Annual Cost to Rent Speed Enforcement Cameras for Deployment in Colorado was $120,000 for Five Cameras.

Speeding on rural streets has been identified as a persistent safety concern, indicating a need for more effective speed management strategies.  In 2023, this prompted the Colorado State Legislature to authorize local governments to use automated speed enforcement. Following this legislation, police departments in Vail, Avon, and Glenwood Springs deployed automated speed camera systems within their city or town limits in late 2025. Deployments included five camera enforcement sites in the Avon, four cameras in Glenwood Springs, and two cameras in Vail. 

The systems photograph speeding vehicles’ rear license plate images, use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify plate information, and route potential violations through vendor staff and municipal police departments for human verification before mailing citations to vehicle owners. After a 30-day warning period at each site, citations ($40) were issued for speeds at least 10 mph over the speed limit, with fines doubled to $80 in active school or construction zones in Avon and Vail.

• Automated speed camera systems deployed in Avon and Glenwood Springs were rented from a contracted vendor at a cost of $2,000 per camera per month. 
• For five cameras, this equals approximately $120,000 per year.

For each $40 speeding citation, $12 goes to vendor processing fees, and the local agency receives the remaining $28, which is used to cover operational and maintenance costs. Any remaining revenue after is directed toward public safety, traffic enforcement, and transportation needs, consistent with Colorado State Law.