Police Chief Michael Lombardo said Trumbull residents have complained about speeding getting out of hand in town, which spurred the department to find new ways to get it under control.
"We do receive, on a regular basis, complaints about speeding vehicles and vehicles being driven recklessly," he said. "So, we're trying to adapt and trying to adopt measures that will help us slow the traffic and have people comply with the law."
Lombardo said speed tables are a little flatter, lower to the ground and a bit more spread out than speed humps. And although they can be helpful for the town, there are other factors to consider, such as drainage, plowing, upkeep and maintenance, before moving forward.
"It's not something we want to run into without making sure we've looked at every possibility, the pros and cons of it, and decide because it's a lot of work to get it done in the first place," he said. "There's a cost involved in it. There's an approval from the state."
Lombardo said there are a number of steps that must be taken before the program can be implemented.
"We have to create a plan, we have to create an ordinance, we have to hold public hearing on it and get the state to approve it," he said. "Then when it's initially approved, every three years we have to go back to the state DOT with the plan to be re-approved. So there's a variety of things that we have to look at and make sure that it's going to work for our community."
The town of Washington implemented the first state-approved speed camera program in December 2024. Since then, Marlborough, Middletown, Greenwich, Stratford and Wethersfield followed suit, according to the state Department of Transportation. Hamden, New Haven, Beacon Falls, Fairfield, Milford and Stamford submitted municipal plans that are now under review.
"I've learned some from other police chiefs about how they've worked in their towns, and we're just trying to take some of the good points they may have from them before we make a final decision moving forward," Lombardo said.
The town received two speed feedback signs earlier this month from the Connecticut Transportation Institute, according to a Trumbull police Facebook post. Officials said the signs have not yet been placed, but when they are, they will be rotated to different locations throughout town.
"There's over 200 road miles in Trumbull and we just cannot be everywhere all the time," Lombardo said. "It's just not a possibility. So we try to come up with other unique techniques, and at times devices, to help manage the traffic."
Police Commission Chair Raymond Baldwin said Trumbull needs the speed camera program.
"It's a really good way to get people to slow down before somebody gets hit or even an accident, or some kid gets hit," he said.
Baldwin, who works in Shelton as an administrative aide to Mayor Mark Lauretti, said he's already seen the impact speed cameras can have after Shelton launched its own BusPatrol program in late August to stop drivers from passing school buses. Through the program, buses are equipped with AI-powered, stop-arm enforcement technology.
"We launched it for a 30-day period of sending out warnings only. On Sept. 29, we're going to be issuing tickets for anybody who passes a standing school bus with the stop arm out," Baldwin said. "It doesn't cost us a dime. They are installed by a company called BusPatrol, where $250 fines are issued to an offender, and $100 of that $250 goes to the city for public safety. The remainder goes to the company, the cost of operations and the installation of the cameras."
There were 141 drivers caught passing school buses in Shelton within the first week of the cameras being installed, before the fines were implemented.
Lombardo said it's too soon to know if the town will approve speed cameras in town, but his priority is to keep everyone safe.
"We want to try to make the roadways safer for everybody, including other car drivers and occupants, people on bicycles and people who are using the roads as pedestrians as well," he said. "They have a right to be there as well and we want to make sure it's safe."
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