Chicago City Council upholds 30 mph speed limit
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Chicago's default speed limit will remain the same at 30. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
The Chicago City Council voted 28-21 Wednesday to retain the city's 30 mph default speed limit.
Why it matters: Studies show that pedestrians are half as likely to die when hit by a car driving 25 mph rather than 30 mph.
Context: Cities including New York, Los Angeles and Seattle have already adopted a 25 mph limit.
- Chicago suburbs, including Evanston, Wheaton and Aurora, have also done so.
What they're saying: Ordinance sponsor Ald. Daniel La Spata noted, "we have never in the past decade had fewer than 100 traffic fatalities in any given year."
- He highlighted the case of 3-year-old Elizabeth Grace Shambrook, who was crushed under a semi in 2022.
The other side: "Lowering the speed limit would have unintended consequences that may not have been looked at today," West Side Ald. Jason Ervin said.
- "For some communities, it may be fine, but the folks that I represent aren't looking for lower speed limits so they can have more interactions with the police department."
Other council moves: Alders delayed a vote on Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed $830 million bond issue to pay for infrastructure including streets, bridges and lead line replacements.
- Some council members complained that the repayment structure, which delays principal payments for at least 19 years and costs taxpayers almost $2 billion, needs to be rethought.
Ald. Anthony Beale introduced a measure to stop letting city council members participate in meetings remotely, charging that some are abusing the rule now that the pandemic is over.
- Ald. Jeanette Taylor, who was participating remotely, pushed back, saying she was at home preparing to "have a procedure" and has been "hospitalized with COVID three times."
Ald. Anthony Napolitano introduced a proposal to restore the Columbus statue in Arrigo Park, citing the city's failure to take down a puppet display at the Cultural Center that some alders have called antisemitic.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Elizabeth Grace Shambrook's last name.