Speed limits across the US are on the rise! Up-to-date state-to-state info & news...

First District state Rep. Stan Humphries of Cadiz said Sunday that he intends to provide a boost to a fellow member of the Kentucky State Legislature this week when it comes to speed limits on Kentucky four-lane highways.

Humphries said he would file a bill when lawmakers reconvene Tuesday Jan 21 that calls for the increase of speed limits from 55 mph to 65 mph where safe. This almost mirrors a bill 5th District state Rep. Kenny Imes of Murray has filed with the House of Representatives that is having problems making headway.

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Australia's Northern Territory's Stuart Highway speed limit trial begins, attracts sports car enthusiasts



The first day of a trial of open speeds on a section of the NT's Stuart Highway has already attracted motoring enthusiasts in high-powered cars.

There will be no speed limits on a 200 kilometre stretch of highway between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek for the next 12 months.

Today a number of high-performance vehicles, including an Aston Martin and Ferrari, have been seen on the road which police are monitoring for dangerous driving.

The Country Liberal Government has come under fire from the NT Opposition, the Police Association and the Automobile Association, for instigating the trial.

Peak medical bodies are also lobbying for the trial to be scrapped.

Doctor Christine Connors from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians NT says the Government is ignoring the evidence.

"Increasing speed increases the risk of a crash, increases the risk of severe injury, increases the risk of someone dying," she said.

"We are going to have people not driving to their capabilities, driving far too fast, and causing unnecessary accidents that might kill themselves or somebody else.

"The evidence tells us that speed kills ... the risk of people dying is very high."

The Police Association has described the trial as purely a political move.

But the Government has defended the decision, saying the onus is being put back on Territorians to drive responsibly.

"The evidence tells us that speed kills... The risk of people dying is very high."
Dr Christine Connors
"The stretch of highway has undergone a multi-million dollar upgrade to improve safety during the trial," Transport Minister Peter Styles said.

"I have heard rumours that there are people from interstate who are coming up here and want to treat it as a street race.

"Sadly for those people, if they do and they do not drive responsibly, then they will probably find themselves being summonsed or arrested by the police."

The Government commissioned four reports on the topic before announcing that open speed limits were back, but the reports have not been made public.

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Jan29 said:

Idaho lawmakers to consider 80 mph

Following Utah’s lead last year, Idaho is considering a limit increase to 80 mph where deemed safe....

Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill and House Speaker Scott Bedke like the idea, but Gov. Butch Otter hasn’t been consulted. Hill said Tuesday(Jan28) that he gives the measure “a good chance of passage” because raising speed limits always brings a smile to a constituent’s face.

More details on proposed speed limit hike were given by Hill when he broke the news Tuesday (Jan 28) about a move to raise speed limits as a sweetener in a lunch talk he gave to the Idaho Society of Association Executives.

Bart Davis said:

Driving last summer in Utah he noticed 80 mph limits on some rural interstates.

He plans to introduce a bill by next week. The measure calls for the Idaho Transportation Department to decide what 65 mph highways are suited for travel at 70 mph and what 75 mph stretches are fit for 80 mph.

We'll punt a lot of that science to ITD and their studies,

Davis said:

"There are areas where that would be OK and areas where that would not be OK."Davis, R-Idaho Falls, said ITD's studies have been recently updated and no additional engineering expense would be associated with reviewing highways suitable for higher speeds"

He added that heavy truck speeds would remain 10 miles per hour lower than automobiles under his proposal.

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He drives a 12-cylinder BMW, DMV records show that he hasn’t had a speeding ticket since 1993. When Davis, who is 58 was asked how he drives, he said "I drive like an old man."

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Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill said:

Davis had given him permission to tout his plan to increase highway speed limits on some stretches by 5 mph.

"You know when everyone breaks their smile....When I tell them we're also looking at increasing the speed limit on freeways up to 80 miles an hour."

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House Speaker Scott Bedke said:

Spoke after Hill, added that the Davis bill would require that the Idaho Transportation Department determine that highway design is adequate to handle the higher speeds, up to 75 mph on state highways and 80 mph on interstates.

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In his first draft, Davis said, he only covered interstate highways. After discussing it with colleagues, he said he was urged by several to include state highways.

In preparing to present the bill to the Senate Transportation Committee, Davis has researched the last time interstate speeds were boosted to 75 mph in the 1990s. The Senate vote was 28-7, the House vote was 56-12.

Utah and Texas are alone today in allowing speeds faster than 75 mph.

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ATLANTA said:

— The Georgia House of Representatives voted 157-7 Monday to allow the speed limit to be raised to 70 mph even in cities.

