Speed Limits in Dubuque County Won’t Change Despite Statewide Increase

Despite the state of Iowa raising the current speed limit on county roads, Dubuque County officials do not plan to make the change locally.

Per the Telegraph Herald, Dubuque County supervisors, along with the county engineer and sheriff, disagree that a 60 mph speed limit for county roads is both feasible and worth the expense. Dubuque's unique geography, with its hilly and windy roads being atypical for this region, make raising the current 55 mph speed limit potentially dangerous for motorists.

READ MORE: Default Speed Limits in Iowa Could Increase Under New House Bill

Inside the Decision to Maintain the Current Speed Limit in Dubuque County:

The Telegraph Herald published a piece that detailed how Dubuque County leaders do not believe the new speed limit law in Iowa — which impacts state and county highways with no posted speed limit, raising their existing limit from 55 mph to 60 mph — should be applicable to Dubuque County:

We are a little bit different in this county when you look at the geography and topography of our road system. I’ve been out in the western part of the state. I know that it’s very flat. Those areas are probably OK for something like that - Dubuque County Sheriff Joe Kennedy, per Telegraph Herald

Supervisor Wayne Kenniker also voiced his opinion on the matter:

Joshua Hoehne, Unsplash

In general, I believe we should leave our speed limits at 55 max. Perhaps if we had citizens coming to us on a particular stretch of road, it might be worth looking at that, but I don’t think there’s that many roads in Dubuque that make sense to have another 5 miles an hour posted on them - Supervisor Wayne Kenniker, per Telegraph Herald

County supervisors have full jurisdiction to decide whether they want to raise the maximum speed on their roads. Home county rule makes this possible. So, in so many words, if the county puts up a 55 mph speed limit sign on a county road, a motorist cannot go 60 mph simply because that is state law.

If Dubuque County officials had made the decision to raise the speed limit, new signs would need to be erected. Those signs range anywhere from $250 to $500 per installation.

Find out more about Dubuque County keeping the speed limit unchanged on county roads on the Telegraph Herald's website.