Illinois may increase speed limit 70

[hbelkins]

Really?  My Chevy gets 29 mpg when I drive 70-75 mph, and it gets 42 mpg when I drive 55 mph.  With all the distracted driving going on, I frankly think that there are enough irresponsible people driving that raising speed limits just adds gas to the fire.  Besides, the last thing that we should be doing is increasing carbon emissions these days, if we wanted to consider things in a more selfless manner.

I will trade gas mileage for getting there faster any day of the week. Especially if it increases carbon emissions, since I don't buy into the Chicken Little "OMG mankind is destroying the planet" pile of steaming

Poking across Illinois on I-64 at the posted speed limit ain't my idea of a good time.

[vdeane]

I also wonder how many long road trips those who advocate a return to 55 mph take per year.

Probably none.

[hbelkins]

I also wonder how many long road trips those who advocate a return to 55 mph take per year.

Probably none.

It's hard to imagine that anyone who does any driving would want a return to 55 mph, especially if they have any intelligence.

I remember what it was like creeping across Kentucky at 55 mph, going to Paducah for a conference. I did not feel comfortable driving over 60 mph. Even when the speed limit increased to 65 mph on interstates, it was still 55 on Kentucky's parkways (which are functionally equivalent) until Mitch McConnell succeeded in getting legislation passed in Congress to allow 65 mph on all four-lane freeways, not just interstates. The increase to 70 mph has made a big difference. For the most part, I feel comfortable driving 75 mph and I can tell a big difference in how long it takes me to get places. A trip to Frankfort that used to take a full two hours can be done in 90 minutes. Louisville and Cincinnati used to be three-hour drives, but no longer.

I can't imagine anyone enjoying going back to 55. Even when I'm taking a road trip just for the heck of it, I don't want to creep along.

[Brandon]

Sammy Hagar said it right about the 55mph limit, "what used to take two hours now takes all day."

[AsphaltPlanet]

^ I have had trips in which the gas mileage at 75 mph does not agree with the reduction that site calculates I should have - so I second the notion of wind direction being a big factor.  If the motivation is to save gas, bump up the gas tax.

Well, obviously the above link is an aggregate, so while your experience may not emulate those results exactly, other vehicles likely perform worse than what's listed above.

Personally, I do notice an increase in fuel consumption at higher speeds.  It isn't enough for me to never drive over the speed limit, but sometimes, espescially when I am going to work for evening and night shifts, I will poke along in the right lane of thefreeway at 100-105km/h.

I don't know what effects continuously variable or six and eight speed transmissions will have on gas mileage at higher speeds, but I think the impacts for fuel mileage would be positive.

[Alex]

Southern Illinois freeways are hard to drive at 65. There's such light traffic and long sight lines, upping the speed limit to 70 mph should be a no brainer.

[Brandon]

Senate backs plan for 70 mph on tollways, interstate routes

The measure would allow Cook County, the suburban collar counties and two counties near St. Louis to opt out in areas where local officials did not think the higher speed would be appropriate.

Sponsoring Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, said the change would bring Illinois in line with the more than 30 states that allow drivers to go 70 or 75 mph.

The bill moved to the House on a 41-6 Senate vote. If signed, the increase to 70 mph would take effect Jan. 1.

[Revive 755]

^ January 1?  Seems excessively long; I thought most other states managed to get the new limit into effect by July 1.  They could easily go ahead and make the changes outside of Chicagoland and the Metro East, and hold off a little bit until those counties figure out what limit they will allow.

[kphoger]

Poking across Illinois on I-64 at the posted speed limit ain't my idea of a good time.

I did it from Grayville to Mount Vernon at 48 mph, having had a turbo hose blow off several times already.

[Lyon Wonder]

The Illinois Department of Transportation is opposed to raising the speed limit to 70mph.

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1424272457/70-mph-limit-a-threat-to-safety-says-IDOT-secretary

And the American Automobile Association's also opposed to raising the speed limit in Illinois too.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/04/70-mph-speed-limit-in-illinois-opposed-by-aaa.html

[Brandon]

And both the AAA and IDiOT can piss off.  This is the same IDOT that is posting the morbid total number of highway deaths for the year on every VMS they can get their hands on.  ISTHA is simply waiting and seeing what happens.  Most folks go 70 already on the tollways, and the state troopers seem to let it go (been past by more than a few while I was doing 70!).

[SSOWorld]

AAA is more an insurance company than anything now hence why I believe they oppose it.

IDiOT?  I don't see their justification.  Never will.

It's all about the profit from fines and insurance premiums

[US 41]

They better move it up to 70. 65 is too slow. Everyone drives 70 on it anyways. Move it up.

[Brandon]

They better move it up to 70. 65 is too slow. Everyone drives 70 on it anyways. Move it up.

70 would just fit better with the states around Illinois.  Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and Indiana are all at 70.  Only Wisconsin is a 65 holdout.  Shoot, even Ohio figured it out finally.

[SSOWorld]

But i doubt Wisconsin will figure it out with all the lobbying being done against it.

