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As Colorado Department of Transportation collects millions from express lane violations, drivers say dispute hearings getting delayed

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As Colorado Department of Transportation collects millions from express lane violations, drivers say dispute hearings getting delayed


A safety enforcement program under Colorado’s Department of Transportation is bringing in millions of dollars from drivers entering and exiting the express lanes outside designated areas. CBS Colorado first reported on the numbers in January and found:

  • Along the mountain corridor drivers paid around $1.1 million in penalties. 
  • Along I -25, that number is over $3.5 million.
  • Those using C-470 top the list with more than $3.7 million collected in fees.

Those with violations say disputing those tickets isn’t always easy.

“From the west side of town to the east side of town,” Jeffery Farrar said.

Farrar recently started driving senior citizens to medical appointments. He paid to use the C-470 express lane from Wadsworth Boulevard to Broadway — like the sign above the express lanes advertised. He found there’s no designated lane exit at Broadway and rather than continue down the express lane and incur more costs, he crossed the double white line to exit.

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Scott Wylie uses a different portion of C-470, an area that is now under heavy construction and has semi-trucks coming on at high speeds.

“The bigger safety issue is not moving out of that center lane over into the toll lane to get out of the way of those trucks,” he said about why he crossed the double white line.

Both have express lane passes but were hit with safety violations for crossing over that double white line. And both disputed those tickets online.

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Farrar lost his dispute and chose not to request a hearing. It cost him.

“Now I’m left paying double. I paid $150,” he said after the fine doubled for not being paid in the allotted 20 days.

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CBS


 Wylie is still fighting a violation from November. His dispute was denied even after the department dismissed two other tickets for the same safety concerns. He opted to have the hearing and he believes he can win.

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“I’ve been practicing law for 43 years and I’ve represented toll authorities — not this toll authority, not CDOT — but I have represented other toll authorities in Florida, Texas, Colorado, Illinois,” he said.

But the online calendar to schedule that hearing has no open dates and hasn’t for months.

“I had to go to the 800 customer service number on the notice, call them and the rep just laughed when I told her I was unable to schedule a hearing online. She just laughed and said, ‘Well that’s because we have had so many disputes in so many hearing requests that all of the hearing dates in times have been taken,’” he recalls her saying.

Wylie can no longer access the online calendar and weeks of calling to find an opening were unsuccessful. Two months later, he still has no hearing.

He believes others wouldn’t be so persistent.

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“That’s why they’re collecting $3.7 million plus dollars, is because everyone doesn’t have the tools and resources to do what I’ve done. Most people are going to give up and say they’re just going to pay it,” Wylie said.

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CBS


 Tim Hoover with CDOT says revenue from safety enforcement is not a priority. In an interview in January, he pointed instead to the changes in behavior that they’ve seen and said “Violations are down 60%. We would like to drive them down even more — as low as they’ll go. … It would be wonderful if we didn’t collect a single dollar in revenue.

A request for records found:

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– In the first few months of enforcement CDOT issued 242,695 violations.

– There were around 7,300 disputes and roughly 450 people have asked for hearings. Add in another 34,000 default hearings for those who never responded to their violations and the schedule is no doubt busy.

Hoover declined to do a second interview but says like several other courts there is a wait but that they are trying to hire more administrative hearing officers. He says they are legally required to provide a hearing within 75 days and to date haven’t failed to meet that obligation.

Wiley, who was among the first to be cited when enforcement started in November, is still waiting.

“I would have thought that by now I would have been contacted,” Wylie said.

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For those who do get a hearing and disagree with the decision, they can appeal in county court. According to CDOT, only one case has made it that far.

Hoover added that the system is brand new and has never been used before anywhere and they will continue to adjust and improve it as needed, whether that’s making it easier for people to navigate the system when they’ve gotten fines or whether it’s a more streamlined system to appeal fines.



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Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license hits three pedestrians, killing one

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Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license hits three pedestrians, killing one


A man already driving with a suspended license from a DUI is now accused of intentionally plowing into three people on a sidewalk in Colorado.

This happened near the intersection of East Wildcat Reserve Parkway and Willowbridge Way in Highlands Ranch around 10:30 a.m. Monday.

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Witnesses say that after the crash, the driver made a U-turn, went back to the scene, slowly drove past the wreckage, then left. That allowed another witness to follow him 5.5 miles down to Daniels Park, where just 15 minutes later, 28-year-old Adam Bauserman was taken into custody.

Bauserman’s demeanor was described by deputies as “unusually quiet.” At one point, he apparently asked, “Do you know if I killed the man?”

