Express Lanes Safety Enforcement Is Now Active on All Tolled Express Lanes.

As summer travel begins, don’t let bumper-to-bumper traffic ruin your road trip plans. The Colorado Express Lane network offers a reliable option to get you where you need to go!

If you decide to use the Colorado Express Lanes to shorten your drive, please do so safely! As of this spring, the Safety and Toll Enforcement Program is now active on all tolled Colorado Express Lanes to keep drivers safe and traffic flowing.

What Express Lane rules are being enforced?

There are a few differences in which rules are enforced where, however, the main rule that applies to all tolled Colorado Express Lanes is: no weaving.

• Cross the line, pay the fine: What may seem like a simple decision is both dangerous and illegal. Vehicles traveling in the Express Lanes are not anticipating someone crossing over the solid line into their lane and may not be able to slow down or react in time, leading to a crash. 
• This “weaving” behavior, into or out of an Express Lane over a solid line, is a safety hazard that frequently causes rear-end and sideswipe crashes. Enter and exit through the dashed lines at designated and points only.

In addition to weaving, drivers on the I-70, Idaho Springs to Empire Express Lanes may also receive a civil penalty for driving in the lane with an oversized vehicle (more than two axles, 25 feet or longer, or trailers) or driving in the Express Lanes when they are closed.

What happens if you violate these rules?

Violators identified by cameras and sensors along tolled Colorado Express Lane corridors will receive a $75 civil penalty via mail based on the registered address of the vehicle’s license plate. If not paid within 20 days, this $75 fine will increase to $150.

Does the program work?

The goal of the program is to keep drivers safe by enforcing Express Lane rules and data shows it is working! In the past three years, rule violations on the Express Lane corridors have decreased by nearly 90%. This means crashes avoided and lives saved as drivers correct their behavior and stay in their lane when using the Express Lanes. 

In addition, more than 80% of drivers caught violating an Express Lane rule don’t violate again, indicating a sustained behavior change that will only make our roads safer. 

Where is the Safety and Toll Enforcement Program Active?

An easy way to remember where the Safety and Toll Enforcement Program is active, is if tolls are in effect, so is enforcement. Active corridors currently include: 

• C-470: I-25 to Wadsworth Boulevard
• I-70: Idaho Springs to Empire
• I-70: I-25 to Chambers Road
• I-25: Monument to Castle Rock
• I-25: US 36 to E-470
• I-25: Berthoud to Fort Collins
• US 36: Federal Boulevard to Table Mesa Drive

Avoid a fine and keep yourself and others safe while driving through Colorado by following the Express Lane rules!