The City of Boulder is expanding its use of automated cameras to enforce speed limits, with more than a dozen cameras soon to be active at key intersections across town, according to the city.
The cameras, mostly located along Boulder’s busiest streets, will began issuing warnings to drivers on Aug. 17, according to city officials. Starting in September, the city will begin issuing fines.
The expansion is part of the city’s push to eliminate serious crashes, especially on its arterial streets, where most traffic injuries occur. Studies have shown that speed cameras slow drivers down and reduce crashes. At Broadway and Pine Street, where the city began issuing automated speeding tickets in June 2024, average daily speeding violations have dropped by nearly half, according to a city official.
Officials have said the cameras are key to achieving Boulder’s Vision Zero goal. About a third of severe traffic crashes in the city involve speeding, according to a recent city report.
Many of the new speed cameras have been activated at existing red-light camera locations. Like red-light cameras, they capture license plates and allow the city to issue citations when drivers exceed the posted speed limit.
Boulder first launched its photo enforcement in the late 1990s, but for decades was barred from placing speed cameras on arterial roads. That changed with the passage of SB23-200, a 2023 state law allowing cities to install automated vehicle identification systems in more areas. Previously, the cameras were restricted to school zones, residential neighborhoods, construction zones and roads bordering parks. The law took effect in June 2023, and the Colorado Department of Transportation approved Boulder’s request to install the cameras in July 2025, according to a city official.
In 2023, all members of the city’s Transportation Advisory Board supported a resolution calling for the expansion of speed cameras and identifying certain locations. The Boulder City Council also approved the resolution.
The locations for automated speed enforcement include: 28th at Canyon, 28th at Arapahoe, Arapahoe at 30th, Foothills at Arapahoe, Valmont at 47th, Baseline at 27th Way, Table Mesa at Foothills, 28th at Jay, and Canyon at 15th. State law requires signs to be posted at least temporarily to alert drivers to speed cameras. A city official said the signs will be permanent.
Separately, the Colorado Department of Transportation recently installed speed cameras on CO 119, or Diagonal Highway, between Boulder and Longmont.
In Boulder, speeding tickets typically start at $40 and increase by another $60 if a driver fails to pay the fine after being served. Unpaid fines may be sent to collections, increasing the total cost of the ticket further. Unlike for other violations, a city official said failure to appear in court for a photo enforcement violation would not result in an arrest warrant.
The new cameras follow the city’s existing red-light enforcement program, which began in 1998, and its photo radar vans, which have been used to enforce speeding on some major corridors like Broadway and quieter streets like Balsam Ave.
Critics of traffic cameras view photo enforcement as a questionable means of generating revenue. But the cameras avoid using police officers to pull people over, a process that can be dangerous for officers and the driver. A city official said the city reinvests revenue from the fines into program costs, such as monthly contractor fees for cameras, van operator salaries and court fees.
Automated photo enforcement has ramped up in recent years. In 2024, the city collected nearly $3 million in fines, a 17% increase compared to three years earlier, according to city records provided to Boulder Reporting Lab.
Update: This story was updated on July 27 with data on how much money the city collects from automated photo enforcement.
Correction, July 31, 2025 10:13 am: A previous version of this story said failure to appear in court for a automated photo enforcement ticket may result in an arrest warrant. That's because failure to appear in court is a separate violation and can result in an arrest warrant, as stated on the city's website. However, a city official later said: "In Boulder, failure to appear in court for a photo enforcement violation would not result in an arrest warrant."
Correction, July 28, 2025 4:44 pm: A previous version of this story stated the city has already started issuing warnings and it will issue fines in August. That was incorrect. The city began its 30-day public notification period this month and is planning to issue warnings in August and fines in September.
So if somebody gets a ticket and for whatever reason they don’t get it in the mail or forget to pay it, an arrest warrant is issued? That sounds crazy if accurate, not to mention resembling a debt trap. So does this work on vehicles with long-expired plates, temp tags, from out-of-state, and/or street racers? Because this can’t be a magical solution and am equally concerned this may only embolden the Boulder Police to further shirk their responsibility enforcing other traffic offenses …esp on the roads/streets not busy enough for such lucrative surveillance, but still deemed too “dangerous” for them to patrol. They sure seem worried about public safety at Whole Foods though, as that’s about the only certain location to see officers posted in deterrence. I guess some jobs are rather too cushy for a camera and hope Amazon is sharing some revenue with the city or at the very least paying a monthly contractor fee.
Great point. Why is our stretched-thin police force prioritizing Amazon Foods 24/7? And when are they ever going to figure out how to rein in the most flagrant and excessive violators – the regularly scheduled street racers? Priorities are clear. Someone needs to make a mockumentary about this.
“for whatever reason they don’t get it in the mail or forget to pay it, an arrest warrant is issued?”
That would be the worst case. The bill mentioned in the article also does away with the requirement that they serve your ticket in person. According to the bill, once they’ve popped your ticket in the mail, you are guilty. If you don’t pay, the ticket is sent to collections and is a permanent ding on your credit record. And, you can’t renew your license until they get their money. If they decide to take you to court, they could issue and warrant and arrest.
They will be sucking your money from you, guaranteed.
