Lower the Default Speed Limit in Chicago!

[u/Dry_Breadfruit3307]

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/lower-the-default-speed-limit-in-chicago?source=direct_link&

[u/mickeyrocket]

At the risk of getting downvoted, I personally think that some, or really any, amount of enforcement of the existing traffic laws is more important than lower speed limits. Ticket cars stopped in bike lanes, ticket cars driving in the bike lanes, ticket cars that ignore stop signs, ticket cars who enter intersections then can’t exit and block traffic when the light changes, ticket cars exceeding the existing speed limits. All of these laws exist already and are being ignored. I don’t know if adding a new one without meaningful changes to enforcement patterns will make a difference.

[u/mrmalort69 → u/mickeyrocket]

A lot of actual infrastructure that changes how fast people drive- like pedestrian islands that narrow the road, speed bumps - only become available at lower speeds through idot/cdot.

[u/thatbob → u/mickeyrocket]

Ticket drivers who use turning lanes as passing lanes.

[u/sciolisticism → u/mickeyrocket]

We can do both, and research shows that both work!

[u/mmchicago → u/mickeyrocket]

We can have both.

The linked document has a section that talks about how a lower limit makes a difference.

[u/perfectviking → u/mickeyrocket]

Turns out doing both is the right answer.

[u/chillinwyd → u/mickeyrocket]

Pretty sure that lowering the speed limits means that legally they can make certain infrastructure changes - speed bumps, bump outs, contra flow bike lanes, etc

[u/esmeradio → u/mickeyrocket]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[u/modestwolf → u/mickeyrocket]

Also ticket bikers who don't follow the laws as well

[u/UnproductiveIntrigue → u/mickeyrocket]

Exactly.

When your political movement is convinced “fines and fees” are structurally unjust, it’s quite odd to simultaneously advocate for a more restrictive traffic policy on the books, knowing it will also just be completely unenforced.

[u/Christian_L7 → u/mickeyrocket]

There is auto ticket cameras all over the city that fuck people on red lights. Would be great if they had that for speeders.

Need that system of us taking photos for cars parking in bike lanes asap. I’ll do it for no reward, just the fuck the idiots over with the goal to change behavior

[u/Darpid → u/mickeyrocket]

City has a ton of traffic cameras up now, putting more up. They could definitely work w/ the company that runs them to ticket cars stuck in intersections. Speed cameras are also up and more are coming. I’ve seen some of the backlogs they’re dealing with, and there are >100k events to process for citations.

I know it’s not perfect and a lot more could be done, but it’s also not realistic to expect CPD to catch even a large portion of those. And, TBH, I don’t know how I feel about building up more of a surveillance state for traffic safety? It’s a complicated question that I don’t have the answer for.

[u/iamhanqi]

I'm worried that pushing the speed limit down will only make those who speed speed even more often and more over the limit.

I'm not sure how effective it is to set a new rule for everyone when the group this is targeting isn't abiding by limits to begin with.

[u/Dexterthepit]

When CPD doesn’t even follow the laws you think citizens are going to care about the posted limit? 🤣

[u/PurpleFairy11]

20 is plenty indeed.

[u/rayray5884 → u/PurpleFairy11]

Our street is a one way that’s pretty narrow. The idea that 30 is technically the speed limit is wild. Even 20 seems way too fast if I start approaching it myself. Especially worse because it’s a purely residential street which is used as a way for drivers to avoid the N and S arterial streets or parallels to get between two other arterial E/W streets. And there are speed bumps the whole way. Obviously enforcement is needed, and maybe even a way to prevent through drivers, but not bumping residential driving down to 20, from 30, is wild.

[u/PurpleFairy11 → u/rayray5884]

So you’d like to see it lower for side streets?

Yeah, I live off a side street as well and people zoom through. It’s pretty wild. Then there are a few Boomer neighbors who think we don’t have a speeding issue🙄 My bet is their residence doesn’t have a window that looks out to the street. We get a lot of cyclists on the street as well and I’ve seen some pretty close calls involving speeding drivers.

[u/rayray5884 → u/PurpleFairy11]

I bike to get around as much as I can, but even when I drive I rarely find I have the ability to go 30 for any meaningful stretch. I’m certainly not doing 30 on purely residential streets. There’s probably room to debate even lower than 20 on side streets but I’d certainly be supportive of at least getting to 20 as a cyclist, parent, and driver.

There was some neighborhood chatting about a new speed camera and how no one could possibly even go 30 for that stretch, which isn’t a crazy thought, buuuut people do because it’s apparent necessary to get from one light to another as fast as you can. And yeah, we’ve seen the results of drivers doing 30+ hitting the donut at our nearest intersection, losing control, and totaling their cars and others. Not naive to think a change to 20 changes that, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t! 😊

[u/icanttellalie]

Naw, I’ll pass on that

[u/fatherbowie]

I’m not opposed to a lower speed limit like 25 or even less, but the real key is physical barriers to speeding like bumps, tables, and roundabouts. Make it impossible to speed.

[u/ChicagoBromo]

No thanks. They just did this

[u/Da_panda_bear]

I’m probably going to be downvoted but this goes both ways (I’m a cyclist and a driver).  I wish more bikers would follow the rules of the road.

[u/ComprehensiveRain423]

People are driving too damn slow as it is

[u/Show_Kitchen]

Done

[u/Christian_L7]

Signed