Illinois may increase speed limit 70

[Brandon]

Crazy Volvo Guy, 

[kphoger]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the normal cruising speed for half the drivers on the East-West Tollway in the suburbs can possibly be the limit of what is safe on highways like I-24 to Kentucky (5 exits in 36 miles), I-64 to Indiana (6 exits in 51 miles), and I-64 to O'Fallon (7 exits in 50 miles).

Secondly, the parts of 57, 24, and 64 (not so much with 64) that were mentioned by HB Elkins are in a forested (Shawnee National Forest) and hilly area of the state. Even in daylight, you get critters that try to run over the road often down there.

It doesn't take a forested area to have critters.  I grew up in western Kansas, where they've barely even heard of trees, and there were deer darting out into the highway all the time.  Good luck finding a state where animals don't cross the road.

And lastly, speaking as someone who drives professionally, you have to account for the mentality of the average Illinois driver, especially the 7 collar counties.  The mentality is that if the speed limit is 55 on the expressway, you can go 65-70 without being pulled over and given a ticket. In 65 zones, that jumps to 75.  If you go any higher than 70, which the mentality would be doing 75-80, you are asking for trouble. I am confident in my abilities as a driver at a high speed. I am not confident with others. Frankly, I wish half the people in this state didn't have a license with how reckless they drive especially on expressways.  I have no patience for stupid/reckless drivers and I do report them to the proper police.  To me a reckless driver is just as bad as a drunk driver.

In my experience there, which included driving a box truck approximately 300 miles in southern Illinois at least four days a week for more than a year, the problem drivers quite rarely had Illinois plates.  The definite majority of poor drivers on downstate Interstates have tags from the southern states–Mississippi, especially.  Their poor behavior is usually driving too slowly and erratically, not driving too fast.  The very few super-speed demons out there don't give a lick what the speed limit is anyway; they're going to drive 95 no matter what, and the same is true on the urban expressways.

But poor driver behavior should not, IMO, be a reason to make a speed limit this or that number.

[hobsini2]

That's fine if my opinions are in the minority on this but IMO those are still issues that need to be addressed to a given area when you decide to change the speed limit.

[Revive 755]

Still no signature or veto from Quinn yet.

I wonder if IDOT and ISTHA will revise their highway standards for 2014 assuming the increase is approved right away or hold off, see if the increase is approved, and then hold off on any definite highway standard until the 2015 set?  I thinking there would at least be a modification to the standard for transitioning into a construction zone.

[ET21]

The mentality is that if the speed limit is 55 on the expressway, you can go 65-70 without being pulled over and given a ticket. In 65 zones, that jumps to 75.  If you go any higher than 70, which the mentality would be doing 75-80, you are asking for trouble.

Urban legend.  The mentality is that 65-72 is what is most comfortable for most people on most freeways.

There's my speed limits on any Interstate. Like I said though, I'll push to 75 when necessary (though I got comfortable with 80-90 mph, the speed at which my roommate drove this past Saturday)

[Brandon]

^^ I do wish Governor Jello would get his ass in gear and sign the damn bill already.  He's doing the medical marijuana bill, why the fuck not something that helps more of the population?  Even Darth Mike and Darth John could see the sense in it.

[ET21]

^^ I do wish Governor Jello would get his ass in gear and sign the damn bill already.  He's doing the medical marijuana bill, why the fuck not something that helps more of the population?  Even Darth Mike and Darth John could see the sense in it.

Please, he has to hide the payrolls of everyone until the pension is redone 

You could base a Comedy Central TV show off of this "government"

[Brandon]

^^ I do wish Governor Jello would get his ass in gear and sign the damn bill already.  He's doing the medical marijuana bill, why the fuck not something that helps more of the population?  Even Darth Mike and Darth John could see the sense in it.

Please, he has to hide the payrolls of everyone until the pension is redone 

You could base a Comedy Central TV show off of this "government"

Yeah, "Governor Jello and the Sith Lords". 

[Big John]

^^^ Per the Illinois constitution:  http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con4.htm

Relevant parts:

SECTION 9. VETO PROCEDURE
    (a)  Every bill passed by the General Assembly shall be
presented to the Governor within 30 calendar days after its
passage. The foregoing requirement shall be judicially
enforceable. If the Governor approves the bill, he shall sign
it and it shall become law.
    (b)  If the Governor does not approve the bill, he shall
veto it by returning it with his objections to the house in
which it originated. Any bill not so returned by the Governor
within 60 calendar days after it is presented to him shall
become law. If recess or adjournment of the General Assembly
prevents the return of a bill, the bill and the Governor's
objections shall be filed with the Secretary of State within
such 60 calendar days. The Secretary of State shall return
the bill and objections to the originating house promptly
upon the next meeting of the same General Assembly at which
the bill can be considered.

Looks like the deadline to decide has to be very near now.