The measure, House Bill 774, now goes to the Senate. The current maximum speed limit in metro areas with a population greater than 50,000 is 65 mph, a holdover from the 1973 gasoline shortage when the maximum speed limit nationally dropped to 55 mph, with gradual increases in recent years.

A traffic study is required before the speed limit can be raised, according to the sponsor, Rep. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie.

Among those voting "no" on the bill were Reps. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, and Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine. Spencer said there was no coordination in opposition, although all are among the most conservative in the House.

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A bill looking to give UDOT the option to increase speed limits on Utah's freeways zoomed through the House Friday morning.

On a vote of 63-8, the House of Representatives approved of H.B. 80, which gives UDOT authority to increase speed limits in the state up to 80 mph as long as an engineering and safety study shows the road is ripe for the speed increase.

"We have done this very methodically over the last five years," said Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, the chief sponsor of the legislation.

Dunnigan's proposal means speed limits on I-15 through the Wasatch Front could raise to 70 mph if it is determined to be safe. It also means the rural areas of Utah's interstate roads could see more speed limits of 80 mph. Currently there are nearly 380 miles of 80 mph roads within the state.

In his presentation on the House floor, Dunnigan explained the bill came as a result of the past five years of data that has been collected by UDOT. Dunnigan said the data gathered showed that speeds have not had a dramatic increase since Utah started posting 80 mph limits. He said currently 85 percent of the drivers are going about 83 mph in the 80 mph zones.

Dunnigan also addressed the impact the change in the speed may have on the state's air quality. He said studies have shown that the limit increase would have similar impact to the air that the current speed limits already have.

"Once you get up to speed," Dunnigan said. "It does not negatively impact air quality."

Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake City, questioned Dunnigan about statement made when the bill was heard in committee that Utah has not seen any deaths related to speed on its roads in the past year.

Dunnigan clarified that there have been deaths on Utah's roads from drivers traveling at high speeds but that none of the deaths came because Utah increased its speed limit by five miles per hour.

According to Dunnigan, one area already being targeted for an increase in the speed limit was the area between Green River and the Colorado border on I-70.

The bill now moves forward to be considered by the Senate.

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romad said:

Here in the CPR, there are several areas that could easily be raised to 75:

I-5 from Stockton to the Grapevine
I-15 from Barstow to the Nevada border
I-40 from Barstow to the Arizona border
I-10 from Indio to the Arizona border
I-8 from El Centro to the Arizona border

About the only place in Northern California would be I-505 between I-5 and I-80

An interesting bit of trivia: California was preparing to raise the truck/towing speed limit from 55 to 65 when the Feds imposed the asinine national 55 limit. When that was abolished, California restored the regular limits back to 65/70, but left the truck/towing limit at 55.

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Several legislators have a driving ambition this session — to increase some speed limits.

Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington, said he’s one of four delegates working on a bill that will be introduced in the House next week to hike the speed limit on interstate highways in Maryland to 75 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 157 introduced by Sen. George Edwards, R-Garrett, would allow speed limits to go up to 70 miles per hour.

But it’s not just a few Republicans who are supporting legislation for increased speed limits.

A bill unanimously passed the House of Delegates last year that would have allowed a 70 mile per hour speed limit on Maryland interstates. However, the bill never got a committee vote in the Senate.

Sen. John Astle, D-Annapolis, said he signed on to Edwards’ bill this year hoping that would change.

“Oftentimes if a bill fails in one house one year, the next time around you go to the other house to put it in. You figure you can get it out of the other house — you just got to get it out of this one,” Astle said. “The truth is most people travel that (speed) anyway.”

Current law in Maryland says a maximum speed limit of more than 65 miles per hour may not be established on any highway in the state.

As of today, 38 states have speed limits of 70 miles per hour on some portion of their roadway systems, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

But bills introduced this year don’t automatically mean the speed limit on Interstate 97 would jump to 70 or 75 miles per hour.

If a law is enacted, highway speed engineering studies would need to be conducted by the state to show a higher speed limit is preferable.

And legislative efforts to change the speed limit don’t sit well with everyone.

Henry Jasny, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said Friday his group will be against any bill to hike the speed limits in Maryland.

Jasny said when speed limits are raised, accidents can have more serious consequences.

“When they crash at greater speeds, the energy is greater,” Jasny said. “What might have been a crash with minor injuries is a crash with serious injuries. A crash with serious injuries becomes a crash with fatal injuries.”

Parrott, who works as a traffic engineer, disagreed. He said that when a speed limit is raised, it doesn’t mean people always drive faster. Sometimes, Parrott said the current speed limit is too low and results in more impatient drivers.

He argued that the majority of people drive at a comfortable speed despite what the speed limit says.

