I-80 Iowa speed trap BEWARE

[AKNate]

We use Apple Maps while towing and noticed the other day that it now warns you about cameras you’re approaching.

[AirstreamJim]

First, I disagree that it's wrong to "punish" the local merchants for what their elected leaders have done. Their political choices are what created this situation. If it's hurting them that badly, there's another election coming up, and they can get this silliness stopped. My guess is they won't, because they'll know it means a higher property tax bill without all that revenue.

Second, there is a very good alternative, as mentioned earlier: I-280 taking the southern route around Davenport.

Finally, practically speaking, anyone affected by this silliness isn't going to be boycotting the local merchants of LeClaire, IA, because they never had any intention of stopping there in the first place. They're driving through on I-80, and very, very few of them would have exited there. So the real impact of any such "boycott" is practically nil. I'm sure those merchants know this and therefore they won't be electing new leaders who would stop the nonsense.

But it feels good to say "I'll never give anyone in that God-forsaken town a dime of my money!"

Jim

[3bcamper]

I haven’t had a speeding ticket since 1993. There’s no excuse for speeding, and it is everyone’s responsibility to know and obey this traffic law, wherever they are. As an Aistreamer, what’s your hurry? By speeding, you’re only making things difficult and dangerous for yourself, your family, and other drivers.

Originally Posted by 63air

As you leave Iowa or enter it on I -80 beware of the speed traps there. The town of Leclaire , Iowa has placed cameras on the I-80 bridge. If you are 1-5 miles over the limit you get a $25.00 ticket. It goes up from there. Since March this parasite town has collected over 2.4 million dollars from unsuspecting travelers all done in the name of safety. The limit drops from 70 in Illinois so they have chosen a particularly lucrative spot to place their cameras. They also have cameras on US Rt 67 going into town. If that isn't enough the police are usually running radar every day. You are advised to drive under the limit in this area. The American Pickers store is located in this town , almost like bait. Leclaire, Iowa is a tourist and speed trap you might want to bypass SLOWLY.

[nryn]

Originally Posted by richard5933

Punishing local merchants trying to make a living doesn't seem to me to be anything but vindictive. Sorry.

For my part, as stated above, I wouldn’t be on an interstate with the Airstream and would probably drive through this town and patronize businesses as needed. I actually enjoy the 55/25 speed limit changes as you pass through. Makes it easier to look around and to stop if you want. I just wrapped up a great trip on Wisconsin two-lane roads, in fact, where we did this often.

But I’ll be clear—if I’m “punishing” local merchants for their municipalities’ decision to install these devices, it’s because I believe these devices and the decision to use them are predatory and I think those merchants should have a conversation with their governing bodies about how they want their community perceived by people passing through. There is always a town up the road that is more interested in welcoming potential customers than having an automated device tag them for money.

FWIW I almost never see these devices on the routes that I’ve taken. I see them in cities and suburbs, both of which I try to avoid when towing.

[AirstreamJim]

Originally Posted by 3bcamper

I haven’t had a speeding ticket since 1993. There’s no excuse for speeding, and it is everyone’s responsibility to know and obey this traffic law, wherever they are. As an Aistreamer, what’s your hurry? By speeding, you’re only making things difficult and dangerous for yourself, your family, and other drivers.

I agree; I don't speed (much, and never when I'm towing); I'm very observant of the speed limit wherever I may be. No speeding tickets (or warnings) since the two I got on the same day in 1984.

But the issue here is more complex than that.

This is a location where the speed limit drops from 70 to 65. Nothing special about that; speed limits change all the time. The issue here is that the local police (A) don't give you an opportunity to slow down to the new limit, and (B) ticket drivers for speeds between 1 and 5 mph over the (new) limit. So you're pretty much guaranteeing that anyone complying with the speed limit across the bridge is a potential target the second they touch down in Iowa. That's unfair.

Jim

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

ticketing for 1-5 MPH over the speed limit is outrageous.

I'd want to verify that this is true, not just "I know someone who is a friend of a friend of mine who got a ticket".

[richard5933]

Local merchants have no more control over how law enforcement does their job than you or I have, especially if we're talking about enforcement of Interstates since that's often done by state troopers.

If you plan to avoid every jurisdiction using electronic or camera enforcement, you might as well stay home. It's all over the country.

[AirstreamJim]

Again, I disagree. Here in Palm Beach County, FL, those jurisdictions with red light cameras removed them several years ago because of community backlash. It became a political issue, and the cameras were banished. It's not a decision the local police chief makes, it's a decision made by the elected officials running the municipality. Don't like the decisions your elected officials make? Vote them out.

