Campus Speed Limit

On Tuesday November 1st, the Champaign City Council will vote on a proposal to lower the campus speed limit from 25mph to 20mph. The proposal, which was suggested by the University Administration, is a reaction to the recent tragic death of a student pedestrian. Members of the Governmental Affairs Committee will be testifying against this proposal. Here's why:

First of all, this plan is a knee jerk reaction. While we commend the university for taking steps to improve pedestrian safety, we also urge a cautious and well balanced approach. Reform just for the sake of reform is not always wise. Recent pedestrian/vehicular accidents have not been speed related. None of them would have been prevented by a 20mph speed limit.

Second, the city just changed the campus speed limit from 30mph to 25mph a few years ago. There is no evidence that this has improved pedestrian safety. There may be a correlation between speed limits and reductions in pedestrian accidents, but there is no solid proof of causation.

We urge students to attend this meeting and speak their mind. It starts at 7:00pm in the City of Champaign Building (corner of University and Neil). Contact Justin, cajindos@uiuc.edu for more info.