Transportation (Traffic Safety)

This bill updates Connecticut's distracted driving laws by clarifying definitions of mobile phone use and restricting hand-held phone usage while driving. It directly affects all motor vehicle operators by prohibiting the use of hand-held mobile phones to make calls or operate mobile electronic devices like text messaging apps while operating a vehicle on highways. Key provisions establish a rebuttable presumption that holding a phone to or near the ear constitutes call engagement, while allowing exceptions for emergency communications, official duties of first responders and military personnel, and hands-free phone use. The law takes effect on October 1, 2026, and does not authorize confiscation of phones unless other laws permit it.

HB 5069 authorizes the state to issue bonds to fund road repairs in New Milford, specifically for projects recommended in the Department of Transportation's October 2024 Road Safety Audit report. The bond proceeds would be used by the DOT to provide a grant-in-aid directly to New Milford for completing these road improvements. This bill targets the town of New Milford and focuses on safety-related infrastructure upgrades identified in the audit. The funding mechanism is straightforward: state bonds → DOT grant → New Milford road projects.

HB 5172 appropriates funding for the installation and maintenance of radar speed signs along Forest Road in New Haven. The bill directly affects residents and drivers on Forest Road by providing resources to reduce speeding. It authorizes the Department of Transportation to use the allocated funds for this specific safety improvement during the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The sole purpose stated is to increase safety on this road segment through visible speed monitoring.

This bill authorizes the state to issue bonds for up to a specified amount to fund traffic calming measures on state roads in Bloomfield and West Hartford. The funds would be used by the Department of Transportation to install physical safety features like speed bumps, improved crosswalks, or road narrowing. The goal is to improve traffic safety and roadway conditions specifically in these two towns, directly affecting residents and commuters using those state roads.

This bill requires Connecticut's Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to establish and publicly post a safety-based visitor capacity limit for Burr Pond State Park by January 2027. The limit must consider factors like lifeguard staffing, parking spaces, restroom capacity, highway traffic safety for pedestrians and emergency vehicles, and vehicle entry counts. The agency must coordinate traffic controls with law enforcement and can close the park to new visitors when capacity is reached. The policy directly affects park visitors and local road users, aiming to protect public safety at the park and surrounding highways.