“Cross the line, pay the fine,” warns the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Well, double white lines, actually.

New technology to detect when drivers weave in and out of express lanes is coming to the Denver metro area beginning Friday, according to state transportation officials. 

The two express lane corridors where enforcement will start this week are C-470 from I-25 to Wadsworth Boulevard and I-25 from US 36 to E-470.

The Colorado Department of Transportation said it is common to see drivers cross over the solid lines into the express lanes when traffic slows or when trying to get around another vehicle already in the express lane. But vehicles may only enter or exit express lanes at points clearly designated with signs and dashed lines, the department said.

Violating means a hefty penalty.

$75 per violation – to be exact. 

The new, first-of-its-kind system – which uses sensors, cameras and software that work together to identify vehicles that are weaving in and out of toll lanes – was deployed for the first time on the I-70 mountain corridor in June. Since its deployment on I-70, transportation officials said 6,455 fines were issued between July 21 and Aug. 28, collecting $143,800 in the process. 

“This technology is a game-changer,” Tim Hoover, the agency’s spokesman, said in a news release. “It will not only help us identify and penalize drivers who are endangering themselves and others. We truly believe it will help save lives and make our roads safer for everyone.”

Beginning Friday , drivers will get warnings for crossing the solid white lines and violating the express lanes rules, the state agency said in a news release.

Warnings will be sent to the registered address of the vehicle for the first 30 days to give drivers fair warning of the new enforcement mechanism.

Starting Oct. 1, the warning period ends and drivers who commit violations face civil penalties beginning at $75 if paid within 20 days of issuance. After 20 days, the fine increases to $150. According to CDOT, it takes about 10-12 days for a mailed notice to arrive. If two offenses are recorded on the same trip, it is just one violation, which will be noticed at $75.

Hoover told The Denver Gazette that photographic evidence of the violation is included on the notice, and the state’s website also includes the photographic evidence and a map showing where the violation occurred.

If ignored, the fines can quickly pile up, state officials warned.

Failure to pay will result in a default civil judgement, additional fees, collection action and possible vehicle registration hold. Civil penalties cannot result in an arrest, Hoover clarified.

“The ultimate penalty is the registration hold” – meaning license plates cannot be renewed until the fines are paid. People can dispute a violation by going to CDOT’s website appeals page.

“We will investigate the circumstances and provide the results by email,” said Hoover. “If you previously disputed a civil penalty and are not satisfied with the results of the dispute review, you can submit a request for hearing and answer to a complaint for toll evasion. If you are not satisfied with the results of the hearing, you can file an appeal with the county court.”

More information regarding the appeal process can be found at the Colorado Judicial Branch webpage.

In a news release, the transportation agency explained the rationale behind strictly enforcing the no-crossing rule.  

“Weaving over the solid lines greatly increases the risk of a crash due to significant speed differentials between traffic in the express lanes and the general purpose lanes,” the agency release. “Motorists in all lanes don’t expect cars to suddenly cross in front of them across solid lines and are often forced to respond quickly to an unexpected vehicle traveling at a different speed in their lane.”

“These violations threaten the lives of all roadway users,” Hoover added. “Drivers who have made a habit of breaking these rules will no longer be able to avoid the consequences of their unsafe actions.”

On I-25 south of Castle Rock to Colorado Springs, the appearance of tolls had confused motorists the weekend of Aug. 19-20. 

Technicians with the Colorado Department of Transportation were performing operational testing on I-25 express lane signs over the weekend, which led to belief that the agency had activated toll charges on the 18-mile stretch of freeway between Monument and Castle Rock, according to transportation officials.

A photo of an electronic express lane sign, taken by The Denver Gazette on Sunday, displayed a toll fee of $1.75 to Larkspur and $2.75 to Castle Rock.

But Hoover clarified that the tolls have not been activated, and the final toll prices have yet to be decided upon.

“We would never spring tolls on the public without warning,” Hoover said. “We’ll give the public multiple weeks warning before tolls go into effect.”

When the commuter lane was added to the interstate in 2022, the transportation agency announced a testing period, during which toll fees would be waived. That testing period is still in effect as the state agency performs quality checks on equipment and conducts traffic studies to determine the ideal amounts to charge motorists, officials said.

If the tolls are too expensive, motorists won’t use them often enough. But if prices are too low, nearly everyone will use them, negating their effectiveness as a faster alternative to regular lanes.

In 2022, the Colorado legislature passed HB22-1074, allowing the Colorado Transportation Investment Office to enforce Colorado express lanes rules using advanced roadway technology. For more information about Colorado Express Lanes, readers can visit https://codot.gov/programs/expresslanes.