Council Update: Warwick Traffic Cams, Heat Wave

Editor’s note: The Council Update is a twice-monthly update on Council meetings and developments from Warwick City Council President Steve McAllister. The column is written after each council meeting, twice a month. This review of Warwick City Council events has been lightly edited to update time references, for grammar, and to include referential links for further reading.   

WARWICK, RI — Monday night the City Council voted for a traffic safety camera program.  The number one issue every council person has heard from constituents is about speeding in the neighborhoods.  The police department went out to bid earlier this year and Monday night recommended the company Altumint who will place speed cameras in school zones and red light cameras at a number of traffic lights across the city.

The number of cameras and locations will depend on a variety of factors similar to a traffic study.  The police department will work with Altumint (the company awarded the five year contract) on where to place these cameras.  The breakdown of the fee and revenue structures can be found posted to the city’s website in this pdf.

The Mayor’s office, Police Department and City Council did a lot of research and work on this bid.  In the end, the council voted Monday night 9-0 to place these cameras across the City.  We understand that residents will get upset when they receive a ticket, however, this is designed to help citizens become safer drivers.  There will be signage as you approach a school zone camera or a red light camera.  This way everyone will know where they are located.  The police department will also do outreach to the community informing everyone where these cameras are.  The school zone cameras will only be giving out tickets during school hours and on school days.  These cameras will only be on 180 days a year, no weekends or holidays.  The red light cameras will be on 24/7.

WPD Chief Col. Brad Connor told the Council Monday night that this technology will help keep our roads safer.  He said unfortunately, drivers are on their phones constantly while driving, running red lights or speeding in our neighborhoods.  He gave an example of how his wife received a ticket from a Pawtucket camera for driving too fast in a school zone.  Now, every time she drives in that area she makes sure to slow down and drive the speed limit.  That ticket has helped change her behavior and made her a safer driver.

I will keep you updated as this process moves forward.  It will still be a number of months before these cameras go up, and there will also be a grace period before tickets start going out.

Have a great week! Go Celtics!