Winsted Board of Selectmen: The Need to Reduce Speed

11/17/25, 7:00 PM
Present: Kevin Bishop, Troy Lamere, Town Manager Paul Harrington, Mayor Todd Arcelaschi, Town Clerk Glenn Albanesius, William Hester, Cheryl Heffernan McGlynn, and William Pozzo

The Winchester Board of Selectmen is considering adding speed cameras along three busy roadways in town where local residents have noted a chronic pattern of drivers going well over the posted limits.
A study earlier this year underscored those comments, finding that 75.9% of drivers were going more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on Route 44, with one driver hitting 148 mph. The selectmen discussed the study, along with a proposal for installing cameras at three locations.

Harrington said that if the proposal is approved, the town would install two-way cameras at three locations: Route 44 Main Street in the area of Railway Cafe and Mario’s Tuscany Grill; Route 44 heading toward Norfolk in the area of the dry dam; and North Main Street in the area between Wallens Street and Route 20 near the sewer plant.

The move follows the enactment of a state law allowing municipalities to use automated traffic enforcement safety devices to monitor traffic, pending the adoption of local ordinances and approval by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT). In keeping with the law, the Winchester Board would need to formally consider the proposal, a draft ordinance, in three meetings and one public hearing, then send it on to DOT, Harrington said.

The fine would be $50 for a first violation and $75 for a subsequent violation. Municipalities are also allowed to charge a $15 processing fee, Harrington said.

“There were some Facebook comments that this is a tax to balance the budget,” Arcelaschi said. “I hope we make zero dollars on it. However, we have 55,000 cars a week on Main Street,” and the average speed far exceeds the limit, he said.

Selectman Cheryl Heffernan McGlynn noted that the town would pay nothing for the cameras. Harrington agreed, saying that tech firm Sitestream would install the cameras and receive some of the revenues generated by the fines.

“But we don’t owe them anything,” he said. “All the money goes into an escrow account. We take our percentage; they take their percentage.”

Other discussions during the meeting included a plan to streamline the weeks-long vetting process for those interested in joining town committees.

“Six to eight weeks is too long for someone to wait when we have … 15-plus openings,” Arcelaschi said. “When people volunteer, that’s the best time to seat them, not two months later when they may have changed their mind.”

The board agreed to streamline the process and named Bishop and Pozzo to vet applicants and present them to the board at the following meeting.