Speed limit won’t go up around big cities

We now know the areas that’re being left out when the law changes Friday allowing the speed limit to bump up to 70 miles-an-hour. Department of Transportation spokesperson Dena Gray-Fisher says the speed limit will not go up to 70 in areas in and around most of the state’s larger cities. She says that means you’ll have to slow down on the interstate highways outside and through the Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, Sioux City, and the Waterloo-Cedar Rapids area. Governor Tom Vilsack asked the DOT to review the potential speed limits on all four-lane highways as part of his agreement to sign the speed limit bill into law. Gray-Fisher says state, county and local officials conducted that review. She says they looked at roadway characteristics, the crash data, traffic volumes and the potential for traffic conflicts in the areas. Gray-Fisher says the speed limit will stay at 65 or even 55 miles and hour in those areas, so she says you should keep an eye out. She says if you’re ticketed you could face increased fines and court costs, so you need to obey the posted speed limit. For more information on the new speed limit — surf to: www.dot.state.ia.us .