They have finally finished tearing up Broadway Road east of Pekin. After wasting millions of dollars to put in a turn lane nobody can use (there is nowhere to turn to!) and causing traffic jams all summer ... they lowered the speed limit!

When the road was a two lane mess it used to be 40 mph from Parkway to the Moose Lodge and then 45 mph all the way out to California Road. Now it is 35 mph all that way.

The pavement was widened enough to make it four lane all the way but instead they put in a center turn lane and wide shoulders on the side so they have room to pull cars over and issue tickets for speeding above the ridiculously low speed limit.

What is the point of these improvements if they SLOW traffic down? What good is a turn lane to nowhere? There aren�t any drives to turn into and most of the road is bordered by deep gullies and hollows that aren�t likely to ever have any drives to turn in. I get so sick of Illinois conservatism and crooked speed traps I could just scream!

Well said. Recall that they did the same in Groveland, widen the street and put in sidewalks and a turn lane, then lower the speed limit. At least in Groveland there are places to turn. On Broadway, when they were getting close to done I told Sue that that is what they would do and just a few days later it was in the paper that they were considering it. It hadn’t occurred to me that the shoulders were for pulling speeders over, I am sure you are correct. Perfect example of how speed limits have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with revenue. The speed limit on Court Street is 35 how can they possibly justify 35 on Broadway, oh yea, they don’t!

Michael T. 13 Dec 2008, 10:40 a.m.

On two different occasions last week Tracey and I each saw the cops with people pulled over and handing out tickets ... that’s when it dawned on us why they widened the shoulders. Watch at the Moose Lodge and the Social Security office. Also down the drive at the Dirksen Center. Speed Trap!

MjL 13 Dec 2008, 10:48 a.m.

That’s just wrong. I am not looking forward to driving on Broadway when I come and visit--I will have to take Route 9, just because it will be FASTER! I have pretty much decided that the people who make those sorts of rules are retarded. They just set up a couple hundred speed cameras along our freeways here, and they have already issued hundreds of thousands of tickets. The thing is, the entire purpose is to generate revenue from the tickets, but our Governor didn’t have to run it by the State Congress because she called them “safety measures”. The problem with that is that there have been several studies done that show that these cameras increase accidents by 53% because people suddenly realize there are speed cameras and slam on their brakes. Since they’ve installed them, I’ve gotten delayed on my way home three times due to rear-end collisions along the freeway.

Noah L 13 Dec 2008, 10:05 p.m.

Road Improvements a Waste of Time and Money

Comment Guidelines Hashtags Help

Road Improvements a Waste
of Time and Money