Old Lyme committee questions reliability and cost of speed-feedback signs, discusses portable trailers and Brighton Road fixes

The Old Lyme Traffic and Public Safety Committee spent most of its meeting on May 1 reviewing the town's speed-feedback signs and how the devices are being used and maintained.

Chair called the meeting to order and asked for a volunteer report; committee member John then described work locating keys for the town's installed devices, explaining that the town cannot find the mounting/service keys for several signs and that one additional battery-operated sign (a sixth unit) was distinct from the three TrafficLogix-branded signs already in place. "We don't have those keys," John said, adding that some locks appear missing or damaged.

John briefed the group on power and cost options. He said each unit uses two primary batteries with two spares and that replacement batteries or kits are expensive—he cited roughly $1,800 as a vendor quote for a battery kit for one unit and said vendors suggested lower-cost alternatives such as an external 12-volt power cord or an external battery pack. John also said he obtained temporary cloud access to the vendor's reporting system through the end of May and offered to create a shared report user tied to a committee email so members could run reports themselves.

The committee flagged data-quality problems that need vendor troubleshooting. One sample report from Lime Street showed a very high share of recorded violations; "in one day from 10 in the morning to 6:00 a.m. I think 90% of the drivers going by the sign were speeding," a committee member said when discussing the Lime Street sample, prompting others to note that devices can trigger on non-vehicle events and that installation height, nearby foliage and pole placement can affect counts and connectivity. Members discussed standard installation guidance—solar panels should be mounted about 12 to 14 feet high and the sign face about 7 feet above the road—and urged the vendor or a sales representative to review current mountings and advise whether sites compromise accuracy.

Subscription and equipment ownership were also discussed. Committee members said Yukon-supplied signs are expected to become town property on acceptance and that Yukon or other vendors may attach cloud- or subscription-based services; John and others referenced a seven-year term for some Yukon cloud services. John said the annual cloud subscription for one sign could be about $1,500 a year and mentioned a separate quote of roughly $500 a year for cloud service covering three existing signs (multi-year discounts may apply). Committee members raised concerns about committing to multi-year subscriptions given rapidly changing technology and asked whether the town's budget should anticipate ongoing cloud fees.

To reduce predictability and improve deployment flexibility, several members advocated mounting signs on trailers. That approach would let the town move devices to different locations for short-term enforcement or data-collection—particularly during events—and make it harder for drivers to expect fixed devices. Members discussed possible trailer procurement through donations, local fabrication, or a purchase order later in the fiscal year. They also noted vendor constraints: cloud-linked signs typically retain a programmed location in the vendor cloud, and moving a sign requires notification to the vendor and a reassigning of the recorded location.

The committee turned to localized speed-calming for Brighton Road, where residents have raised safety concerns and where some stretches lack posted speed limits. Members discussed installing posted speed-limit signs, using portable trailers coupled with police enforcement for short enforcement windows, and considering permanent measures such as speed humps or rubber recycled speed forms. A member proposed recommending new posted speed signs at locations where no speed limit signs currently exist; the transcript records the motion to recommend new signs but does not include a final vote tally in the record.

Next steps identified by the committee included: asking the vendor to review current installations and advise on accuracy risks; creating a shared committee account to preserve cloud access for report-running after temporary access expires; coordinating with public works and police (Derek McGregor and Corporal Solari were referenced) about who will manage device operations; and researching crash and enforcement data to validate whether problem locations warrant automated enforcement or physical calming measures. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded at the end of the hour; the transcript ends after the call for a vote and does not record a final tally.

The committee did not adopt any formal, recorded budget transfers or binding contracts at the meeting; members asked staff to return with vendor confirmations, installation checks, and budget implications before committing to subscriptions or purchases.