We are closer than ever to lowering Chicago’s default speed limit, thanks to the tireless efforts of advocates like you.
Your personal stories and outreach to alderpeople have been instrumental in advancing this campaign.
While we have come a long ways, we still have lots of work to do.
If you haven’t already, please connect with your Chicago alderperson and let them know you support a lower speed limit.
While the city council meeting in mid-January did not hold a final vote on the speed limit as we had hoped, an important step forward was taken.
The council approved the creation of an interagency working group with a 49-1 vote. This group will focus on developing recommendations for fair and equitable enforcement of the proposed ordinance.
Leading up to the city council meeting, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board published an opinion piece against lowering the speed limit in Chicago.
The piece skims over the lifesaving benefits of a lower speed limit and overlooks how well this approach has worked in other cities — some of them right here in Chicagoland like Evanston and Oak Park.
To set the record straight, our Executive Director Amy Rynell published a letter to the editor.
WHY THIS MATTERS
- 70 percent of fatal crashes in Chicago involve unsafe speeding
- Black Chicagoans account for two out of every three victims of traffic violence
- Lowering the speed limit will have an immediate impact on traffic safety
The facts are clear: speeding is a threat to public safety and quality of life in every Chicago neighborhood.
STORIES OF SUCCESS IN OTHER CITIES
More US cities are demonstrating that lowering speed limits is an effective, low-cost measure that can be implemented swiftly to make our streets safer for all.
Boston, Seattle, Portland, and New York City all reduced urban-area speed limits, and the results have been tangible and lifesaving.
After New York City lowered its default citywide speed limit to 25 miles per hour from 30 mph, it saw a 23 percent decline in annual pedestrian deaths. In a written testimony shared with Chicago City Council, the New York City Department of Transportation said its pedestrian fatality rate is the lowest it’s been in 100 years.
Lowering the speed limit is particularly effective at addressing the most reckless kind of high-end speeding. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that when Boston lowered the citywide speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph, deadly speeding over 35 mph was reduced by almost 30 percent.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Contact Your Alderperson: We’ve made it easy. Fill out our brief form, and you can email your alderperson’s office or connect to them with a phone call.
2. Share Your Story: Tell your alder why a lower speed limit matters to you and your community.
Let’s make Chicago a leader in street safety. Together, we can build a city where everyone feels safe walking, biking, or driving in their neighborhood.