Members of the Barrington Town Council will hold a special meeting tonight, Tuesday, June 10, at 6 p.m. to discuss a number of issues, including whether to install speed cameras in school zones in Barrington. 

A copy of the meeting agenda lists a number of traffic-related topics. In addition to the speed camera issue, the council is expected to introduce an ordinance amendment that will limit parking along Cherry Lane, Priscilla Drive and Tiffany Circle to residents only by permit. 

There is also an item to request the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to designate County Road at the high school as a school zone. There is a separate agenda item calling for a reduced speed limit on County Road from the intersection with Federal Road to the intersection with Maple Avenue. The item calls for the speed limit to be dropped from 35 miles per hour to 25 mph. 

In addition, there is an item recommending the RIDOT to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure consistent with the town’s “Complete Streets Plan” and to have the state evaluate the timing of traffic signals and pedestrian crossing signals at the County Road and Federal Road intersection, at the foot of the White Church Bridge. 

Speed cameras

The question of whether to install speed cameras in school zones in Barrington has already drawn a lot of response from the public. 

Recently, the Rhode Island ACLU sent a letter to the Barrington Town Council regarding the issue, cautioning against the “broader and unintended consequences of this particular approach.”

“Specifically, we are concerned about the further expansion of camera surveillance into public spaces due to both its impact on privacy rights and the way that it encourages the privatization of law enforcement. As such, we respectfully request that you reject the installation of these cameras in the town,” stated the letter, which was signed by ACLU Policy Associate Madalyn McGunagle. 

“Reliance on cameras and recording technologies to enforce traffic laws can, however unintentionally, easily escalate to a level of mass surveillance of motorists. While state law dictates some minimal school-zone speed camera enforcement privacy and data deletion practices, these systems can record and store an extensive amount of information about the movement of vehicles for months at a time…”

The letter continued to list concerns with use or misuse of information taken from license plate reader systems.

“A recently released report revealed that more than 4,000 national and statewide data lookup requests of Flock camera systems by local or state police were either done at the instruction of the federal government or with a particular focus on immigration,” stated the letter. 

“We again wish to emphasize that we share your commitment to protecting public safety. However, we believe that speed cameras can present significant privacy risks that outweigh their benefits.”

Meanwhile, a number of residents have signed petitions both opposing the installation of speed cameras and supporting the speed cameras. 

Tonight’s council meeting will be held in the town hall council chambers. The meeting is open to the public.