Starting January 12, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will begin issuing $75 civil penalties to drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour in the Colorado Highway 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 has been active since July 2025.
Automated cameras installed along CO 119 will capture speed violations. Notices will be mailed to the registered owners of vehicles found speeding, who are legally responsible for paying or disputing the penalty within 45 days by visiting coloradospeedenforcement.com. If no action is taken, further enforcement measures may follow as outlined by law.
“Average speeds starkly decreasing on CO 119 means the Colorado Speed Enforcement Program is already doing its job to increase safety in the corridor,” said CDOT Chief Engineer Keith Stefanik. “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 indicates that since the program began on CO 119 between Boulder and Longmont, high speeds have dropped more than 80% within the work zone. Average speeds along Diagonal Highway now range from 53 to 56 miles per hour. In the first month after implementation, average speeds decreased by eight miles per hour.
In addition to speed reductions, there has been a decrease in work zone crashes statewide. During 2025, work zone crashes resulted in 532 injuries—a nearly twelve percent decrease from last year’s total of 602 injuries. Work zone fatalities also declined significantly this year with eight reported so far in comparison to thirty last year—a seventy-three percent reduction. However, CDOT notes that continued efforts are necessary as there have been a total of 129 work zone-related crash fatalities statewide since 2015.
As of December 8, CDOT issued over thirty-four thousand warning notices during the initial phase on CO 119; these warnings did not carry financial penalties but served as notification about upcoming enforcement.
National studies support automated enforcement programs as effective measures against excessive speeding. According to research from the Federal Highway Administration, point-to-point speed cameras can reduce roadway injuries and fatalities by twenty to thirty-seven percent (https://highways.dot.gov/safety/traffic-speed-management/speed-safety-camera-programs-primers-resources). Public opinion polls suggest widespread support for camera-based enforcement due to its consistency and neutrality.
The relationship between vehicle speed and stopping distance is significant: according to NHTSA data summarized by AASHTO, stopping distance quadruples when speed doubles (https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/traffic-safety-facts). At sixty miles per hour, a vehicle requires approximately three hundred forty-five feet to stop—over one-third longer than at fifty miles per hour—highlighting increased risk in construction zones with changing conditions.
CDOT selected CO 119 for its pilot program based on crash history and construction activity related to ongoing improvements under the Safety, Mobility & Bikeway project. The project aims not only to enhance roadway safety but also includes bus rapid transit infrastructure and a continuous bike path. Construction began in September 2024 and is expected to finish in 2027.
