[1960 Code, Sec. 9.04.280; amended Ord. 145, 6-6-1983; Ord. 453, 10-20-1997; Ord. 528, 7-16-2001; Ord. 629, 3-6-2006 Ord. 633, 6-5-2006]
No person shall drive a vehicle of the first division upon any public street or alley in the City at a speed greater than is reasonable '1and proper, having due regard to the traffic and the use of the way or so as to endanger the life or limb or injure the property of any person. If the rate of speed of any motor vehicle of said first division, operated upon any public street or alley where the same passes through the business district, exceeds 20 miles per hour, or if the rate of speed of any such motor vehicle operated on any public street or alley where the same passes through the residence district exceeds 25 miles per hour, or if the rate of speed of any such motor vehicle operated on any public street or alley in a suburban district exceeds 35 miles per hour, such rates of speed shall be prima facie evidence that the person operating such motor vehicle is running at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and proper having regard to the traffic and use of the way or so as to endanger the life or limb or injure property of any person. Provided, however, that where the state has erected signs fixing other or different speeds, such signs shall control the speeds on the streets where such signs are erected.
(A) 
The following speed restrictions of 25 miles per hour, changing to 30 miles per hour shall apply on the following named streets:
1. 
Twenty-five miles per hour on Third Street between Union Street and Elm Street; 30 miles per hour from Elm Street to Main Street.
2. 
Twenty-five miles per hour on Eighth Street between Union Street and Elm Street; 30 miles per hour from Elm Street to Main Street.
3. 
Twenty-five miles per hour on Union Street from Eighth Street to Seventeenth Street; 30 miles per hour from Seventeenth Street to the U.S. 66 belt line.
4. 
Twenty-five miles per hour on Tremont Street from Union Street to Sheridan Street; 30 miles per hour from Sheridan Street to Limit Street.
(B) 
The speed restriction shall be 25 miles per hour on the following named streets or parts thereof:
Name of Street
Location
College Street
Between Fifth Street and Eleventh Street
Eighth Street
Between Maple Street and State Street
North Hamilton Street
Entire length
Oscar Street
Entire length of the street throughout the City
(C) 
The speed restriction shall be 30 miles per hour on the following named streets or parts thereof:
Name of Street
Location
Adams Street
Between Eighth Street and Seventeenth Street
Adams Street
From Fifth Street to Seventeenth Street
Delavan Street
Between Pekin Street and Limit Street
Heitmann Drive
Madigan Drive
State Street
From Fifth Street to West Kickapoo Street
Sysco Drive
Union Street
Between Ninth Street and Seventeenth Street
Wyatt Avenue
(D) 
The speed restriction shall be 35 miles per hour on the following named streets or parts thereof:
Name of Street
Location
Connolley Road
Entire length from Route 10 to Fifth Street Road
Fifth Street
From Lincoln Parkway to the western limits of the City
Limit Street
Limit Street
Between Broadway and Route 10
[1960 Code, Sec. 9.04.290]
The speed of all vehicles of the second division shall always be reasonable and safe, and, if equipped with pneumatic tires, be governed as near as may be by the general requirements of Section 9-3-1 of this chapter, but if equipped with two or more solid tires, such speed shall not exceed 10 miles per hour.
[1960 Code, Sec. 9.04.300]
Vehicles of the second division when operated for the transportation of passengers for hire pursuant to a certificate of convenience and necessity issued by the Illinois commerce commission, shall be subject to such regulations as to speed as may be made by the said commission; provided, that no such vehicle shall operate at a greater rate of speed than motor vehicles are permitted to operate under similar conditions under the provisions of this chapter; provided, further, that such operation shall always be reasonable and safe, having regard to the traffic and use of the way; and provided, further, that no such motor vehicle shall, if equipped with solid rubber tires, operate on any public street or alley in the City at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour; and provided that such vehicle shall, at all times, operate only over and upon such streets and alleys as are or may be designated in such certificate of convenience and necessity or, if no streets or alleys are designated in such certificate, then such vehicles shall operate only over and upon such streets as are or may be designated by the proper authorities of the state as part of the system of state highways; provided, however, that when actually engaged in the local delivery of passengers or merchandise, such vehicles may proceed to and return from the point of delivery by the most direct and shortest available route between such state highway street and such point of delivery.
[1960 Code, Secs. 9.04.310, 9.04.330]
(A) 
The fact that the speed of a vehicle is lower than the foregoing prima facie limits shall not relieve the driver from the duty to decrease speed when approaching and crossing an intersection, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hillcrest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding street or alley and when a special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions, and speed shall be decreased as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person or vehicle on or entering the street or alley in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care.
(B) 
No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
Police officers are hereby authorized to enforce this provision by direction to drivers, and in the event of apparent wilful disobedience to this provision and refusal to comply with direction of an officer in accordance herewith, the continued slow operation by a driver shall be a violation of this chapter.
[1960 Code, Sec. 9.04.340]
The prima facie speed limitations set forth in this chapter shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles when responding to emergency calls and the drivers thereof sound audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle. This provision shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the street, nor shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of a reckless disregard of the safety of others.
[1960 Code, Sec. 9.04.320]
In every charge of violation of Sections 9-3-1, 9-3-2 and 9-3-3 of this chapter, the complaint and the summons of notice to appear shall specify the speed at which the defendant is alleged to have driven and also the prima facie speed applicable within the district or at the location where such violation is alleged to have occurred.