As it would turn out, the man survived, but his girlfriend did not. Flowers are piling up at the scene of a morning walk that turned deadly.

Right now, investigators don’t believe the driver knew any of those victims.

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“You expect to be safe when you’re walking on the sidewalk,” said neighbor Beth Chitel, who lived just yards from the crash site until she moved last month. “These are very highly trafficked pathways around here; it could have happened to any of our friends, any of our neighbors, any of our children.”

“This was a horrific scene,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly.

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CBS


Thirty-five-year-old Corrine More died in the crash. Her sister tells CBS Colorado she lived in the neighborhood and was out on a walk with her boyfriend. She describes Corrine as a nursing student with a big heart who was loved by everyone who knew her, and who was beautiful inside and out.

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Corrine’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Kyle Vasey, was seriously injured. He has undergone multiple surgeries and was described by a doctor in the affidavit as being at substantial risk for permanent disfigurement or death.

The other victim is 72-year-old Dianne Windes. The sheriff says she was walking in the opposite direction from the couple. She was also hospitalized with serious injuries.

Witnesses believe the driver who crashed into the three pedestrians did so on purpose.

“If we can prove that, we’ll certainly do that, but at this point we have no indication of that,” Weekly said.

It was thanks to a witness who followed that truck that deputies arrested Bauserman, who was driving with a revoked license after a DUI last year.

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“Mr. Bauserman has had several revocations and suspensions of his license over the last 10 years,” Weekly said. “He should never have been on the roadway, and as a result of that, somebody is now deceased.”

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Douglas County Sheriff’s Office


Deputies did not detect immediate signs of intoxication but are waiting on blood test results.

Right now, investigators believe Bauserman was only traveling 3 mph over the speed limit, at about 48 mph in a 45 mph zone. That will need to be confirmed in the investigation.

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“He should never have been on the roadway, period. And so, the fact that somebody in our community has been lost in such a tragic, horrible way. How many lives have been destroyed by this selfish act?” Weekly asked.

“I want to express my sympathies to the families, and yeah, we’re here to support you as a community, and we’re by your side,” said Chitel.

Neighbor Beth Chitel started an online fundraiser for the victims.

“The last thing that the family should be having to worry about right now is the bills that are coming,” said Chitel.

The sheriff says that 15 to 20 community members stepped up to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.

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Chitel says the community has been hurt by other recent tragedies, like the death of 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz, who was hit while in the crosswalk on his way to school. That fatal crash happened just over a mile away from this one.

“Something really needs to be done. The community is well aware of the safety issues posed there, of course. Again, we don’t expect them on the sidewalk,” said Chitel. “We need more crosswalks; we could use more stoplights. We need more safety measures put in place because, in general, it’s really not a safe road. People speed on it.”

“It’s absolutely horrible. As the sheriff, I have done a lot to increase traffic enforcement. We’ve almost doubled the size of our traffic unit. I expect my folks to be out there and be productive and ensure the safety of our citizens. These tragedies, certainly back to back, are heartbreaking for everybody involved, it shouldn’t happen,” Weekly said.

Three families are forever changed, a community is left with questions, and the investigation is just beginning.

“We need to make sure that we do our job well, and that we get justice for all these victims,” Weekly said.

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Bauserman is being held on charges including vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Preliminary charges Bauserman is facing include the following seven felonies and one misdemeanor:

  • Vehicular homicide
  • Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving death
  • Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury (two counts)
  • Vehicular assault (two counts)
  • Assault in the second degree – crimes to at-risk persons
  • Driving a motor vehicle with a license is under restraint (express consent refusal/DUI conviction)

These charges could change based on the results of the blood tests and additional information that is garnered through the investigation.

A judge set Bauserman’s bond at $100,000.

As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office says anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Pereira at bpereira@dcsheriff.net or call (303) 660-7537.

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Eagle Rock Ranch

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Eagle Rock Ranch


When Dave and Jean Gottenborg met as teenagers wrangling horses in Estes Park, they dreamed of one day running a ranch together. That dream fell by the wayside for decades until 2012, when the couple purchased Eagle Rock Ranch in the Tarryall Valley.

Talking about the Gottenborg’s ranch means deliberately avoiding words like “owners” and “ownership.” The couple “manage” their land — their preferred term — through the conservationist lens of thinkers like Wendell Berry and Aldo Leopold. Visitors are welcome on the land (see some basic guidelines here), and they sell their beef by the cut, box and share at their family-owned mercantile in Fairplay.



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Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for Jun. 02

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Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for Jun. 02


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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

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The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Angels.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels?

First pitch between the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Jun. 02.

How to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

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Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for Jun. 02 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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