken seriously as each infraction is exponentially endangering the lives of students in and near the school zone.”

Part of the proceeds from the fines will go to the vendor contracted to install and maintain the cameras. The remainder will go into a special account police refer to as the three E’s: education, engineering and enforcement.