Mid-morning on a Friday, I-70 Westbound is at a standstill. Heading east on West 44th Avenue, I watch as dozens of cars and three semis snake along the westbound lanes from a single traffic wave; shortly behind them, another set of vehicles matching in volume follows, and soon after, another. Approximately 135,000 drivers travel on I-70 through Wheat Ridge daily, and with its proximity to West 44th Avenue between Harlan and Ward Road, it is commonly used as a cut-through alternative route to interstate gridlocks, rerouting thousands of drivers through our semi-rural community.
Sometimes people don’t like change. Whether from sentiment or apprehension, folks lament at change, and automated speed cameras are no exception. We’ve heard folks refer to the cameras as “lazy policing,” or object to 3 AM monitoring as overreaching authority.
However, in a community of 32,000 residents, our police force must be smart with its resources. These cameras act as a force multiplier, allowing officers to focus on property and person crimes, community building and outreach, while cameras help with enforcing traffic safety. After all, the speed limit didn’t change, and even with automated speed cameras, a driver can still be pulled over the old-fashioned way in Wheat Ridge, too.
Changing Habits Showing Real Results
The pilot program launched in April 2025 with a permanent camera at Wheat Ridge High School. The data collected from the single camera suggests the intended effect is taking hold:
June 2025: 4,100 citations issued during the first full month.
May 2026: Only 1,100 citations issued for the full month.
Impact: An almost 75% reduction in speeding violations, proving that drivers are adjusting their behavior.
I’ve lived off West 44th Avenue for over 20 years, traveling it daily at 35 MPH. I’ve learned the hard way that the more I sped, the more red lights I caught, the more fines I paid, and the heftier my mechanic bill became. Most importantly, I learned it’s extremely dangerous to a community of pedestrians. According to the Federal Highway Administration, a pedestrian hit at 40 MPH has only a 15% chance of survival, which declines sharply based on the age of the victim and size of the vehicle involved. Wheat Ridge is a community of pedestrians in which automated speed control cameras are creating a substantial impact in slowing drivers down. The data speaks for itself.
Where Are the Cameras Now?
Wheat Ridge currently utilizes four automated speed cameras and a flexible “Dragon Eye” unit:
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What’s next?
By fall of this year, two red light cameras will be operational along West 32nd and West 44th Avenues at Kipling, targeting high impact collision intersections. The public will receive at least 30 days’ notice before they go live.
Some folks call the program a money-maker. In 2025, the city collected $499,586 in citations. Of that, $75,811 was allocated to the Wheat Ridge General Fund to support sidewalk maintenance and Active Adult Center costs. The remainder covered vendor fees for the Maryland-based program and its California processing center, which is where we send our payments when our vehicle has had its picture takeBy one of these cameras.
While the processing is out-of-state, every incident is reviewed by a uniformed Wheat Ridge Police Officer to ensure accuracy and check for more egregious offenses, such as driving 20+ MPH over the limit.
The goal isn’t profit; it’s a reminder to motorists to drive through Wheat Ridge like they live here.