[ET21]

If it's the 60 day rule, 9 days over 

[TXtoNJ]

If it's the 60 day rule, 9 days over 

Per this site, it would be 60 days on August 19:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=2356&GAID=12&SessionID=85&LegID=73962

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Today's the day.

Quinn will decide today, but he hasn't given any indication which way he'll go.

I did read an article stating that the votes in the House and Senate are veto-proof. Does that mean another round of votes could override his veto?

Either way, this is an important day for this rule.

[Brandon]

Governor Jello finally signs the law.  No idea nor reason given as to why it took so flipping long.

Quinn signs 70 mph speed limit law for Illinois

The change will go into effect on Jan. 1. Illinois is among 16 states with a maximum 65 mph limit. Another 34 states have a maximum speed limit of 70 mph or more.

"I'm very pleased that he saw fit to sign it,"  said sponsoring Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove. "I believe that this is one small step to help bring Illinois into the 21st century along with most of the other states in this country that have speed limits of 70 or higher."

     

[ET21]

 

[nwi_navigator_1181]

It's about damned time. Now it's simply a matter of where the zones begin and end.

I can theorize that the Reagan and Addams Tollways will be the only tollways to carry 70 mph. Otherwise, I like to see how they map it out. January 1 is a lot sooner than we think.

[SEWIGuy]

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_a0a49f82-08e2-11e3-bb89-0019bb2963f4.html

[Brandon]

It's about damned time. Now it's simply a matter of where the zones begin and end.

I can theorize that the Reagan and Addams Tollways will be the only tollways to carry 70 mph. Otherwise, I like to see how they map it out. January 1 is a lot sooner than we think.

Given that it takes local ordinance in Cook, DuPage, McHenry, Kane, Lake, Will, Madison, and St Clair Counties to keep it at 65 instead of 70, I suspect we'll see I-355 at 70 as well in Will County.  The Will County Board is not opposed to the 70 mph speed limit.  We'll see what happens in the other counties.

[Brandon]

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_a0a49f82-08e2-11e3-bb89-0019bb2963f4.html

And thus Wisconsin will then enter the 21st Century.

Now if only Oregon will get on board...

[Alex]

Very happy to read this, will make trips my to the QC in the future much more enjoyable!

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Will County is pro-70? That's cool.

My main worry is the section of I-80 from just west of I-355 to Illinois 43 (the zone that is currently 65 mph right now). Do you think it can handle 70 mph traffic? I've driven that section on days where the traffic volume was quite high.

[thefro]

Will County is pro-70? That's cool.

My main worry is the section of I-80 from just west of I-355 to Illinois 43 (the zone that is currently 65 mph right now). Do you think it can handle 70 mph traffic? I've driven that section on days where the traffic volume was quite high.

I read the bill, and I'm not sure why the law wasn't written to explicitly give IDOT the power to keep those at 65 mph if needed.  I wouldn't call that stretch near Joilet a "rural freeway".

Here in Indiana when the limit to 70 mph was raised areas like Greenwood & Lafayette on I-65 (larger suburban/moderate-sized urban areas, essentially) still stayed at 65 mph.

[Brandon]

Will County is pro-70? That's cool.

My main worry is the section of I-80 from just west of I-355 to Illinois 43 (the zone that is currently 65 mph right now). Do you think it can handle 70 mph traffic? I've driven that section on days where the traffic volume was quite high.

Why not?  Most folks already go 70-75 in that stretch anyway.  I'd be hard pressed to find a zone where most drivers are not already doing 70, even in the 55 zones.  Might as well take a cue from MDOT and post it at 70.

[Joe The Dragon]

All of I-294, I-90 (toll parts), I-94 (toll parts), I-355 with parts of I-290 needs to be 65/70.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Might as well take a cue from MDOT and post it at 70.

This.

[Revive 755]

The Will County Board is not opposed to the 70 mph speed limit.  We'll see what happens in the other counties.

Doesn't mean IDOT will go along with the 70 mph limit in the county.

A partial list of my guesses on areas where IDOT will keep the 65 mph limit

I-39
* Baxter Road (Exit 115) to I-90
* Exit 2 to I-55

I-55
* South of I-70/I-270 at Troy
* Somewhere around milemarker 77 to somewhere near the Sherman Exit (105)
* The southern I-74 interchange to around milemarker 168
* Probably north of Arsenal Road, if D-1 even allows I-55 to be posted at 70

I-57
* Around milemarker 50 to milemarker 55 (through Marion)
* Between the two I-64 interchanges
* Between the two I-70 interchanges
* Milemarker 230 to 240 through Champaign
* Milemarker 307 to 317 through Kankakee
* North of Exit 335

I-64
* West of Exit 23 (IL 4)
* From the northern I-57 interchange to milemarker 81

I-72
* Around milemarker 90 to Exit 104 through Springfield
* Around Exit 133 to milemarker 145 around Decatur
* East of milemarker 181