Illinois may increase speed limit 70

[hm insulators]

I watch the Sigalert site often, and California drivers are always flooring to capacity; 70 - 75 mph in greater Los Angeles. I doubt if the speed limits are higher than 60 - 65 in much of urban Southern California.

Closer to downtown Los Angeles, the speed limits are 55.

[lamsalfl]

Welcome to 1996, Illinois! 

/did they really do it?

[3467]

No Legislature has adjourned after passing something they called a budget

[Bickendan]

Look at that west-coast state sticking out like a sore thumb.

[Brandon]

^^
Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oregon need to join the 21st Century.  For that matter, most of the northeast could also bump up to 70 with no problem, IMHO.

[Alex]

What about Utah's 80 mph sections along Interstate 15?

[froggie]

That graphic comes from Wikipedia and hasn't been updated since 2007.  So not only do you have the 80 MPH along I-15, but you also have Virginia now allowing up to 70 MPH.

[huskeroadgeek]

^^
Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oregon need to join the 21st Century.  For that matter, most of the northeast could also bump up to 70 with no problem, IMHO.

Oregon being at 65 creates a really strange situation crossing into the state from Idaho on I-84. The speed limit drops to 65 from 75-which makes no sense considering that eastern Oregon isn't any more congested than Idaho, in fact less so considering that a vehicle traveling west on I-84 has just gone through the Boise-Nampa-Caldwell area not too far back. Illinois being at 65 too is really odd, especially with all of the downstate interstates that go through long open stretches. Outside of the St. Louis area, there isn't any area south of I-72 that shouldn't be at least 70.

[Brandon]

^^
Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oregon need to join the 21st Century.  For that matter, most of the northeast could also bump up to 70 with no problem, IMHO.

Oregon being at 65 creates a really strange situation crossing into the state from Idaho on I-84. The speed limit drops to 65 from 75-which makes no sense considering that eastern Oregon isn't any more congested than Idaho, in fact less so considering that a vehicle traveling west on I-84 has just gone through the Boise-Nampa-Caldwell area not too far back. Illinois being at 65 too is really odd, especially with all of the downstate interstates that go through long open stretches. Outside of the St. Louis area, there isn't any area south of I-72 that shouldn't be at least 70.

Hell, most of Chicagoland could be 70.  The tollway exits are far enough apart, and people drive 70-75 anyway.

[tmthyvs]

Count me in on the side that says that if you post speed limits that complement (not restrict) the speed capacity of the specific road, there are less accidents (and deaths).

One thing I like about Colorado--the DOT seems to be on board with that--at least somewhat. They recently upped the speed limit on I-25 in south metro Denver by 5-10 mph to more accurately match the actual conditions--stating at the time that it would enhance safety by reducing the speed differential between people who were traveling the posted limit in order to stay under the limit and those who were traveling at a speed closer to the design speed. They're thinking about raising the limit 10mph on a section of Santa Fe Drive as well for the same reasons. Now, if they could take care of I-25 north of downtown...

[corco]

One thing I like about Colorado--the DOT seems to be on board with that--at least somewhat. They recently upped the speed limit on I-25 in south metro Denver by 5-10 mph to more accurately match the actual conditions--stating at the time that it would enhance safety by reducing the speed differential between people who were traveling the posted limit in order to stay under the limit and those who were traveling at a speed closer to the design speed. They're thinking about raising the limit 10mph on a section of Santa Fe Drive as well for the same reasons. Now, if they could take care of I-25 north of downtown...

Yeah- the parts of Denver that are 55 are a complete joke. I don't think they even give out tickets as long as you keep it under 70- at least that's been my experience.

I-70 east of town out by the airport desperately needs to be changed as well- I don't drive the section west of I-270 very often, but the section east of I-270 could definitely be 65. Heck, there's absolutely no reason why I-270 needs to be 55.

(edit: 1000th post   wooo :birthday:)

[tmthyvs]

One thing I like about Colorado--the DOT seems to be on board with that--at least somewhat. They recently upped the speed limit on I-25 in south metro Denver by 5-10 mph to more accurately match the actual conditions--stating at the time that it would enhance safety by reducing the speed differential between people who were traveling the posted limit in order to stay under the limit and those who were traveling at a speed closer to the design speed. They're thinking about raising the limit 10mph on a section of Santa Fe Drive as well for the same reasons. Now, if they could take care of I-25 north of downtown...