While Parrott’s bill has not been submitted yet, Edwards’ bill was heard by the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Thursday. It’s unclear when the committee will vote on that bill.

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Province considers 110 km/h speed limit for stretch of Trans-Canada​

Construction on the highway can slow down drivers for long stretches, but the province says new construction planned will actually speed things up down the road. The province announced $213 million in upgrades for the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg on Friday.
Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said that lays the groundwork to raise the speed limit. Once upgrades are complete, Ashton said he wants the speed limit raised from 100 to 110 km/h from Winnipeg to Saskatchewan, if it's safe to do so.
Drivers who use this stretch every day say they already drive 110 km/h now, so the speed limit might as well change.
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Ashton says his goal is to see the speed limit raised to 110 km/h across the Trans-Canada in Manitoba and all of Highway 75.​

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Manitoba Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said the improvements, to be fully completed by 2020, will be up to U.S. interstate standards.​

Callum Timings called his daily commute to work from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie repetitive and monotonous. “It's a long straight piece of road where there is not much going on normally,” he said.

He wishes he could make the drive more quickly, so he likes the possibility of increasing the speed limit to 110 km/h.
“You'd be able to get there a bit faster and, (because) you know you're getting there a bit faster, it makes it easier to pay attention to what's going on around you,” he said.

Using money from the PST hike, the Selinger government says it will spend $213 million on upgrades to several sections of the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg to the Saskatchewan border.

The work includes new bridges, fully paved shoulders, rumble strips and resurfacing, making Highway 1 safer.

“Equivalent to the Interstate in the U.S., equivalent to any highway across Canada,” said Ashton.

Ashton says the upgrades and others already ongoing will allow the province to eventually raise the speed limit.

"It will be one of the end results, people will see, that the Trans-Canada, that's four lanes, will be at a default speed of 110,” he said.

CAA welcomes the move. “The ability to move about through the province in an efficient manner is very important to our members,” said spokesperson Tom Scott.

Not everyone agrees. The Manitoba Trucking Association says higher speeds can have negative consequences.

“For our industry, there's a push on a whole host of fronts to travel at a 100 kilometers per hour or less, one of which is fuel economy, another is safety considerations,” said General Manager Terry Shaw.

Driver Kevin Pauls, however, said hardly anyone drives to the speed limit now anyway. “Everyone's going 110 (km/h) now anyway. This way, everyone can be more honest about the speed limit.”

Right now, you can drive 110 km/h on Highway 1 west of Virden and on the southern section of Highway 75. Ashton said with upgrades previously announced for Highway 75, he hopes 110 km/h will be the default speed for the rest of that route too.

The province says it doesn’t have data on whether people speed more on the sections in Manitoba that have been 110 km/h for a few years. Across Canada, however, research has shown drivers speed on average 8 km/h over the speed limit when it is 100 km/h, but only 2 km/h over when its 110 km/h.​

CTV Winnipeg Web Poll - Feb. 10, 2014 ​

Should the speed limit be raised to 110 km/h on the Trans-Canada Highway from Winnipeg to the Saskatchewan border?​

Yes 533(76 %)
No 172(24 %)
Total number of votes: 705​

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rotarykid said:

Manitoba looking at raising the Trans-Canada highway to 110​

If they are rebuilding the road to US interstate standard 110 km/hr seems a bit slow for that empty part of Canada. 120-130km/hr would seem to be more appropriate to me, the limit is similar parts of the US on freeways today....... And I bet most drivers would also aggree......

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romad said:

If U.S. Interstate standard is still 75mph, then they should be rebuilding that road to 121kph

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rotarykid said:

Wyoming will let you pass if you stay under 83-84( 78-82 is usually safe ) while crossing the region today on their freeways, 85 will get you pulled over if you are clocked at speed. Stay under 70 on the states' two lane 65 zones to avoid a ticket. Most of the time I stay below 83-84 when crossing the state if traffic is light. If there are other cars around and you have a detector a little faster can be done in good weather during daylight hours.

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KERMA said:

me said:

Also in Wyoming as an excuse of due to weather related crashes in recent years the tolerance has been dropped on certain stretches of I-80. And in the recently installed variable speed limit Zones on I-80 obey the limit when it is dropped for safety sake and to avoid a ticket. I-25 can be driven on a little faster on certain stretches in good weather during daylight hours. But when the sun goes down the tolerance drops to just above 80 over most of the states interstate miles....

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false

I got a ticket in wyoming near Evanston few years back. I was going less than 70 mph in a 75 zone (more like 65-67 actually).
Big rigs were struggling a bit uphill on a somewhat windy day, generally staying less than 60 or so. Cop saw me pass and decided to pull me over.
Ticket said 87 mph.

