Chicago Highways (Harrisburg, Buffalo: rental car, 2013, rental)

[Opin_Yunated]

I'm not a resident...

I am a frequent business traveler. This was my third business trip to Chicagoland in the past 6 months. I just have a couple questions of things I found... odd.

1) Do they enforce the 55 mph speed limit? Where I'm from, 55 mph means you can do 60-65 and not get ticketed.. traffic will usually move around 60. Once you get 65 though, you're toast. In Chicagoland on I-294 for example, I was doing 70 in my rental car and people were blitzing me... do the cops just not care??? I've only seen one highway cop so far.

2) I-55: Who's idea was this to make it 3 lanes???? So much rage!!!!!

3) Tollways - They are nice roads. I was using the unlimited pass in my rental. I saw the price today for cash.... Do people actually drive these every day to and from work???? Talk about robbery!

P.S. I love the city. I'm from Buffalo. Chicago is second to none. Better than NYC and Toronto in my opinion.. the other two big cities Western New Yorkers frequent

[chirack]

1. You can do 60-65 but you risk a ticket. Not likely at 60-65 but as you creep higher the odds go up.

2. For the most part Chicago expressways are narrow. Only the Dan Ryan is large. Most are only 3-4 lanes and the Kennedy is legendary for jams.

3. Yes people do use toll ways to get to Work. The IPASS price is slightly less than the cash price, I think it is 50% less.

[JRittle123]

I drove cross country just this passed summer (Harrisburg PA to Seattle WA via I-90/I-94) Passing through Chicago drivers are pretty much like anywhere else I drove all over Northeast growing up.... meaning 5-10 miles over the speed limit and for the most part cops won't care. I didn't see a single cop car anywhere.

The tolls were ridiculous. We drove pretty much straight thru and stayed on I-94 all the way through IL but I swear we had to stop at like 3 different toll booths. If I were a resident of Chicago, I'd definitely take advantage of their I-Pass. The constant stopping and rummage through for cash would get very annoying.

I thought about moving to Chicago actually. Seattle is a depressing hell-hole if you ask me. Plus I hear Chicagoans are way friendlier and "real."

[Opin_Yunated]

I figured as much... but I was doing 65-70 and seriously getting run off the road!

Hmmm, this article agrees.

Apparently the average speeds on the tollways are 66-70 mph, with the 85th percentile approaching 75 mph.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by ErikBEggs

I figured as much... but I was doing 65-70 and seriously getting run off the road!

Hmmm, this article agrees.

Apparently the average speeds on the tollways are 66-70 mph, with the 85th percentile approaching 75 mph.

Yeah there's not much enforcement. If you go 70 or under, you're unlikely to get a ticket. Plenty of people go over 70, but they are at risk in the off chance a state trooper is out with a radar gun.

[Ace Rothstein]

Now that the interstates outside of Chicago have 70 mph speed limits, I wonder what we can get away with. 75? 80?

[emathias]

I regularly drive 70-75 in the city expressways and have never gotten a ticket in Chicago.

The ring expressways people go 80-85 with apparent impunity.

The last time I was in L.A. I was like, "I thought driving here was supposed to be crazy?" as I passed everyone like they were standing still.

[Vlajos]

The speed limit is 55? I didn't know that. No one drives that speed unless forced to by traffic.

[Ace Rothstein]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

The speed limit is 55? I didn't know that. No one drives that speed unless forced to by traffic.

The Ryan is 45 mph on the locals all the way to the Skyway and then all lanes are 45 on the Ryan from about 26th to Division on the Kennedy.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Ace Rothstein

The Ryan is 45 mph on the locals all the way to the Skyway and then all lanes are 45 on the Ryan from about 26th to Division on the Kennedy.

Really, wow! I've obviously never looked at the speed limit signs.