Like almost everywhere else in the country, speeding through school zones is an issue in #MiddletownRI. However, the Police Department believes it has a solution -- cameras to ticket those going 10 mph or more over the posted limits.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
PROPOSED CAMERAS AIM TO CUT DOWN SCHOOL ZONE SPEEDING
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (FEBRUARY 20, 2024) – The Town of Middletown is looking to crack down on school zone speeders.
At a meeting Tuesday night in Town Hall, the Town Council considered a proposal from the Police Department to install new cameras in front of the four local schools along with St. George’s School on Purgatory Road.
Police Chief Anthony M. Pesare and Lt. David Bissonnette said the goal was to avoid tragedies and reduce the number of speeders, especially given the sobering statistics during a recent traffic count.
Town officials said they would continue to work on a proposed agreement with consultants Blue Line Solutions of Chattanooga, Tennessee and bring the item back to the council at a future meeting for review and approval.
“Over the last year, the Middletown Police Department has conducted speed studies that have shown a shockingly high number of speeding violations in our school zones,” Bissonnette said. “Any vehicle traveling 10 miles per hour over the limit or more of the posted speed we be considered a violation. Even with that 10 mph buffer, the number of speeding violations was staggering.”
Blue Line Solutions said there were 29,134 vehicles recorded passing Middletown High, Gaudet Middle, Forest Avenue, Aquidneck and St. George’s schools in the morning hours during a five-day review in November 2023. Of those, 13,644 were speeding — or 47 percent, almost close to half.
Figures from Blue Line Solutions showed the traffic counts dipped to 101,558 during midday hours, with 7,172 speeders — or 7 percent.
However, in the afternoon, the number of speeders skyrocketed through those same school zones. Blue Line Solutions totals showed that of 30,978 vehicles at that time of day, 17,402 were speeding — or 56 percent.
Blue Line Solutions data indicated that Valley Road in front of Middletown High was consistently the worst, with at least four out of every five cars going at least 10 mph over the 35 mph posted speed limit.
Based on those totals alone, town officials said no matter how much enforcement is encouraged by Middletown Police, it would be impossible for local officers to keep up. There were simply too many vehicles going too fast to make even a modest dent in the problem.
Enter TrueBlue Assure, the name of the camera system program offered through Blue Line Solutions to crack down on speeders.
Jason Friedberg, vice president of sales & marketing for Blue Line Solutions, said the numbers in Middletown weren’t particularly alarming or insurmountable given what’s happening across the country.
He said the aim of Blue Line Solutions was to make a lasting change to the driving habits of locals and visitors alike to try to keep everyone safe.
This was especially true, Friedberg said, when considering the speeds that vehicles were traveling through school zones. Friedberg said if a student was struck unfortunately by a vehicle going 25 mph, they had a nine in 10 chance to survive. At 45 mph, the same student had a one in 10 chance.
If approved by the town, Friedberg said the program would run weekdays during the 180-day school year. The Blue Line Solutions equipment only shoots from the rear of a vehicle and doesn’t capture images of the driver.
Because it’s considered a civil violation, Friedberg said the ticket wouldn’t go on a driver’s record. He also said a motorist couldn’t use the “good driver” exemption to get out of the ticket either.
As part of its arrangement with the Town of Middletown, Blue Line Solutions said there would be no upfront costs to the Police Department from the program. That’s also true for maintenance costs, back office expenses and out-of-pocket payments either. Bissonnette said under the proposed agreement, Blue Line Solutions would receive $16 of every $50 ticket.
Blue Line Solutions said the data shows their program has proven successful, from a public safety and financial standpoint. Figures included in the presentation to the council showed a dramatic drop in speeding through school zones and other benefits.
Before the program went into effect, Blue Line Solutions indicated there would be extensive publicity about the new cameras. There would also be a grace period where speeders would receive warnings instead of actual tickets.
Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said the partnership with Blue Line Solutions was the first step in a multiphase effort to get a better handle on speeding.
He said the town was in discussions to place cameras on state roads at major intersections to catch red light runners and reduce problem driving.
“We cant be everywhere,” Pesare said, referring to the police presence across the community, noting the school zone cameras have worked in other areas to reduce speeding.
Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/11558/NYCU-School-Cameras