Traffic

IDOT wants to give local governments the ability to lower the default speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour without conducting speed studies that cost roughly $20,000.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A new Illinois law will help local governments lower their default speed limit to improve public safety. The law lets communities adopt lower speed limits through resolutions or ordinances. 

The statutory speed limit in Illinois is 30 miles per hour in urban districts, but many drivers speed into or through cities. IDOT wants to let local governments lower the limit to 25 miles per hour without conducting costly speed studies.

"It gives state and local authorities more structured flexibility to set lower speed limits based on safety and target speed principles while emphasizing safety over revenue in enforcement," said Sen. Mike Porfirio (D-Burbank). 

The law also lets communities lower speed limits in residential areas to 20 miles per hour and 10 miles per hour for alleys. 

This idea gained strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate. 

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