Council orders Ruggles speed camera removed, mandates community meeting

The Newport City Council voted to remove the speed camera on Ruggles Avenue and directed the city administration to convene a community meeting for southern Newport residents to discuss public-safety concerns, speed cameras and enforcement strategies.

The measure, introduced by Councilor David Carlin, won approval after debate over where the camera had been sited and whether the council should have been consulted before its placement. The council also instructed the administration to seek council approval for any future installation of speed cameras, red‑light cameras or license‑plate tracking technology.

Councilor David Carlin, Third Ward councilor, said the community was divided about the Ruggles installation and urged a local meeting so residents could air concerns. "There is a division in opinions held by Third Ward residents," Carlin said, noting many neighbors oppose the Ruggles location.

Chief Ryan Duffy, Newport Police Department, told the council the department’s data collection and trailer studies showed speeding and traffic complaints in the area. "Do we have a problem with speeding and traffic violations? Yes. Yes, we do," he said, explaining that the department had increased enforcement and used portable speed trailers as part of a multi‑pronged approach.

City Manager Michael Kennedy explained how the Ruggles location was selected after earlier council direction and police traffic analysis; he said the camera is currently collecting data only and is not issuing citations. The manager also told the council removing and reinstalling the device would cost about $90,000; moving it and reinstalling could be as much as that figure, while simple removal could be less.

Council members debated whether the police had acted within their authority and whether city ordinances governing traffic devices needed updating. Solicitor comments cited existing traffic engineer duties (ordinance cited in discussion) and the panel discussed a state requirement that automated speed devices trigger a 30‑day warning phase before citations can begin and that camera placement must be within a quarter‑mile of a school property.

Resident Olivia Nagle, who lives near Ruggles, told the council she had stopped walking that street because of speeding and urged the chief to continue collecting data. "I stopped walking on Ruggles because it's so dangerous and because there's so much speeding," she said.

The final motion directs removal of the Ruggles camera, schedules a community meeting to be widely publicized, and requires the administration to obtain Newport City Council approval before installing any speed cameras, red‑light cameras or similar license‑plate tracking systems.

The council voted in favor (ayes), and the motion passed.

Looking ahead, councilors said the meeting and the data already collected will inform whether automated enforcement returns to the neighborhood and where any future devices should be sited.