Millions of dollars collected through Colorado express lane enforcement
In a matter of months, the Colorado Department of Transportation has issued more than $11 million in fines to drivers crossing in and out of express lanes.
Enforcement started on the Mountain Express Lanes on Interstate 70 in July of last year and on northbound Interstate 25 and southbound C470 in October.
"When I found out, I was up to $1,500 in fines," Marcos Rodriguez said.
He's one of the hundreds of thousands of drivers in Colorado who have now received a violation notice and a $75 fine for crossing in and out of the express lane.
"I saw the sign that's like, 'if you're in violation.' I thought that just meant if you didn't have a tag," he said.
Tim Hoover, deputy director of communications for CDOT, says highly sophisticated cameras and sensors along the express lanes capture images of a vehicle's license plate as they cross over the white line.
Since putting the technology in place, he says they've seen a significant decline in the behavior.
"Violations are down 60%. We would like to drive them down even more -- as low as they'll go," he said. "It would be wonderful if we didn't collect a single dollar in revenue."
But right now they are, having collected millions of dollars in a matter of months. CBS News Colorado requested a breakdown of the numbers.
Along the Mountain Express Lanes, more than $1.1 million has been collected in penalties. On I-25, that number jumps up to over $3.5 million and C470 tops the list with more than $3.7 million collected.
"They carry about ten times more traffic than I-70 in the mountains does," Hoover said. "Once we add central (Interstate) 70 to the system, that's going to change things because central 70 does carry quite a lot of traffic."
While they've heard a number of reasons for the violations, most of the disputes that have come in are denied.
"When somebody says, 'Oh well I was forced into the express lane,' and we say, 'OK, tell us why,' and they say, 'well the car in front of me slammed on its brakes,' well that generally means you were following too close," he said.
Rodriguez claims he wasn't weaving in and out, but instead would get out of the express lane before missing his exit, outside of the designated areas.
"I go but then I have to go past my exit. It makes no sense," Rodriguez said.
His violation notices went to a temporary address, which meant every $75 ticket doubled to $150. Whether he agrees or not, he has little recourse.
"The way things are going for me right now, financially there's no way I have $1,500," he added.
After operating costs -- which largely pay for contractors to run the system -- the amount CDOT walks away with is around $4 million.
That money, Hoover says, will be put into additional education and ads telling drivers not to weave.
The department hopes to launch the same enforcement along central I-70 (from downtown Denver to Peña Boulevard) and the South Gap (I-25 between Castle Rock and Monument) sometime this year.
