View Full Version : Speed Limits to Rise in Texas, Utah
NewsBot
05-05-2008, 04:00 PM
http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/pix/huntsman.jpgSpeed limits are set to rise in the coming weeks in both Utah and Dallas, Texas. The Utah Department of Transportation has now been granted full legal authority to set the maximum speed limit on a test stretch of Interstate 15 according to recognized engineering safety standards, including a consideration of the actual speed at which the majority of traffic is moving in safety. As the road is already posted at 75 MPH, this means the agency could either choose to join Texas (http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/04/473.asp) in posting an 80 MPH speed limit or become the nation's fastest road by setting an 85 MPH limit. Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. (R) signed the legislation (http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2230.asp) authorizing the speed limit increase on March 18.
In Dallas, the North Texas Tollway Authority plans to increase the maximum speed limit on large stretches of the Bush Turnpike and Dallas North Tollway from 60 to 70 MPH. A series of investigative reports by WFAA-TV over the past six months had revealed that the authority violated state laws (http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/19/1985.asp) requiring that speed limits be set according to recognized engineering safety standards. The authority never conducted any such studies.
The artificially low speed limits turned the 22.5 miles of toll road into a bonanza for the cities in their path, including Dallas, Frisco, Garland, Irving and Plano. With just four miles of toll road under its jurisdiction, Irving police issued $375,000 worth of tickets in a year. Garland with only two miles of road generated $400,000 in revenue, WFAA reported (http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080501_mo_speedtraps.bc781247.html).
"I don't believe the speed limits have, in any way, set a traffic trap for motorists," NTTA spokesman Sherita Coffelt told WFAA. Source
More... (http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/23/2356.asp)
Raider
05-05-2008, 04:04 PM
Oh, I would so totally love that out here in FL.
JC-MP5
05-05-2008, 04:50 PM
+902174591827591857
Everyone does 85 anyway.
KesTrel
05-06-2008, 12:09 AM
Welcome to Ohio !
65 MPH State, living in the 30's
f* ohio. :|
We might not be the worst state, but we are definitely in the top 10 for crappy traffic control.
kansei
05-06-2008, 10:57 AM
Welcome to Ohio !
65 MPH State, living in the 30's
Or living in a world where fuel economy is important (i.e. todaY).
that being said I bet on a chevy suburban the fuel economy difference between 65 and 80 mph isn't significant, but it is on my little economy car.
I'm actually pissed that there's 80mph roads for like a day or two of the trip to Arizona.. I go 110km/h (about 68mph) in the 65 zones here.. AMAZING fuel economy. I would feel very unsafe going that speed in an 80mph zone though
CrashKelly
05-06-2008, 11:09 AM
Or living in a world where fuel economy is important (i.e. todaY).
that being said I bet on a chevy suburban the fuel economy difference between 65 and 80 mph isn't significant, but it is on my little economy car.
I'm actually pissed that there's 80mph roads for like a day or two of the trip to Arizona.. I go 110km/h (about 68mph) in the 65 zones here.. AMAZING fuel economy. I would feel very unsafe going that speed in an 80mph zone though
Yeah but if everyone just adhered to the cruise right, pass on left philosiphy of driving...people that want to do 85 mph to get somewhere without fear of getting a huge fine and point violation would be able to that and you would not have to feel unsafe driving in the right lane.
Suspension technology (and auto technology in general) has made huge advances in letting us have the ability to drive at higher speeds much more safely. I live near I-95 in Pa and people here are going like 85-90 everyday...you feel like you have to go that fast just to be safe around to go with the flow of traffic! (this is also because no one here knows how to pass left and cruise on the right...I don't know why it is such a hard concept to follow...It is a law in New Jersey and everytime those fuckers are in our state they go 50 mph in the left lane of a 65 mph highway...I just dont get it...)
It really depends on the road though. I mean I feel like on I95 and the PA turnpike 85 mph is not unreasonable...I cruise at 65 when I need to save gas, but there are three lanes and if you are all the way to the right...in theory...you should be safe at those speeds. Other days when I am not being overly anal about fuel and just need to be somewhere I can feel perfectly safe going 85-90 on those roads. There are other roads though, like 309, which is a shithole with major road work needed where I dont feel safe going 45mph let alone 55...
the same applies to ohio, it is a law to only pass in the left lane... but there are plenty of f*ckers and old people who obviously don't care. I wish cops started writing tickets out for driving 5 or less under the speed limit in the left lane...
kansei
05-06-2008, 11:13 AM
It's law in most states, but people are idiots (generally).
My other issue is that the cabin noise level between even 70 and 75mph increases drastically... I mean hell 110km/h is over 3k rpms.. and 4k rpms is when the car gets LOUD
CrashKelly
05-06-2008, 11:20 AM
the same applies to ohio, it is a law to only pass in the right lane... but there are plenty of f*ckers and old people who obviously don't care. I wish cops started writing tickets out for driving 5 or less under the speed limit in the left lane...
you mena pass in the left?
CrashKelly
05-06-2008, 11:21 AM
It's law in most states, but people are idiots (generally).
My other issue is that the cabin noise level between even 70 and 75mph increases drastically... I mean hell 110km/h is over 3k rpms.. and 4k rpms is when the car gets LOUD
yeah I hear ya buddy...no cats made great gains on my car, but it is loud as hell...
kansei
05-06-2008, 11:21 AM
yeah I hear ya buddy...no cats made great gains on my car, but it is loud as hell...
at stock boost you can be 200whp on a dynojet with a cat and racing beat exhaust (i.e. quiet under 4k rpm). Thing is, even with the racing beat exhaust, get near 4k rpm and it's quite noisy. I really think they designed it for 75mph and under
susamafone
05-06-2008, 11:27 AM
west of san antonio on I-10 the speed limit is 80. gets pretty crazy out there
kansei
05-06-2008, 11:29 AM
west of san antonio on I-10 the speed limit is 80. gets pretty crazy out there
yeah we (Rob and I) will be there in September.. from San Antonio to El Paso
you mena pass in the left?
yes, sorry :X
SATimko
05-06-2008, 01:22 PM
God...if I was driving the Civic on that highway, it would suck. 85 mph is close to 4500 rpm.
^^ LOL. that thing would be looouuudd
I probably should not be talking ... my car gets loud between 3k and 4k, and then drops.
So yea, I just have to keep it around ~100mph, and everything will be good. :D
CTt3P5,
if the limit is increased - people WILL drive faster... I mean, the only way to NOT have speeders is to eliminate the limit all together, and we all know that's never going to happen. :)
vBulletin® v3.7.2, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.