As to your point about troopers vs local LEO enforcing speed limits on the interstate: when I first read this thread I thought "how is it possible that a locality is putting up speed cameras on an interstate? That's a state-level DOT job, and it should be state troopers enforcing it." If you--and my initial suspicions--are right, then this issue would be anywhere in the state of Iowa. But maybe Iowa does allow local jurisdictions to enforce interstate speed limits, so who knows in the end.

Kind of doesn't matter...if the town gets the spoils of the highway robbery, then it's the town that needs to take responsibility for the nonsense.

Jim

[PecanMan5]

Come to South Georgia. All the small municipalities are going for the cash, & they get a lot of it.

[richard5933]

Here's a bit of a fact check on the camera in question:

https://www.wqad.com/article/news/ve...6-873a4ab56e52

[nryn]

If communities have no control over their law enforcement, then yes—cameras or not, it may well be best to stay home.

According to the article above, in two months LeClaire community has issued over 24,000 (!) tickets totaling over $225,000. If civic leaders wonder why passers by don’t patronize the town and if they are at all concerned with their retail districts struggling, perhaps they should distribute this money to their merchants. As the article states, they don’t have the funds earmarked for anything.

I know nothing of LeClaire. I’m sure it’s a town filled with nice people. But in my opinion an automated system that generates over 24k tickets and $225k in two months is not a goodwill gesture, it is malice. There are other ways to get people to slow down than to take their money. And there are other towns in which to spend money.

[lkm4321]

Regardless of your thoughts on the use of radar, I think we should use actual facts. According to WQAD TV, the ABC Quad Cities affiliate. Between March 5th and May 31st, 2021 the town of LaClair issued 24,572 speeding tickets with total receipts of approximately $225,147. Of those tickets:

0-5 over. 0 tickets
5-10 over 5,207 tickets
11-20 over 19,128 tickets
20+ over 232 tickets

Being an Iowan, just wanted to get the facts straight 😁

[PatLee]

From the viewpoint of the little town of LeClaire, Iowa with a population of 4,000 - they need every little bit of revenue they can get. It sounds like they're getting it done and I kind of admire their survivalist, law-abiding strategy. While it's annoying as hell to us who drive 3-5 miles over the speed limit with our ASes, we are still technically not abiding by the speed limit. They are capitalizing on that and their strategic positioning of cameras as you come in from the 70 mph state of Illinois, well, some folks might say they're brilliant. At least the speeding ticket is only $25; it's double that here in DC.

[DAVSCH]

I’ve lived in Missouri now since 1999. The cops say this isn’t happening, but it is: About 10 days before the end of the month to 1 week into the beginning of the month, the cops all hit the streets, roads and interstates in staggering numbers looking for violations. Cell phone, speeding, traffic law breaking. It so observable and predictable. The reason……. Money, plan and simple. You’ve been warned!

[Airtandem]

When on I 80, when you come to the 80/280/74 (big "X"); take the I280 route. It bypasses the LeClaire area. I 280 reconnects with I 80 to the west. Check your routing as there is construction on the 280 bridge. One could also take the NEW I 74 bridge and reconnect with I 80.
See the insert on the Illinois or Iowa maps.
Have good safe travels.

[richard5933]

Not sure I understand the anger at the law being enforced. Even if it's a 'money grab', you're in total control of whether or not you are exceeding the posted speed.

[tjdonahoe]

Good idea if you play you pay

[Gibson3798]

Originally Posted by DAVSCH

I’ve lived in Missouri now since 1999. The cops say this isn’t happening, but it is: About 10 days before the end of the month to 1 week into the beginning of the month, the cops all hit the streets, roads and interstates in staggering numbers looking for violations. Cell phone, speeding, traffic law breaking. It so observable and predictable. The reason……. Money, plan and simple. You’ve been warned!

That’s great news! I prefer that all driving cell phone users get ticketed. Excessive speeders, give them all tickets. Traffic law breakers, well it’s a law, right, duh.

I only wish it were more observable and more predictable. While were at it, they can ticket people driving in the passing lane because they’re too stupid to move over.

Everybody complains about the cops until they need one.

[GettinAway]

We were up in Galena IL a few weeks ago. Not pulling the AS, so I might have been a mile an hour or two over the speed limit. I don’t push our old FJ Cruiser too hard. You guys had me rechecking my route to see if I went through this speed trap. Nope, we missed it. Hopefully we won’t receive a ticket for one mile an hour over the limit in the mail.
It’s unfortunate that cities can’t manage their budgets better, and resort to schemes like this to generate revenue.

[richard5933]

Again, it's not about cities managing their budgets. No one is being coerced to speed or do anything which will get them a ticket. Sounds like they're even giving a 5mph grace period.

If you don't want to contribute to the fund raising, don't speed. When did people start considering it their right to violate the rules of the road?