Driving You Crazy: What are these new cameras on the Diagonal Highway going to Boulder?

Carin in Boulder County writes, “What’s driving you crazy? I saw your article regarding Blissway traffic cameras where you mentioned they are being used to capture people who weave in and out of express lanes. I just saw them set up on highway 119 where there are no express lanes whatsoever. I, among others, are very interested in knowing what these cameras are being used for and if it’s legal?”

The new cameras you spotted on the Diagonal Highway, Carin, between Boulder and Longmont are not set up to catch weaving drivers, but speeders. I assure you, this is legal.

I drove the Diagonal several times and spotted the new Blissway cameras set up mainly between 55^th and 63^{rd Streets}. There is a pair close together, then a single camera and then another pair about a half mile away from the first pair. These cameras are from the same company, Blissway, as the ones set up along the express lanes to monitor drivers weaving in and out of the lanes. I was told this is the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) first contract with Blissway for speed enforcement.

The cameras on Highway 119 aren’t designed to take photo radar tickets. They instead are set up where when a vehicle passes the first pair of cams the clock starts. When the same vehicle passes the second set of cams the clock stops. The system then calculates the average speed of that vehicle between each camera by dividing the distance between the cams by the travel time. It doesn’t matter what lane the driver is in, as the cameras are capable of monitoring multiple lanes at the same time.

Colorado Department of Transportaion

Drivers going an average speed of 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit will be issued a $75 civil penalty. The speed limit, as of the publishing date of this story, is 55 mph eastbound and 45 mph in the narrowed section westbound. I saw a similar system set up on some highways around Dublin, Ireland, and outside London, England, except the cameras there are set many miles apart in order to deter speeding over longer distances rather than short areas like in construction zones.

The average speed camera system were installed by CDOT as part of its Colorado Speed Enforcement Program. CDOT said in a news release that this new program “deploys camera technology along CDOT-owned corridors with active construction work zones aiming to reduce speed-related crashes and fatalities on Colorado roads and improve safety for all motorists, including drivers, road workers, vulnerable road users and law enforcement.”

CDOT told me the money collected from the civil penalties will cover the operational costs of the system, and any funds collected in excess will be allocated to vulnerable road user projects.

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There is still some time before this program will become active in the construction zone on Highway 119 between Boulder and Longmont. Starting July 21, CDOT will first issue warnings before civil penalties are sent out later this fall. In 2025, CDOT said its focus will remain on construction work zones, but the program is expected to expand into school zones and other high-risk corridors in the future. Warnings and notices will be mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner within 30 days of the violation.

CDOT said it's emphasizing transparency in this initiative. The agency created a dedicated webpage, listing all active enforcement zones and will add to it as more are added. Each new location will include a warning period of at least 30 days. As per state law, “Camera Speed Enforcement Ahead” signs will also be posted at the entrance to every active work zone.

In 2023, the Colorado General Assembly passed Revised Statute 42-4-110.5, expanding the use of Automated Vehicle Identification Systems. CDOT said these systems are designed to specifically enforce speed compliance. “Many local government agencies have already implemented cameras and sensors along high-risk driving corridors in efforts to make their communities safer for pedestrians and motorists.”

CDOT said the program is starting first on Colorado Highway 119 but it plans on installing these in more construction work zones. The program is expected to expand into school zones and other “high-risk corridors” like possibly Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon.

Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.