Starting January 12, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will begin issuing $75 civil penalties to drivers who exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour in the CO 119 Safety, Mobility & Bikeway Project work zone in Boulder County. This action is part of CDOT’s Colorado Speed Enforcement Program and follows a 30-day warning period that began in July 2025.
During the warning phase, motorists received notices but no fines for violations. As of December 8, CDOT had issued 34,050 warning notices to first-time violators on CO 119. Once civil penalties take effect, automated cameras will capture violations and send notices to vehicle owners. Recipients have 45 days to pay or dispute the penalty at coloradospeedenforcement.com. If no action is taken, further legal steps may follow.
CDOT Chief Engineer Keith Stefanik said, “Average speeds starkly decreasing on CO 119 means the Colorado Speed Enforcement Program is already doing its job to increase safety in the corridor. Civil penalties are meant to curb the behavior of speeding drivers, not punish them. By moderating speed, we can save lives — plain and simple.”
Preliminary data from CDOT shows that since launching the program on CO 119 between Boulder and Longmont, high speeds have dropped by over 80% within the work zone. Average speeds now range from 53 to 56 MPH along Diagonal Highway, with an average decrease of eight MPH during the program’s first month.
Injury and fatality statistics indicate improvements statewide as well. In 2025 so far, work zone crashes have caused 532 injuries—a nearly 12% reduction compared to last year—and there have been eight fatalities related to work zones this year versus thirty in all of last year.
National research supports automated enforcement as an effective tool for reducing high speeds and improving safety outcomes. The Federal Highway Administration reports that point-to-point speed cameras can reduce roadway injuries and fatalities by up to 37%. Public opinion polls suggest broad support for camera-based enforcement due to its consistency.
CDOT selected CO 119 for this program based on crash data and other safety factors related to ongoing construction under the Safety, Mobility & Bikeway project. The project aims to improve traffic flow with new multimodal options such as bus rapid transit and a continuous bike path; construction began in September 2024 and is expected to finish in 2027.
Stopping distance increases sharply with higher speeds—at sixty MPH it takes about thirty-six percent longer for a vehicle to stop than at fifty MPH—raising risks when navigating complex work zones with shifting lanes or obstacles.
Enforcement locations are chosen using crash statistics and assessments of whether traditional law enforcement presence is feasible.
