NEWINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has reached out to the U.S. Department of Transportation for guidance to improve roadway safety and address traffic fatalities.
Murphy said he sent the letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about a week ago. He is expecting a response in a few weeks.
“There are far too many men and women who are dying today on Connecticut’s roadways,” Murphy said during a news conference on Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to getting a response from Secretary Buttigieg with his ideas, his proposals for research, for communications and for partnerships.”
As of Oct. 2, 245 people have been killed in crashes this year, including State Trooper First Class Aaron Pellietier, Connecticut Department of Transportation worker Andrew DiDomenico and State Police Chaplain Paul Krampitz.
Safety improvements coming to dangerous New Haven street 2022 is still the deadliest year on Connecticut records, with 366 deaths. Last year, 316 people died in crashes. Laoise King, the deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation ,said this year is on track to beat last year’s total.
State police have ramped up efforts to combat this year conducting 68,196 non-commercial traffic stops, according to Ronnell Higgins, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. In 2023, Higgins said troopers conducted 26,030 traffic stops. Troopers also made 1,456 arrests of drivers operating a vehicle under the influence.
As part of their strategy to decrease highway fatalities, Higgins said troopers are targeting highways where fatalities are frequent.
“This means more traffic stops, more tickets and more warnings,” he said. “Over time, we are hoping this will lead to more lives saved.”
The CTDOT is focused on safety when designing new roads. It has about 175 construction projects underway and 350 planned for the future.
“We are now prioritizing safety and mobility over vehicle speed, and we’re including bicycle and pedestrian amenities on every new project,” King said. “No one should be killed or suffer serious injuries on our roadways.”
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