Residents urge stronger traffic enforcement after crashes; council cites traffic-calming projects and camera plans

Resident Keith Kimball used public comment time at the Dec. 2 meeting to press the council and mayor to prioritize traffic enforcement, saying reckless driving has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic and warning that people are being hurt and killed.

"If you drive the streets around here, you know. And if you don't, you can pick up the newspaper and read because people are dying now," Kimball said. "It's a mathematical fact. Reckless driving is as dangerous as violent crime."

Councilors and the mayor responded with a summary of steps the city is taking or considering. Mayor Pasaro said the city uses engineering, enforcement and education measures, listing recent and planned projects including raised crosswalks and raised plateaus (Golden and Eugene O'Neill), a new rotary at Chester and Jefferson Avenue intended to reduce crashes, medians and on-street parking to calm traffic, and islands on Hempstead Street. He also said staff are evaluating camera-based options and other technology and are meeting with vendors.

"We are very, very engaged in making our roads safer," the mayor said, noting the city uses crash data to prioritize locations and has begun deploying several traffic-calming interventions.

Councilor Jeff Hart revived an earlier suggestion to use parking enforcement staff in a different arrangement to perform targeted traffic enforcement at peak times. President Pro Tem Akhil Peck said the council had previously convened meetings with the police chief and school representatives to address specific neighborhood issues such as the Jennings area.

No formal action or vote was taken during the public-comment period. Several councilors asked residents who raised concerns to follow up with written details so staff can document problem locations and pursue targeted countermeasures.