McHenry County Board Considers Speed Limit Reductions on Local Roads

The McHenry County Board is set to discuss proposed reductions in speed limits on several roads, following a transportation committee meeting that took place recently. The committee voted in favor of lowering the speed limit on two roads, while three other proposals did not receive support. The final decisions will be made at the upcoming County Board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the County Administration Building located at 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Residents in the Lakemoor area have voiced their concerns regarding the proposed reduction of the speed limit on Lincoln Road, which runs between Margaret Court and Cassandra Lane. Currently set at 45 mph, the committee has suggested reducing this limit to 40 mph. However, local residents are advocating for a more significant decrease to either 30 mph or 35 mph, citing safety issues due to the road’s proximity to residential subdivisions and schools.

John Ripkey, a resident living off Lincoln Road, highlighted the dangers he has witnessed, stating, “There have been 27 rollover crashes near my home in the past 25 years.” He urged the board to conduct a comprehensive speed study to further analyze the situation. Another local, Kathy Dam, pointed out that new developments, including townhouses at the end of Lincoln Road, will likely increase traffic. She expressed her worries for children riding their bikes near McHenry Middle School, located at the intersection of Chapel Hill and Lincoln roads, emphasizing, “I don’t want to see some kid get killed and his books are laying out in the middle of Lincoln Road.”

During the committee meeting, Board Member Brian Sager proposed a more significant reduction of 10 mph instead of the suggested 5 mph. This motion was ultimately voted down in favor of the smaller reduction. According to Darrell Kuntz, Assistant County Engineer, the county is limited to reducing speed limits by only 10 mph at a time. A speed study was conducted on all roads under consideration, resulting in the recommendation for the 40 mph speed limit on Lincoln Road.

In addition to Lincoln Road, the committee reviewed other proposed speed limit reductions, including:

– Chapel Hill Road between Bay Road and Charnbrook Drive in Johnsburg, with a proposed limit of 40 mph, down from 45 mph. This reduction was voted down by the committee.
– Hickory Nut Grove Road between South Rawson Bridge Road and Tuxedo Lane near Cary, which could see a reduction to 40 mph from 45 mph. This reduction was approved by the committee.
– Mason Hill Road from Valley Hill Road to just west of Cherry Valley Road in Bull Valley, proposed to be reduced to 40 mph from 45 mph, but the committee voted against it.
– South Union Road between Ackman and Ernesti roads near Huntley, which may be lowered to 50 mph from 55 mph. This proposal was also voted down.

Although speed studies have been conducted on various roads throughout the county, county officials did not propose further speed limit changes based on those results. The upcoming County Board meeting is expected to draw attention as community members continue to advocate for safer driving conditions in their neighborhoods.