I think it’s clear, it will slow people down.”

Barrington Police Chief Michael Correia

Car clips crosswalk sign

A caution crosswalk sign located on New Meadow Road in front of Hampden Meadows School was damaged after it was struck by a passing vehicle. Barrington Police Chief Michael Correia said the sign sat in the center of the roadway, cautioning motorists about the crosswalk, which is heavily used by students who walk or ride to Hampden Meadows School each day.

The crossing guard was right. 

About two months ago, a crossing guard who works outside Sowams School told members of the Barrington Town Council that she had witnessed countless cars cruising past the local elementary school well above the posted 20 miles per hour speed limit. 

On Monday night, March 3, Barrington Police Chief Michael Correia presented information to the council that confirmed the crossing guard’s concerns. Chief Correia said he worked with a speed camera company that set up 13 speed monitors across Barrington’s school zones. He said the speed-monitoring machines captured some troubling data: More than half of the vehicles that drove past Barrington schools were exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour. 

The chief said the 13 monitors, operating from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during a five-day span (Feb. 10 to 14), counted a total of 227,278 vehicles. Of those, 128,337, or about 56 percent, were speeding. 

Chief Correia told the council members that the speed monitoring machines only tallied a speeding vehicle if it was traveling at least 11 miles per hour over the posted limit. 

“That crossing guard was not exaggerating,” Chief Correia said during an interview with the Barrington Times. 

The council is considering ways to slow down traffic in town, and is considering the installation of speed cameras in school zones, similar to those used in neighboring East Providence. Some Barrington residents have spoken out against speed cameras, criticizing them as revenue-generating tools for the tickets issued and fines imposed. 

Chief Correia said his intentions are to slow down traffic on local roads, not generate revenue: I think there’s a speeding issue around schools, the chief told councilors, adding that speed cameras will address the issue. 

Sowams speeding 

Chief Correia said the situation outside Sowams School is particularly concerning. 

Speed monitors near the school showed that while 47 percent of vehicles driving past the school were exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour. Chief Correia added that many of those vehicles were well above — more than 20 mph faster — the posted speed limit. 

The chief compared the traffic passing in front of Sowams School to that of Hampden Meadows. Data showed that of the 22,729 vehicles that passed by Hampden Meadows School during the five-day span, 12,761 were speeding, including 533 that exceeded the speed limit by at least 21 miles per hour. 

Meanwhile, only 12,610 vehicles traveled past Sowams School during the monitoring period. Of those, 5,913 were speeding, and 585 exceeded the speed limit by at least 21 miles per hour. 

Program details

During the March 3 council meeting, Chief Correia shared details about the speed cameras he researched. He said the cameras only captured images of the vehicles’ license plates and not the drivers or passengers inside the vehicles. 

He said the cameras would not require an increase in manpower for the Barrington Police Department, adding that the speed camera company would handle the bulk of the work, including issuing tickets, processing fines, and more.

Chief Correia said the program — installation and maintenance of speed cameras, issuing tickets, etc. — would not cost the town anything. In fact, the company stated that for each $50 ticket issued and paid, the town would receive $30 while the speed camera company received $20. 

Chief Correia said the company estimated that the cameras would result in a 90 percent reduction in speeding. 

“I think it’s clear, it will slow people down,” Chief Correia said to councilors. He said the local police department would not be able to replicate the same results as that of the speed cameras. 

What councilors think

Any decision to install the speed cameras would need to come from the town council. 

Kate Berard has detailed her personal experiences with the speed cameras. She said the cameras have forced her to drive more slowly during her commute to work. 

Jordan Jancosek said she wanted to see more detailed information and data. She also said the speed monitoring study conducted by the speed camera company was designed to sell the product. 

Braxton Cloutier said officials want to slow down traffic, but they do not want to see a speed camera program that is geared toward generating revenue for the government. Chief Correia said he does not consider himself a revenue agent, and Berard said any money raised through the program could be put into a sidewalk improvement fund.

There was some discussion about the hours the cameras would operate. For the study, the company operated the cameras from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., which mirrors the hours set forth in the state statute. Some councilors seemed to indicate they may want to alter the hours of operation. 

In a followup interview with the Barrington Times, Chief Correia said details of an agreement with the speed camera company could change if the number of cameras or hours of operation are reduced. 

Liana Cassar spoke about the robust running community in Barrington — joggers share the road with motorists. Cassar said there was a need for safety, adding that the speed cameras would be an inexpensive way to improve safety on local roads.