[Brandon]

But i doubt Wisconsin will figure it out with all the lobbying being done against it.

Wisconsin: The Oregon of the Midwest.  All that's missing is the full-service gas stations.
Illinois is in a class all by itself.

[vdeane]

Does IDOT employ any actual engineers, or just people from the "speed kills" lobby?  Reading that article, I found so many outright lies and a statistic that sounds good but proves nothing.

Note: the statistic I'm talking about is the "70% of states with less safe roads have speed limits of 70 or higher"; note that the overall percentage of states with speed limits of 70 or higher is 74%, so that statistic is essentially meaningless.

[Brandon]

Does IDOT employ any actual engineers, or just people from the "speed kills" lobby?  Reading that article, I found so many outright lies and a statistic that sounds good but proves nothing.

Note: the statistic I'm talking about is the "70% of states with less safe roads have speed limits of 70 or higher"; note that the overall percentage of states with speed limits of 70 or higher is 74%, so that statistic is essentially meaningless.

There are days I wonder if IDOT employs engineers or is just a large patronage scheme. 

I'm just a bit sick of their total number of highway deaths this year campaign, usually posted on the VMSs as:

298 DEATHS IN 2013
PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY
DONT DRINK AND DRIVE (or other "safety" message on last two lines)

I really don't give a shit how many traffic deaths there have been this year as it is a meaningless number when detached from the causes of the accidents and where the accidents occur.

[StogieGuy7]

The woman in charge of IDOT, who expressed the anti-70 sentiment is a typical Chicago political hack who obtained her job by patronage and personal connections.  She knows no more about highway engineering or the physics of speed/acceleration than your average 3 year old guinea pig.  Nor should her opinion be worth any more than that of the aforementioned rodent.  She's a hack.     

The legislature (which has the actual authority) seems more amenable to the reality of how people actually drive.  Which is a refreshing change, because they're usually on the wrong side of any given issue. 

[Brandon]

^^ The head of the Division of Highways is a Professional Engineer.  Ann Schneider, head of IDOT, is not a Professional Engineer.    IMHO, only a PE should ever be head of IDOT, or any other similar agency in this state or any other state in the US.  Consider this PE slightly biased in that regard.

[SSOWorld]

But i doubt Wisconsin will figure it out with all the lobbying being done against it.

Wisconsin: The Oregon of the Midwest.  All that's missing is the full-service gas stations.
Illinois is in a class all by itself.

Thank you for the sig quote

[kphoger]

But i doubt Wisconsin will figure it out with all the lobbying being done against it.

Wisconsin: The Oregon of the Midwest.  All that's missing is the full-service gas stations.
Illinois is in a class all by itself.

Isn't Oregon more gung-ho about actually enforcing its laws than Illinois, though?  I've driven right past police officers on the Interstate in Illinois (65 mph limit) while going 78 more than once without being pulled over.  On Route 47 between Dwight and Gibson City (55 mph limit), I once passed by a cop while going 70 without being pulled over.  I even passed by a cop on a county road in southern Illinois (55 mph limit) in a company box truck while going 66 mph; he flashed his brake lights and kept on going.  Shoot, I've even overtaken a police car in the box truck while going about 7 over with no ill result.

[Big John]

^^ The Wisconsin reference is more appropriate here too as they are also gung-ho on speed limit enforcement.

[Brandon]

But i doubt Wisconsin will figure it out with all the lobbying being done against it.

Wisconsin: The Oregon of the Midwest.  All that's missing is the full-service gas stations.
Illinois is in a class all by itself.

Isn't Oregon more gung-ho about actually enforcing its laws than Illinois, though?  I've driven right past police officers on the Interstate in Illinois (65 mph limit) while going 78 more than once without being pulled over.  On Route 47 between Dwight and Gibson City (55 mph limit), I once passed by a cop while going 70 without being pulled over.  I even passed by a cop on a county road in southern Illinois (55 mph limit) in a company box truck while going 66 mph; he flashed his brake lights and kept on going.  Shoot, I've even overtaken a police car in the box truck while going about 7 over with no ill result.

As I said, Illinois is in a class all by itself. 

[hobsini2]

Does IDOT employ any actual engineers, or just people from the "speed kills" lobby?  Reading that article, I found so many outright lies and a statistic that sounds good but proves nothing.

Note: the statistic I'm talking about is the "70% of states with less safe roads have speed limits of 70 or higher"; note that the overall percentage of states with speed limits of 70 or higher is 74%, so that statistic is essentially meaningless.

There are days I wonder if IDOT employs engineers or is just a large patronage scheme. 

I'm just a bit sick of their total number of highway deaths this year campaign, usually posted on the VMSs as:

298 DEATHS IN 2013
PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY
DONT DRINK AND DRIVE (or other "safety" message on last two lines)

I really don't give a shit how many traffic deaths there have been this year as it is a meaningless number when detached from the causes of the accidents and where the accidents occur.

I agree. All I need to see on the VMS signs are xx min to ____ and the Amber Alerts that pop up from time to time. The rest of it they can do away with. BTW, this morning, the count was at 311.