Chester Rodney Black is a truck driver from St.Louis. Once a week he travels from St.Louis to Boynton Beach, Florida, spending a good amount of time on I-75.

Talks about reducing the speed limit on I-75 have Black worried on how it may impact his job.

"If I get slowed down enough times, I can't make my appointments and somebody else is going to be running my routes," said Black.

At  Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization meeting this week, Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe talked about reducing the speed limit from 70 miles to 55 miles along a stretch of I-75.

The area of I-75 that would have this reduced speed would be about a 15 mile stretch. It would start at about mile marker 390 and continue down to the Micanopy exit.

 County Commissioner Paula DeLaney says there is nothing formal right now. What is underway is a request to find out what they have to do to lower the speed limit and whether or not they have to meet a certain criteria.
 

"What to we have to do to respectfully request for this criteria to be adjusted or changed, so we would meet the criteria and if we think this will be an important safety improvement here in Alachua county," said Paula DeLaney.
 

It's been nearly two months since the massive pileup on I-75. One driver believes reducingthe speed isn't such a bad idea.

"It is a prone area for smoke and fire and fog and everything else. It'll probably be a good idea to cut the speed down just a bit," said Keneth Griffin who was traveling on I-75.
 

Black disagrees and thinks that driving 55 is way to slow.
 

"We got a 70 mile per hour speed limit there now, I am thinking if they slow that down to 65 that is not going to severely impact the truckers," said Black.

According to Gina Busscher  from the Department of Transportation, if the county or city wants to move on with this request, DOT will perform a speed review study to decide whether or not to reduce the speed. 

By: Yaremi Farinas