Yeah- the parts of Denver that are 55 are a complete joke. I don't think they even give out tickets as long as you keep it under 70- at least that's been my experience.

Shoot--you'd need a death wish to drive 55 on most of those parts.

[golden eagle]

I couldn't figure out why Illinois couldn't increase the speed to 70. It's one thing to have it a 65 around Chicago.

[njroadhorse]

I don't understand why most states haven't upped their limits to 70.  Most people drive it anyway, and there's enough open space in most areas (except the urban ones) to merit it, unless the road is horribly substandard *cough* Most of Pennsylvania *cough*.

[Brandon]

I couldn't figure out why Illinois couldn't increase the speed to 70. It's one thing to have it a 65 around Chicago.

No, 70 would be fine around Chicago.  Michigan has it 70 in most parts of Detroit.

[JREwing78]

My understanding is that Chicagoland's speed limits had more to do with the federal Clean Air Act than anything else. At least, that's Cleveland's reason its area freeways (except the Ohio Turnpike) are posted at 60mph instead of the 65mph in other areas of Ohio.

[Revive 755]

^ The Chicagoland speed limits may also have to do with local legislators, as Chicago was exempted from repealing the split auto/truck speed limits unlike the rest of the state.

[SSOWorld]

Does it really make a difference to the environment what speed cars are traveling at?

[froggie]

Does it really make a difference to the environment what speed cars are traveling at?

Believe it or not, yes it does...

[Brandon]

Does it really make a difference to the environment what speed cars are traveling at?

Not too terribly much.  The worst environmental speed is zero, when they're idling or in stop and go traffic.  The difference between 55 and 70 isn't so much.  And people will ignore it anyway (as observed in Texas).  The emissions controls on the car have more of an effect, but the safety nannies are the ones who team up with the enviro-wienies to get crappy laws like that.

[tchafe1978]

Yeah, it's so crappy that speed limit laws are enacted to keep people driving at a safe speed. And it is a proven fact that the faster a car is driven over 55 mph, the lower gas mileage it gets. I don't have the exact numbers offhand, but mileage drops a certain percentage for every mile an hour over 55, due the the effects of wind resistance and aerodynamics.

[Brandon]

Yeah, it's so crappy that speed limit laws are enacted to keep people driving at a safe speed. And it is a proven fact that the faster a car is driven over 55 mph, the lower gas mileage it gets. I don't have the exact numbers offhand, but mileage drops a certain percentage for every mile an hour over 55, due the the effects of wind resistance and aerodynamics.

Whose job is it to monitor gas mileage?  IMHO, it should not be anyone other than the driver.
Anyway, gas mileage above 55mph has gotten much better since the early 1970s, and the whole drop in speed only yielded a savings of 0.1%.  Not worth it to try to control behavior.  Better to set a reasonable limit (i.e. 70mph) and keep traffic flowing.

[agentsteel53]

Yeah, it's so crappy that speed limit laws are enacted to keep people driving at a safe speed.

except it doesn't work that way.  If everyone drives 75, the road is a lot safer than with our current mix of legal eagles and grandmas who drive 55, and those who know damn well they can get away with 75. 

A speed limit of 55 is innately not the worst idea in the world.  Combining that with an enforcement standard of "my donut tasted crappy this morning, so everyone's getting a ticket" is significantly worse.

[agentsteel53]

And people will ignore it anyway (as observed in Texas). 

actually Texas has the most speed limit enforcement I know of.  West Texas, anyway.  Used to be that the speed limit was 75, and you could get away with 84 and not much more.  Now, on certain stretches, the speed limit is 80 ... and you can get away with 84 and not much more.  How's that for signing accurately to the law.

furthermore, two-lane roads have the option of being signed 75 as well - that is because Texas is confident (usually quite rightly) that all of their roads are built to the capacity that they need to handle.

I don't know how well night speed limits are enforced.  I tend to drop a few miles per hour just on grounds of general safety: everything is bigger in Texas, including the deer!

[Brandon]

^^ Jake, I was referring to the environmental speed limits used around Houston.