A bill in the Illinois General Assembly could lower the municipal speed limit from its present 30 mph to 20 mph in urban areas and decrease the speed limit from 15 mph to 10 mph in alleys within those districts.
Chicago already has the world’s second worst gridlock, with London being No. 1, according to a recent report. Lowering the speed limit would only make things worse.
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Additional time on the road would result in a loss of productivity. Increased driver fatigue, coupled with the boredom of driving at a slow pace, would result in more accidents. In addition, drivers’ attention would be more focused on their speedometers and less on the road. This would be an undue burden on drivers who must travel a great distance to get to work. Of course, it would also mean a windfall for the cash cow speed cameras.
Since bus drivers would have to spend more time per run, the number of runs per day, given the same number of drivers, would decrease.
This bad idea must not pass.
Larry E. Nazimek, Logan Square
No walk in the park
I am tired of Grant Park being taken over for the better part of the summer by various events and festivals that close off much of the public space, which includes, Buckingham Fountain and the rose gardens, for long periods of time.
Grant Park is a landscaped area designed to be a peaceful and relaxing escape for both city residents and tourists. Restricting access with unsightly fencing and closing off Buckingham Fountain plaza for use as a staging area just goes against the purpose of the park.
Visitors arriving in Chicago in the summer — the prime time for tourists — may be looking forward to seeing Buckingham Fountain. But when they finally walk over to take a look, they may discover it is blocked off and can only be viewed from a distance.
Grant Park is becoming more like a county fairground than an ornamental park. The city needs to find a location that can be a designated fairgrounds for special events.
Michael Shawgo, Edgewater
Capitol delusions
Tucker Carlson claims the Jan. 6 insurrection was merely a peaceful protest. So if this happened at his home, sounds like he would quickly repair the broken windows, scrub the smeared feces off the walls, and invite friends and family over to hang out and just enjoy the day. Make sure you bring the kids!
Thomas Bajorek, Burbank
Mayor’s race: Vote for the city or certain union?
My vote for Chicago mayor now requires me to choose between the teachers union and the police union. I voted for Mayor Lori Lightfoot because she had the guts to fight with both of them when needed.
Bob Tucker Sr., Gold Coast