Ladies & gentlemen, start your engines. The Daily Herald observed that ...State lawmakers Wednesday voted to raise speed limits on Illinois tollways to 70 mph in urban areas. The Illinois House overrode Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of the idea without debate. The Senate already did the same last month, so the proposal will become law next year. Suburban county boards could opt out of the plan and keep tollway speed limits at 55 mph.The champagne corks must be flying around the Lake County Board offices. One source told your LakeCountyEye: "At 70 MPH we can move twice the number of cars through the Route 53 Extension over previous estimates. That translates into twice the amount of toll dollars. We may just pay off this concrete pork barrel in my lifetime!"
Tollway speed limit going to 70 unless counties object
That's all your LakeCountyEye has. Hit the road.
2 comments:
The over-ride passed by a bi-partisan 90% majority. Lawmakers did the right thing and the higher limit, without a doubt, WILL IMPROVE SAFETY if implemented by as required by the law. Any competent (and independent/retired) transportation engineer would say the same.
Transportation engineers agree almost universally around he world that proper and safe speed limits are set at the 85th percentile speed under good conditions. On Illiniois Tollways the 85th percentile speed is 70 mph or higher everywhere according the Tollway's studies as well as those I have conducted with a fellow activist.
In addition, raising limits rarely changes actual travel speeds. This has been proven over and over, including in our own area a few years back. When the south leg of I-355 had its limit increased from 55 to 65, the actual speeds only moved by about 1-2 mph (according to Tollway officials).
The rea$on limit$ are $o low i$ clear to mo$t ob$erver$. Nay$ayer$ are either uneducated on the science or they are in the revenue $tream and are protecting their pocketbook$. Who is in the revenue $tream? To name a few, police, traffic attorney$, municipalitie$, court$, judge$, $peed camera maker$, traffic school$ and insurance companie$, including AAA.
The original bill passed in 2013 was meant to also raise the limit from 55 to 70 on suburban Tollways but the Tollway Authority resisted (probably at the ex-governor’s behest) and therefore the clarifying legislation was needed.
Steve Doner
Life Member and Former
Illinois Chapter Coordinator
National Motorists Association
Counties do not have jurisdiction over interstates. The county provision was in an earlier bill which included an increase to limits on some secondary roads.
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