Vermont officials say planned work‑zone camera ticketing system not deliverable under current rules

Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn told the House Transportation Committee that the state cannot deliver the automated speed‑enforcement camera system for highway work zones “as envisioned at this point.” Flynn said technical and procedural barriers — chiefly the requirement that a sworn law‑enforcement officer must issue the traffic ticket — make the planned pilot impracticable under current processes.

The problem, Flynn told the committee, is not a lack of commitment to worker safety but a mismatch between new camera technology and existing ticketing procedures. “We were coming in today to report to you that in the practical world, our ability to deliver the automated speed enforcement system as envisioned at this point is undoable as we see it,” Flynn said. He added that the judiciary’s position — that the traffic ticket must be issued by a sworn officer — and federal checks such as the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act together create a time‑consuming process for each citation.

Why it matters: the camera program was proposed as a highway work‑zone safety initiative and lawmakers have signaled interest in a short pilot at rotating sites. Flynn and Department of Public Safety staff told the committee that even a modest volume of camera‑generated violations could require many hours of sworn‑officer time to adjudicate because officers would need to verify records (including federal military status checks) before issuing a ticket.

Key facts and committee discussion

- Pilot design: Flynn described an…