I saw two towns handle a new traffic camera system in totally different ways

My town, Oakridge, just put in a bunch of those new AI traffic cameras that can track speed and license plates. They didn't tell anyone and just started mailing out tickets. The next town over, Millerton, held three public meetings about the same tech and let people vote on where to put them. The difference in how people feel about it is huge. Oakridge feels sneaky and angry, while Millerton's system, even with its flaws, feels fair. Does anyone have a local example of a tech rollout that went well because people were part of the choice?

4 comments

4 Comments

michael6692mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? They're just traffic cameras, not some secret police. Oakridge probably needed the cash and didn't want a bunch of meetings where people complain. I get that it feels sneaky, but if you're not speeding you won't get a ticket. Millerton's way sounds nice but also like a lot of extra work for the same result.

dylan3762mo ago

My old town did that with smart water meters and the backlash was so bad they had to pause the whole thing. Seeing how Millerton did it made me realize the upfront work saves a ton of trouble later.

taylorshah2mo ago

Yeah, that upfront work really does make a difference. I see what michael669 is saying about the extra effort, but skipping it just builds so much distrust.

parker_palmer441mo ago

@dylan376 Totally agree. My neighbor's town tried silent library sensors and now nobody goes there.