Drivers on Interstate 25 and in Denver will face stepped-up speed-camera enforcement starting Thursday as authorities statewide deploy more surveillance technology to make roads safer.
The ‘s first speed cams on I-25 north of metro Denver have caught more than 4,000 drivers speeding between Mead and Berthoud since March 1, according to state data. The warning period for that enforcement ends this week. Now, violators will receive $75 citations, CDOT spokeswoman Stacia Sellers said.
Denver expects to install its first fixed cameras along high-accident stretches of Alameda Avenue and Federal Boulevard later this year, adding to the four photo radar speed vans that police move around the city. Since January 2024, the police vans have caught and issued citations to more than 258,000 drivers who exceeded speed limits, police data shows.
Local governments in at least 27 cities and towns have approved automated speed camera enforcement. The systems measure speeds, identify vehicles, and send tickets to the addresses of registered owners. State legislation has cleared the way for cities and towns to use speed cameras on highways that cut through their boundaries.
In Denver, traffic deaths hit a record-high 93 last year, up by 89% from 49 in 2017. Denver records for 2023 show 643 crashes on Federal, six fatal, and 20 that caused serious injuries. On Alameda, the records show 478 crashes, two fatal, and 12 that caused serious injuries.
“The cost to life and property can be dramatic, and there aren’t even close to enough uniformed officers at any level to deal with it, even if speed enforcement was all they did,” said Kevin Bommer, director of the .
The supports the cameras to expand the old-school enforcement done by 700 troopers, who issued 14,562 tickets in 2025 to drivers moving 20 mph to 40 mph over posted speed limits.
State Patrol troopers who pull over drivers find many are “way too self-involved,” CSP Sgt. Ivan Alvarado said, referring to stops where drivers told troopers they urgently had to get to their destinations.
“We are living in different times,” Alvarado said. “For a lot of people, it’s all about me. When you’re driving around, remember, you share the road with millions of others. It’s not about you. It’s about all of us.”
Denver city council members still must approve an ordinance change adding “automated vehicle identification system” language to align with state law before installing the fixed speed cameras along Federal and Alameda, city spokeswoman Nancy Kuhn said.
Exact locations for the cameras have not been set but will likely be along the central portion of Federal and the east side of Alameda, and be in place this year, Kuhn said.
The a vehicle’s speed and take a photo of the license plate. A computer system will then mail a ticket to a vehicle’s registered owner.
CDOT oversees the use of speed cameras on state highways and interstates. State law lets cities and towns set up cameras in designated high-risk corridors and work zones with civil penalties for drivers caught speeding 10 mph or more above the limit. New would allow increased use of speed cams near schools.
If a driver caught speeding on highways doesn’t pay a fine after receiving notices, CDOT’s electronic system will send a final notice that triggers a collections process.
Beyond I-25, drivers along Colorado 119 between Longmont and Boulder also face CDOT speed cameras. During a warning period from July 1 through Jan. 11, those cameras caught 38,591 violators, according to agency data. After the warning period ended on Jan. 12, the cameras caught 9,873.
CDOT’s highway speed camera enforcement “has already proved to be very successful in lowering speeds in work zones,” Sellers said, estimating that the number of drivers caught speeding at 10 mph or more above limits decreased by 80%.
