This week, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport), Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, led the Senate’s approval of legislation that would address traffic congestion in Connecticut, helping constituents get where they need to go. The bill would ensure law enforcement officials are trained in traffic management techniques and increase the deployment of drones to avoid extended lane closures.
“Connecticut residents know a thing or two about traffic. In fact, drivers in the Stamford area experience some of the worst congestion in the country, spending an average of 74 hours idling on the road and forgoing $1,095 per capita,” said Sen. Haskell. “This bill will help get Connecticut moving again, saving the folks we serve time, money, and perhaps some headaches. I want to especially thank Vitalij, a project engineer at the Department of Transportation who enjoyed learning about drones during his off time. He took that knowledge into work one day and volunteered to help the Department use drones to conduct complex inspection work. In the months that followed, he trained other pilots to operate a fleet of drones, saving taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and avoiding unnecessary road closures each time engineers need an up-close look under bridges, over highways and atop high wires. The state police have even begun using drones to collect data quickly after major accidents, then clear the roadway and alleviate traffic. We should be doing more of this 21st work, and I’m proud that this bill will formalize drone deployment and build on the project that Vitalij started.”
Senate Bill 389, “An Act Concerning Traffic Mitigation,” makes two changes to traffic management law, including:
Use of drones will be key to increase the efficiency of accident surveying and infrastructure inspection, allowing for vital information to be collected accurately without deploying staff and shutting down traffic. This legislation passed the Senate with a bipartisan 34-2 vote.