Mr. Herrick,
I would like to see what the statistics reveal about the amount of crashes this will impact. I would like to see a follow up in the future. As a retired government official I can say most of these (Safety programs) are influenced by generating revenue for the city. Another aspect of this would be if there is a traffic division which most agencies do have, is this the beginning of cutting traffic officers in the future if this program is successful. These are things we should be introducing into the article to remain unbiased.
Panopticon surveillance is being established in order to enable limit / punish travel by car in general.
This is setting the stage for “15 minute” districts to geofence boundaries between each district.
It’s the WEF “reset” agenda.
It’s China’s Social credit system, but here in Boulder and all cities following the same agenda.
I’ve been reading BRL for about 3 years now, and this is the dumbest comment I have seen to date. Congrats Warren, for the superlative and for falling for that conservative conspiracy theory.
Zach, I agree. The QAnon-MAGA commenters have arrived.
“State law requires signs to be posted at least temporarily to alert drivers to speed cameras.” Really?
Because of the ongoing work on Arapahoe many residents have been taking Harrison to Eisenhower to 48th to avoid it. At the light in front of the school at the intersection of Harrison and Eisenhower there is no speed limit sign posted and there was no speed camera sign posted. I still have no idea where the camera is located along Eisenhower. I received two tickets last year and there was never a warning sign about speed cameras. Only recently has the temporary sign begun to be posted. If the goal is to reduce accidents, rather than filling ticket quotas, just seeing the warning sign will do that. Receiving a ticket in the mail for something you didn’t know you were doing is not a deterrent.
The camera on Eisenhower is one of the mobile speed vans, a silver Toyota Sienna. It shows up for a few hours and then drives away, hence why you didn’t find it (or the sign) later. They temporarily post a sign a few hundred feet before the van, but that sign is white letters on green background, designed to disguise it and blend in with other informational signs. The choice of vehicle and signage is definitely “covert” and designed to punish speeding drivers more than it is to deter speeding.
I’m pretty sure that when you originally got a liscense, there was a disclaimer that says a driver is responsible for maintaining the speed limit. In other words, paying attention to your surroundings and reading the speed limit signs. This is from a DOT trained and experienced professional driver….
Tickets should be way more than $40. That’s less than a tank of gas. $10 per MPH over the speed limit would be a better deterrent.
So what you’re doing is, testing everybody’s frickin patience because there is so much construction, so many ridiculous projects and places to avoid and now we have to watch out for speed traps as well. I already go slow. Drive like a grandma in fact. Haven’t been a routine speeder since 2014 and even I’m irritated by this move. Now, someone might have to get out the spray paint and ladders…
The term “speed trap” is a misnomer. How can something be a trap if your doing something illegal? It’s like putting diamond jewelry out on a street sale, and saying its a trap if people walk away with the goods. We all make decisions about our actions….
Are there really an unusually high number of crashes in Boulder? Maybe drivers are more prone to speeding, frustrated by the enormous increase in traffic caused by the City’s pro-growth policy
1) If the person in the photo is not the registered owner, they cannot ticket you. Violations go to driver’s, not to vehicles. You will have to show your driver’s license. And, no they cannot make you tell them who that is driving.
2) Ancient 1960’s in Desplaines Illinois. They timed the major thoroughfare lights for through traffic. Then they posted signs ” Lights are timed for 35 mph. ” It worked. Nobody drove fast because it did not improve your arrival time.
BOULDER LIGHTS ARE SEAMINGLY NOT TIMED AT ALL. EVERYONE IS FRUSTRATED WHEN DRIVING.
“If the person in the photo is not the registered owner, they cannot ticket you.”
That used to be the case. This new law, mentioned in the article, changes it so that the ticket goes to the registered owner of the car.
They changed all the related laws so that there is no way to beat the ticket. Once they pop it into the mail, you are guilty and they will get their money sooner or later.
The more cameras–the better.
If there is one thing we have learned from BLM defunding of the Police, its that in an absence of enforcement, laws get ignored and community safety suffers.
I would also suggest increasing penalties for repeat offenders–significantly.
I drive Canyon to 28th st almost daily and Iris to the Diagonal frequently (incidentally this is the route most west Boulderites take to get to the diagonal). I don’t doubt the need to obey street limits, but on most of these thoroughfares I have yet to see an accident and I have lived here 40 years. I don’t doubt there are accidents along the 28th border. But I have a suspicion that we are being fined to pay for the outrageous increase in city council salaries at the expense of services and while you’re scratching your heads you might want to look at development paying it own way. Boulder has grown too crowded which increases potential accidents without the resources to accommodate them. and what’s with all those bollards which I have hit twice because they are often too low to see below the design of my car. People are not going to quit drivIng and while you’re at it look at making development projects pay their own way. play fair as fair
Patti,
You have hit bollards twice because you can’t see over the hood of your SUV? Bollards in residential neighborhoods?
I am quite thankful it was two bollards and not children of similar height.
Thanks for providing real world examples of why people need to be penalized so they quit ignoring traffic laws. Posted speed limits serve a purpose–they save lives–they protect children.
Signed by a concerned grandparent who has never hit a bollard or been in a vehicle accident.