Speed and red-light cameras in Colorado city of Longmont issue more than 16,000 tickets this year as drivers debate safety

Traffic cameras that started ticketing this April are bringing in thousands of citations as Longmont police hope to make roadways safer, but they are also frustrating some drivers.

Earlier this spring, the Colorado city installed two stationary speed and red-light camera systems to supplement its two existing mobile enforcement units. Since January, Longmont police report cameras have issued more than 16,000 citations and generated more than $200,000 in revenue. This is down the road from Highway 119 where the Colorado Department of Transportation installed speed cameras and reported seeing a decrease in speed.

For some drivers, the new cameras in Longmont are a frustration on the road.

"They are an annoyance," one driver Rodolfo Medina said.

Others see them differently.

"It's a safety issue. If you're driving 10 miles over the speed limit, you know you deserve a ticket," another Longmont driver Mike Stallings said.

Another driver, Terzah Becker said, "I feel like it's a it's a way to deal with that problem without having to station a police officer at every corner, and it'll save lives."

But some residents shared concerns about the motives behind the cameras.

"I think it's ridiculous. I think they're using it as revenue to pay for other things and other projects in the city... " another driver Shane Schwader said.

Longmont police acknowledge the money collected from citations goes into the city's general fund, but they say generating revenue wasn't their reason for expanding automated enforcement.

"We're not in this for the money grab like people think. This is ultimately to attain our Vision Zero initiative to really make those streets safe. ... So we want people to slow down," Longmont Police Traffic Sgt. Colin Jessen said.

Some of the most citations are recorded at the intersection of Ken Pratt Boulevard and Main Street, an intersection the city previously said had some of the most crashes in the city.

Police say they've already noticed encouraging signs, including some residents emailing in to request the mobile units to help slow down drivers on certain roads.

"Listening to the radio on a daily basis on the days that I work, it does sound like I've heard a reduction in crashes," Jessen said.

City crash data from the last six months shows a slight decrease in crashes overall. However, police say it's still too early to know how much of that decline is directly tied to the new cameras.

When it comes to driver speed now, Jessen said, "It seems that there hasn't been as much as a decrease as I initially thought there was going to be, but it's also pretty new."

As with any new enforcement program, police say they're also working through a few issues. A handful of drivers have contacted the department after receiving citations they believe were issued in error.

"We've had a couple people reach out, and that's just a quality control thing that we need to be better on our end," Jessen said.

According to the city: a red-light running violation occurs when a motorist enters an intersection .4 seconds after the traffic signal has turned red, and the speed camera system will issue speed violations for 11 mph and over. These cameras each had a month warning period before tickets were issued. The initial mobile speed cameras began ticketing in May 2025, and the newer stationary red-light and speed cameras began ticketing in April 2026.

Longmont police say they're also evaluating whether to install another permanent red-light camera in the future as the city continues its Vision Zero effort to reduce serious crashes and traffic deaths.