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Norwalk wins $69,942 DOT grant for summer speed and aggressive-driving enforcement
Summary
The committee authorized acceptance of a Connecticut Department of Transportation 2025 speed and aggressive-driving grant of $69,942 and empowered Chief James Walsh to execute required documents; grant funds will support targeted patrols during July 1–Sept. 5.
Norwalk’s Public Safety and General Government Committee on June 26 authorized acceptance of a Connecticut Department of Transportation 2025 Speed and Aggressive Driving grant in the amount of $69,942 and authorized Chief of Police James Walsh to execute the documents necessary to implement the award.
Chief James Walsh (presenting) said the DOT award is based on crash and aggressive-driving data reported to the state repository and is intended to add targeted patrols on high-crash thoroughfares. “We had 1,221 in 2021 and ... 968 in 2023,” Walsh said, describing historical crash counts contained in the crash-data repository cited by the grant.
Walsh said the grant funds will support additional enforcement on main thoroughfares and connecting roads identified as problem areas; he listed Westport Avenue, Maine Avenue and Connecticut Avenue as primary thoroughfares and cited connector roads such as Strawberry Hill and West Rocks Road as additional targets. The grant parameters require increased patrols during peak periods and specify enforcement days (Friday through Monday) and times tied to observed crash patterns. Walsh told the committee the grant covers July 1 through Sept. 5 and described the available enforcement window as roughly 60 days to deploy the $69,942 award.
When asked how many patrols the grant typically funds, Walsh said the parameters limit activity to two eight-hour shifts at a time and estimated staffing equates to roughly two officers per day for four days each week under the grant parameters.
Council members discussed coordinating automated traffic cameras and patrol enforcement to increase deterrence; one member suggested collaborating with the transportation management group (TMP) on a combined strategy. Walsh said the traffic unit conducts regular enforcement and offered to provide statistics to elected officials after the deployment.
The committee voted unanimously to accept the DOT grant and authorized Chief Walsh to execute necessary documents and agreements to implement it.
