Description
Everywhere in New Haven, drivers treat red lights only as suggestions and speed straight through them, especially if the light has just changed. I see this happen every day, but I've never seen anyone get pulled over for it. It's especially bad at Canner and Whitney. The NHPD and YPD need to crack down before someone gets killed.
45 Comments
Nate (Guest)
Michael (Guest)
Pedro (Guest)
and 2 drivers blow through 100% red lights, one at State and Olive, driving through the left turn signal while red, and the other at Grand avenue where Ferraros where a woman in a Hummer speed up to make the yellow and kept on accelerating blowing right through the red, talking on her cell phone the whole time.
Anonymous (Guest)
tony (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
Deborah G (Guest)
While I came to a stop, the car BEHIND me drove around me and ran the red light.
Particularly in these trying economic times, a red-light camera should be a sensible correction. As in Europe, arrange cameras to take a photo of the red light and the license plate of the car running the red light. Send photographic evidence to owner of vehicle along with ticket. I suspect New Haven would suddenly have considerably more income.
D (Guest)
Resident (Guest)
David Streever (Registered User)
Deborah G (Guest)
Debbie G
Narinder Whitehead (Guest)
I wish i had never bought a hse in New Haven. High property taxes and a load of hassels.
Litsy (Guest)
Justin Elicker (Guest)
I'm hosting a meeting tonight (Tuesday, June 9) to discuss traffic and crime issues in Northern East Rock. The meeting will be at Wilbur Cross High School at 7pm. Please come and help us design an overall plan for addressing these issues in East Rock. And email me at justinelicker@gmail.com if you can't make it but want to be involved.
Justin Elicker
www.elicker2009.com
Chicwa (Guest)
joey (Guest)
Overtime rules the roost,watching them like chorus girls over a street dig really cut the cake. Maybe Yale's homeboy johnny on the spot The Honorable Police Commisioner Epstein can help ??
pita (Guest)
SLA (Guest)
SLA (Guest)
Justin Elicker (Guest)
I agree 100% that the first people who should obey the law are police officers. SLA, you're not the first to complain about officers disobeying traffic signals. Ensuring the police follow the rules is one step among many that can improve our dangerous streets.
I met with a group of neighbors about two weeks ago to discuss traffic safety issues and we began to compile a list of problem areas (including Canner) and action steps. Email me at justinelicker@gmail.com if you'd like to be involved.
Although a small step, we requested that Traffic and Parking place a speed trailer temporarily - first on Willow St. and then Mitchell Dr. Clearly there is a lot more that needs to be done and I plan on working hard on these issues because they are important to me personally AND deeply important to residents in East Rock.
Justin Elicker
www.elicker2009.com
Derek (Guest)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
People have posted videos demonstrating how frequent this is on other "clickets" about rampant red light running in New Haven.
It's time for our government to step up and propose a solution.
Godkänd CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
Trouble (Guest)
Dudley (Guest)
from the bike cam... this officer was behind me and the other cyclist at the light then revved around at close range - straddles the lanes along the next block before getting stuck at the next red (like almost every single car that zooms around me on my way to work - why are you racing to the next red light?).
The final F**k you is at 1:12 a charming little un-signaled turn. Could've been a right hook if anyone had been next to the car. Does anyone really think these officers who drive like this are not setting an example, an example that is enthusiastically followed by all the rest of the folks zooming around New Haven? Look, all I'm asking for is that when you're driving the squad car around and not answering a call, that you be un-cool and follow the street laws to the letter. You are setting the example it should be part of your job.
PITA (Guest)
Justin Elicker (Guest)
Right now the city is unable to install red light cameras to enforce traffic laws because state law will not allow it. In the next month or two the State Legislature will be discussing the issue. I encourage folks to help advocate for passage of this legislation.
There will be a free shuttle on Monday, Feb. 22nd. to a Bicycle and Pedestrian Legislative Reception in Hartford. Please attend.
The bus will be leaving Phelps Gate (across from the New Haven Green) at 1:30pm and returning to the same location at 5:30pm. Everyone is invited.
Please see this Facebook page for more information: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=500178790603&ref=ts. Or just show at 1:30!
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
rani whitehead (Guest)
Dear Mr. Alderman,
Why do we have more cameras in the Westville section of New Haven?
We need a camera at the corner of Laurel, edgewood and Vista terrace. The Hopkins school traffic has made living in this section an absolute "nightmare"
resident (Guest)
Thank you for posting this, Justin.
I hope people will speak up and insist that the state allows their communities to enforce the law.
concerned (Guest)
K (Guest)
New Haven is for pedestrians (Guest)
sue (Guest)
concerned (Guest)
Some smallishpoints -
It's not just in New Haven - it's everywhere. Decent behavior cannot be legislated; we need to enforce these laws using our own police forces, not cameras.
The argument that criminals don't want red lights "subtly" implies that those who don't want them as well could be criminals. That argument makes it tough for the law abiding citizen, but the one who is concerned about civil liberties, to speak up about red light cams and other invasive techniques like that. "I've got nothing to hide" isn't a reasonable argument for this kind of surveillance.
Opening that red light cam option isn't opening a door, it's more like knocking down a dam - the flood that follows will do far more damage than was EVER anticipated.
SUE (Guest)
concerned (Guest)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
Edgar (Guest)
Justin Elicker (Guest)
A coalition of us have advocated for red light camera enabling legislation from the state for years. Unfortunately because the state legislature will not give us authority to install the cameras we need to take a different approach.
I believe targeted traffic enforcement will both improve this situation and begin to address some other crime issues in New Haven. In recent years there has been a general sense that it is okay to break laws in New Haven. Whether it is running red lights, racing dirt bikes on our streets, dumping illegally in our parks. The 'broken windows' philosophy used by Giuliani in New York made a statement that New York was a place of laws and set the tone for all residents. We need to be doing the same in New Haven.
I will ask the police to do some enforcement in the coming months at this intersection.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
I agree with Justin, but it's difficult to claim progress on the ticketing front without having information on exactly what traffic enforcement is being done each year. In other words, "without knowledge action is useless, and knowledge without action is futile." -Abu Bakr
This letter by representatives of all 12 of the Community Management Teams, and many Alderpersons, was sent more than a year ago. It just reiterates the requests that were made in the 2008 Safe Streets Petition (which was signed by virtually all elected representatives in the City, plus over 2,000 residents). Request #1 has to do with tracking enforcement activity. A group of citizens also met with the Chief last March and has been issuing requests to the city on this issue for a long time - we'd had no luck until recently, when the NHPD told me that they are finally looking into the reporting.
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101479047374-39/Safe+Streets+Letter+to+Mayor+DeStefano+082411r.pdf
If you want these goals accomplished, please contact your Alderperson and encourage them to also follow up with the requests.
Beyond tracking enforcement, I would like to see physical changes to the intersection in the long term that would reduce red-light running, improve safety for vulnerable users who cross here, and make the consequences of crashes much less severe (when they do happen) by reducing speed.
Justin Elicker (Guest)
Good points Mark. I spoke with the Chief and they should have some enforcement at this location in the near future. We'll keep at it.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
JK2244 (Registered User)
None (Registered User)
Citizen of New Haven (Registered User)