Four years after the a Yale medical student died while crossing a street, New Haven is pushing for cameras to help catch drivers who speed through red lights.
In April 2008, Mila Rainof, 27, was killed while crossing an intersection at South Frontage Road and York Street. She was hit by a car and killed. The driver sped away.
At the time, many familiar with the intersection spoke out about how dangerous it was for pedestrians.
“I was in medical school when Mila Rainof was killed and this is something we've talked about over and over again," said Christopher Bartley, a Yale Medical student. "To this day, one of the many things we talk about with our classmates is how dangerous it is to cross these streets early in the morning and during rush hour, late in the evening."
That is why New Haven mayor John DeStefano is pushing for legislation that would approve red light cameras for some cities and towns in Connecticut. The cameras would capture license plates of cars that run red lights, then the information would be passed onto police to issue a ticket.
“This is a strategy that's worked in other communities, it reduces accidents, it reduces fatalities, and I think that's a pretty good savings,” DeStefano said.
.
This legislation has been brought up before, but failed in prior sessions. Some say having the cameras would be like Big Brother watching. Others wonder how the citations can actually be enforced.
“Last year, some people became concerned that it was going to be, the primary purpose of the bill was a revenue generator for the companies that made the cameras and the municipalities that would institute the provision, but I think we have to concentrate on how this legislation got started,” said State Senator Martin Looney.
