Drivers who weave in and out of Colorado’s toll lanes could be in for a costly reckoning in the new year.
The state’s Department of Transportation is expanding the enforcement program already in use on the I-70 Mountain Express Lane Corridor to all actively tolled express lanes starting Jan. 1.
The SAFE program Safety And Tolling Enforcement — introduced last year, aims to discourage reckless driving by using roadside technology to enforce Express Lane rules, like only entering and exiting in designated areas.
Violators identified by software, cameras and roadway sensors will get a ticket in the mail based on the registered address of the vehicle’s license plate.
Tickets start at $75, but if not paid within 20 days that penalty doubles to $150, with the law allowing them to climb as high as $250 per citation.
Knowing they’ve got electronic eyes on them seems to already have drivers changing their ways.
“This technology has already reduced violations by 80 percent in the corridors where we’ve deployed it,” CDOT spokesman Tim Hoover said in a statement.
On Dec. 1 the state began issuing warnings to drivers caught entering and exiting Express Lanes outside of designated areas along 70 through Denver, the I-25 South Gap and the US-36 corridor.
Over the first 17 days of the month-long grace period, 23,873 warnings were sent to drivers breaking the rules.
“We’ve heard the public’s concerns about this unsafe driving behavior for years, and now we have the technology to hold these drivers accountable,” Hoover said. “A good New Year’s resolution? Stop weaving over the Express Lane lines.”
If you do get a civil penalty in the new year, you can pay it online at ExpressLaneSafety.com using your license plate or notice number or over the phone by calling 1-800-343-2633.
