FAIRFIELD –The Fairfield Police Department has partnered with Altumint to install speed enforcement cameras in designated school zones throughout town.
This initiative, which will take effect as soon as state approval is given, will use camera-based enforcement technology to deter speeding in areas where children and pedestrians are most at risk. Following the Representative Town Meeting’s approval of the program this summer, these cameras will be installed in six school zones to deter speeding.
The locations include:
- Dwight Elementary (Redding Road): Selected due to two past fatal pedestrian crashes, one involving an impaired driver and another likely caused by distraction.
- Notre Dame High School (Jefferson Street): The site of a major crash involving a speeding driver that resulted in multiple injuries.
- Burr Elementary (Burr Street): Chosen due to frequent complaints about speeding and anticipated traffic shifts from nearby enforcement zones.
- Riverfield Elementary: Identified for infrastructure concerns including long stretches of roadway with limited traffic controls, which often result in excessive speeding.
- Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde high schools: Included due to the high volume of younger, less-experienced drivers.
Automated enforcement zones will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During the start and end of the school day, cameras will enforce a reduced speed limit of 20 mph. Outside of these designated school hours, and when school is not in session, a speed limit of 25 mph will be enforced. The speed limit for Riverfield School on Mill Plain Road will revert to 30 mph outside of pickup and drop off times, which is its normal speed limit for that road.
| School | 20 mph morning | 20 mph afternoon |
| Riverside Elementary | 8:30am – 9:30am | 3:15pm – 4:15pm |
| Timothy Dwight Elementary | 8:30am – 9:30am | 3:15pm – 4:15pm |
| Burr Elementary | 8:30am – 9:30am | 3:15pm – 4:15pm |
| Fairfield Warde High | 7:15am – 8:15am | 2:00pm – 3:00pm |
| Fairfield Ludlowe High | 7:15am – 8:15am | 2:00pm – 3:00pm |
| Notre Dame High | 7:30am – 8:30am | 1:45pm – 2:45pm |
“The Fairfield Police Department is committed to reducing speeding in our school zones and preventing tragedies before they occur,” said Capt. Hector Irizarry, commander of the Special Services Bureau. “This technology allows us to address dangerous driving behavior where it matters most, near our schools, where children walk, bike, and ride every day.”
The Fairfield Police Department and Town officials have conducted site assessments and OSTA permit applications have been submitted and is now under a 60-day review. Additional school zones may be added in the future. The speed enforcement camera installations will be pending approval from the Office of State Traffic Administration (OSTA) once engineering and traffic studies are completed and submitted byAltumint.
All enforcement zones will be clearly marked with signage to notify drivers of camera monitoring in the area, in accordance with state law. To ease the transition into this new safety initiative, the Town will begin with a 30-day warning period during which violators will receive mailed warnings rather than fines.
Once enforcement begins, violations will result in a mailed citation to the registered vehicle owner. These infractions are considered civil penalties and will not result in points on a driver’s license or be reported to insurance providers. The first violation is $50 and $75 for each additional violation, both carry a $15 processing fee.
The way the program will work is that any driver caught speeding 11 miles over the 25-mph school zone speed limit will be fined $50 plus the $15 service fee. Since the cameras will be on 24/7, 365 days per year, the speed limit will be 25 mph during school hours and 20 mph during non-school hours and holidays.
