Denver outlines plan for first automated speed cameras
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Denver's transportation and infrastructure department (DOTI) says it's nearing a final draft for a bill to install the city's first automated speed programs targeting two of the city's most dangerous corridors.
Why it matters: Speed is a major factor in serious auto accidents, and officials believe these cameras can help reduce the alarming rise in traffic deaths.
State of play: The cameras will likely be installed along the central section of Federal Boulevard and the eastern side of Alameda Boulevard, DOTI executive director Amy Ford told Denver City Council members Wednesday.
- The cameras issue tickets for anyone speeding 11 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, Ford added.
The intrigue: Data shared Wednesday suggests the city's SPEED program helped curtail fatal and serious crashes along Federal and Alameda, which didn't record a single fatal crash last year.
- Launched in 2024, the program included steps like adding speed limit signs, made signals at night "rest at red" and programmed traffic lights to slow drivers.
By the numbers: Speed played a role in 21% of the 93 fatal crashes in the city last year, per preliminary Denver police data presented Wednesday.
- Speed was the second-highest contributing factor, behind impaired driving, which caused roughly a third of all fatal crashes.
What's next: A final draft for the speed camera bill should be completed this month.
- It will allow the camera's installation in streets where a disproportionate amount of serious accidents occur, DOTI spokesperson Nancy Kuhn tells us.