Tollways, yellow lights and speeders
Thursday, May 17, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Whenever people say they’ll never buy another (fill in the blank) if taxes or fees are increased on that good or service, it’s probably not a good bet to believe them. Yes, it happens sometimes, but Illinois hiked tolls and barely saw any impact…
There were about 4 million fewer passenger vehicle transactions January through March as a result of tolls nearly doubling on Jan. 1. In the first quarter of 2011, 169 million passenger transactions occurred compared to 165 million this year, a 2.4 percent drop, the agency reported.
But mainly because of the toll hike, revenues increased from $157 million in the first three months of 2011 to $223.8 million in 2012.
The decline in traffic was less sharp than expected, officials said, noting planners had projected a 5.9 percent decrease in passenger transactions.
* In other transportation-related news, a proposal by state Sen. Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) to extend the length of yellow lights by one second is apparently dead because it’s still stalled in the House Rules Committee…
[House Speaker Michael Madigan], as well as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and others in the city, have opposed the plan citing safety concerns over extending yellow lights.
Duffy said that stance was “concerning,” and that studies have shown extending yellow lights have sharply decreased the amount of accidents at intersections. He said their opposition was simply about money being generated by tickets.
“This is safety versus revenue issue, which isn’t something that should be occurring,” Duffy said.
* And then there’s this…
Drivers who get caught speeding more than 31 mph over the limit on the highway or 25 mph over in urban areas wouldn’t be eligible for court supervision under a plan now awaiting Gov. Pat Quinn’s review.
State Rep. Sidney Mathias, a Buffalo Grove Republican, sponsored the plan following reports that a girl last year was killed in a car accident by a driver who received court supervision for speeding seven times without his license being taken away.
The Illinois House approved the plan by a 92-11 vote Wednesday.
Now, drivers are eligible for supervision unless they’re going more than 40 mph over the limit. With court supervision, a violation is removed from a driver’s record if he or she does not have another violation within a set time.
Discuss.
* Related…
* Cops: Rock throwers damage nearly dozen cars on Stevenson: In at least the third such incident in about a week, rocks rained down on motorists between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday near the Pulaski exit in the Archer Heights neighborhood, according to Illinois State police. At least 11 motorists reported cracked windshields and other damage to their vehicles, authorities said.
* VIDEO: Rep. Reis talks Illinois Road Fund
- Huh? - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 11:10 am:
The Institute of Transportation Engineers has a standard equation (those damn engineers and their equations) that is used to calculate the length of time for the yellow clearance and all-red phases of traffic signals. The recommended length of time for the yellow light is based, among other things, on the speed and length of the vehicles and width of the intersection. It is generally assumed that the speed of the vehicle is the posted speed limit.
It is a balancing act, too short of a yellow leads to people trying too stop and getting rear ended. Too long of a yellow leads to people trying to run through the intersection. The drivers may perceive that the yellow is too short if they are speeding.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 11:17 am:
The Illinois Tollway tolls were pretty low based on a national scale. Now, even with the raise, they are still middle of the pack. Some of the newer tollways in the US are charging a dollar or more a mile, and jack up the rates during morning and afternoon rush hours. I guess it all comes down to the time value of money…you wouldn’t REALLY want to come downtown on Ogden Avenue as a form of silent protest, would you?
- shore - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 11:19 am:
duffy, last seen on this blog getting a speeding ticket working on a bill to make a yellow light longer. ha.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 11:24 am:
–Drivers who get caught speeding more than 31 mph over the limit on the highway or 25 mph over in urban areas wouldn’t be eligible for court supervision under a plan now awaiting Gov. Pat Quinn’s review.–
I don’t have a problem. That’s reckless disregard for others’ safety.
- Allen Skillicorn - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 11:56 am:
If these surveillance cameras were really about safety, who could vote against 1 additional second for safety?
- Lakeview - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 12:03 pm:
Of course, given how Chicagoans boycott the parking meters, there is some price effect at work. Good think that Mayor Daley negotiated so hard for the good firm of LAZ so that they earn a guaranteed minimum revenue, no matter how much people use the meters!
- cermak_rd - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 12:21 pm:
That 1 second would be a practical problem for a lot of the smaller communities who would have to reprogram their lights, in some cases, possibly light by light!
Speed law scofflaws infuriate me. They are deciding that their convenience is more important than the safety of everyone else. IMO, there should be a lot more speed law enforcement and if that takes speed cameras then so be it. And yes, if they’re breaking the limit by that much then they ought to have their license taken away!
- The KQ - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 1:01 pm:
I am a regular user of I-355, the Veteran’s Memorial Tollway. I have noticed a marked decrease in cars and traffic jams on my way to and from work. If you drive the entire length – SW burbs to NW burbs, the tolls add up to $152.00 a month (my first toll, with iPASS, is $1.90). Just in tolls. But there are no other options – no train or bus for me to take. So, while I don’t like having the pay the toll, I am thankful that others found a different way to get to work making my drive a little easier.
- aaron singer - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 1:18 pm:
“That 1 second would be a practical problem for a lot of the smaller communities who would have to reprogram their lights, in some cases, possibly light by light!
Speed law scofflaws infuriate me. They are deciding that their convenience is more important than the safety of everyone else. IMO, there should be a lot more speed law enforcement and if that takes speed cameras then so be it. And yes, if they’re breaking the limit by that much then they ought to have their license taken away!”
That would all well and good if the administration was genuinely for pedestrian safety. But they’ve shown that all they care about is revenue measures, not in improving safety across the board. Anything to make Rahm and Daley’s private contract cohorts wealthier…
- Fed up - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 1:36 pm:
Six degrees
Which tollway are you taking to get downtown.
- Chicago driver - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 2:54 pm:
don’t know about anywhere else, but in Chicago a yellow light means speed up, so I don’t see how adding 1 second to a yellow improves safety.
- Plutocrat03 - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 4:04 pm:
It would be a good start if the speed limits and traffic controls were based on engineering principles rather than political whims
- x ace - Thursday, May 17, 12 @ 8:12 pm:
No Supervision needed if you got practical “immunity “.
Recently , I-55 Northbound from Springfield on Friday afternoon and I- 55 Southbound to Springfield on Monday some nice cars with Official Legislative License Plates blasted by me. ( and my speed was an already illegal 74 MPH ).
Can’t say for sure 30 over was hit but they were flying.
My view is that this micro legislation is unnecessary.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, May 18, 12 @ 12:55 am:
Fed Up-
I-88 when I go a “tolled” way. I-290 is a “free” portion of the trip, and usually the worst part.