Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), the chief sponsor of the ordinance, had argued a lower speed limit was necessary to protect public safety.

Wednesday to retain the city's 30 mph default speed limit. Why it matters: Studies show that pedestrians are half as likely to die when hit by a car driving 25 mph rather than 30 mph. Context: Cities including New York,

The City Council may consider a controversial proposal to lower the city's speed limit on Wednesday, in addition to considering two multimillion-dollar settlements and a plan to borrow $830 million for maintenance and infrastructure projects.