In its ongoing effort to enhance road safety within its borders, the Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) has decided to ramp up its Traffic Safety Initiative (TSI), embracing the potential of Automated Vehicle Identification System (AVIS) technology to keep a check on speedsters. This AI-driven approach comes as legislative support through Senate Bill 23-200, which paves the way for identifying problem streets as corridors. These corridors are marked by a history of crashes, speeding, reckless driving, and rising community complaints, according to the City of Fort Collins.
Fort Collins is no stranger to automated enforcement, having implemented speed and red-light cameras in 1997 and 2005, respectively. The current system includes four Jeep vehicles with camera radar systems and cameras at six major intersections across the city. The SB 23-200 fueled codification under Fort Collins Traffic Codes 615 and 1106 escalates the existing measures to include AVIS corridors, earmarked to receive heightened automated scrutiny.
Moreover, citizens can expect two subsequent 30-day notice periods before any actual fines are imposed. The first will serve as an announcement, and during the second, warnings will be sent rather than fines to errant drivers. FCPS commits to a week's public notice in advance of these periods. According to the details furnished, speeding violations come with a $40 fine, red-light infringements at $75, and speeding in construction zones earning double penalties.
The expansion of the TSI will see the fleet growing with two transportable units, capable of shifting operations to various traffic-concern zones within the city. Included on the AVIS list are corridors spanning from College Avenue to Lemay Avenue on Suniga Road, to Riverside Drive's stretch between College Avenue and Pitkin Street, amongst others. The newly introduced fine system does not jot down points on the driver's record provided the speeding isn't an egregious 25 mph over the limit. As per FCPS's guidelines, as cited by the City of Fort Collins, violators will be furnished with evidence of their infraction and instructions on fine payment or court contestation.
