AURORA | Aurora police will begin using two mobile photo speed-enforcement cameras this week, launching a program police officials say is aimed at reducing speeding and cutting the number of serious crashes on local roads.
The rollout begins this week with a 30-day warning period before citations start going out Dec. 17, Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement.
The project follows years of rising car crashes in the city, including 7,561 last year, when 50 people were killed on Aurora roadways. So far in 2025, police have logged more than 6,200 crashes and 47 traffic deaths.
Lt. Chris Amsler, who commands the department’s Traffic Section, said speeding remains one of the biggest contributors to fatal and serious-injury collisions. He said research shows that receiving a speeding ticket often changes driver behavior.
“We expect the photo enforcement program will result in safer driving habits, especially near schools, around parks and in our densely populated residential neighborhoods,” Amsler said.
Under state law, photo speed enforcement cameras can be used only in residential areas with posted limits of 35 mph or below, school zones, streets bordering municipal parks and designated work zones.
Aurora’s cameras will move periodically, with placement decisions based on crash history, traffic safety risks and community feedback, Moylan said.
Signs will mark every enforcement zone, as required by law. Police said cameras may return to previous sites to measure whether driving behavior has improved.
Fines are capped at $40 for standard violations and $80 in school zones. Drivers caught traveling more than 25 mph over the speed limit will receive a court summons in addition to a citation.
Although speeding violators are required to pay fines, the infractions do not impose “points” on a driver’s state record, according to state and local regulations.
Appeals will be handled through the Aurora Parking and Traffic Bureau.
Revenue from fines will first pay for program costs, and any extra money will go toward neighborhood traffic-calming projects, according to city documentation.
A new state law also gives police more flexibility in how they issue citations, including permission to mail them and additional time to do so — a change that Aurora officials say will help the mobile-camera program function more efficiently.
The Aurora City Council first approved photo speed enforcement in July 2022 after several years of increasing crash and fatality numbers locally and statewide.
Residents can learn more or suggest locations for enforcement through Access Aurora at AuroraGov.org/PhotoEnforcement.
