New Castle County Council Advances Speed Camera Pilot For Milltown Road

The Ordnance will place a speed camera pilot on Milltown Road and McKennan’s Church Road. (photo by Denny Müller)

The New Castle County Council is advancing with a pilot program to install speed cameras on Milltown Road and, most likely, McKennan’s Church Road.

Ordinance 25-071 establishes an electronic speed monitoring system that will be piloted for five months. Funded by state legislators Rep. Kim Williams and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, using approximately $28,500 in community transportation funds. Council approved the measure after hearing from residents and police officials, who described the stretch of Milltown Road as increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

Dorothy Raider, a resident of Milltown Road for more than 40 years, described the road as a “mile straightaway” with no stop signs or lights and no sidewalks, forcing families, schoolchildren, and bus riders to use the shoulder.

“Our mailboxes are on the road, so we access them on the shoulder. Kids and commuters wait on the shoulder,” she said.

Jill Lorensky, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1989, called the corridor a “strode,” a hybrid of a street and a road that prioritizes car traffic at the expense of safety.

“Ten percent will die if hit by a vehicle going 23 miles per hour. Twenty-five percent will die at 32 miles per hour. Fifty percent will die at 42,” she told council. “We’re tired of waiting for something worse to happen.”

Councilman Tim Sheldon, a lead sponsor, emphasized that the cameras are not a revenue grab.

“This is not a moneymaker,” he said. “If I’ve heard that one time, I’ve heard it a hundred times. This is not I-95—that’s where the money is made by out-of-staters.”

Sheldon said the pilot will be evaluated after five months to determine effectiveness. “If this works, and I think it will, we’ll cut speeding down.”

Police Chief Jamie Leonard confirmed that the county is contracting with the same vendor used for state-run traffic enforcement.

“The machine costs $5,700 a month to rent,” Leonard said. “Once we’ve recouped costs for things like signage, ticket review, and staff time, any surplus revenue goes back to the Office of Highway Safety. It’s at best a revenue-neutral bill.”

Leonard added that county officers will not manage enforcement directly.

“The citations will be reviewed by our traffic unit, but officers will not be pulled from patrol. This is meant to be a substitute for them.”

Council members confirmed that signage and public notices will be posted in compliance with state law. Vehicles will only be ticketed for traveling 11 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit.

Leonard noted that the cameras will be mounted on portable trailers and can be relocated as needed.

“We’re working with DelDOT on signage logistics,” he said. “Ideally, we’ll mount warning signs under existing speed limit signs.”

While some councilmembers expressed concern about staffing shortages, Leonard reassured them the program’s design avoids diverting patrol officers from other priorities.

“Our goal is to address safety without stretching our officers any thinner than they already are,” he said.

The ordinance passed with broad support and no public opposition during the meeting. Council members said they plan to revisit the issue after the pilot period to assess the data and determine if the program should expand.