I was not anywhere close to that Got the ticket, drive a little bit and pulled over to take notes for court. Cop pulled up behind me again and got nasty all in my face about how I needed to keep moving. He apparently didn't like that I was writing stuff down. Kind of wish I had a camera then.....

Went to court and everyone else there that day had the same ticket: 87 in a 75. Just paid a reduced fine and got on with my life.

Just be aware that the state cops near Evanston like to lie.

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KERMA said:

false
I got a ticket in wyoming near Evanston few years back. I was going less than 70 mph in a 75 zone (more like 65-67 actually).
Big rigs were struggling a bit uphill on a somewhat windy day, generally staying less than 60 or so. Cop saw me pass and decided to pull me over.
Ticket said 87 mph. I was not anywhere close to that
Got the ticket, drive a little bit and pulled over to take notes for court. Cop pulled up behind me again and got nasty all in my face about how I needed to keep moving. He apparently didn't like that I was writing stuff down. Kind of wish I had a camera then
Went to court and everyone else there that day had the same ticket: 87 in a 75. Just paid a reduced fine and got on with my life.
Just be aware that the state cops near Evanston like to lie.

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rotarykid said:

Manitoba looking at raising the Trans-Canada highway to 110​

If they are rebuilding the road to US interstate standard 110 km/hr seems a bit slow for that empty part of Canada. 120-130km/hr would seem to be more appropriate to me, the limit is similar parts of the US on freeways today....... And I bet most drivers would also aggree......

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KERMA said:

false
I got a ticket in wyoming near Evanston few years back. I was going less than 70 mph in a 75 zone (more like 65-67 actually).
Big rigs were struggling a bit uphill on a somewhat windy day, generally staying less than 60 or so. Cop saw me pass and decided to pull me over.
Ticket said 87 mph. I was not anywhere close to that
Got the ticket, drive a little bit and pulled over to take notes for court. Cop pulled up behind me again and got nasty all in my face about how I needed to keep moving. He apparently didn't like that I was writing stuff down. Kind of wish I had a camera then
Went to court and everyone else there that day had the same ticket: 87 in a 75. Just paid a reduced fine and got on with my life.
Just be aware that the state cops near Evanston like to lie.

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ANNAPOLIS — The House has unanimously passed a measure to raise the maximum highway speed limit from 65 mph to 70.

The bill’s chief sponsor is Del. James Malone, a Democrat from Baltimore and Howard counties, but several Republicans are sponsoring it as well. It passed the House 133-0 Thursday morning.

The Maryland Department of Transportation reports that speed limits have little effect on how fast most people drive. So it advises limits at or below the speed at which 85 percent of motorists drive on any given road.

This bill fits within that guideline, according to a report from the Department of Legislative Services.

Only 11 states have 65-mph maximums, compared to 22 where the maximum is 70 mph and 14 where it’s 75 mph, according to the DLS study.

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Monday an overwhelming majority of lawmakers in the Wyoming house favored the 80 mph bill, approving it by a vote of 53 to 6. That leaves the Senate as the only roadblock keeping the state from boosting the limit. The bill will likely be heard in a Senate committee later this week.

The house passed on Monday bill would give the state’s highway superintendent authority to increase the speed limit on interstates from 75 to 80 mph.

Lawmakers didn’t tout the bill as an answer to a lead foot or glove boxes full of speeding tickets. Instead, they hyped the legislation by promising safer roads.They used Utah and Texas as examples of two states that increased the speed limit to 80 mph after studying motorist behavior. Both states found the higher speed limit was safer for drivers.

Lawmakers opposing the increase say the state already has an 80 mph speed limit. When people drive at 80 mph they don’t get arrested or stopped, said Rep. Mike Madden, R-Buffalo.

“I am worried if we set an 80-miles-per-hour speed limit the new de facto speed limit will be 85,” he said.

Madden added that he’s not convinced faster speed limits make for safer roads.

“There are all kinds of ways to use statistics to make your point,” he said. “It’s just not logical to say if you have faster speeds, you have a safer highway. There has to be conditions. It isn’t universal.”

Rep. Dave Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, co-sponsored the bill and said the state won’t immediately increase the limit if the bill passes. There will have to be a lot of safety issues addressed first, he said.

Zwonitzer said there will be statewide studies on the interstate before motorists see increased limits. And some areas – like mountain passes – won’t have increased speeds.

Rep. Marty Halverson, R-Etna, was revved to see the bill pass in her chamber.

People who drive in a 55 mph zone are more inclined to speed than someone on a road with higher limits, Halverson said.

“People become more cautious when they’re not being lulled with slow speeds,” she said.

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Oklahoma bills would boost speeds from where are 65 to 70 and where 70 to 75 and 75 to 80 mph for all traffic. And on divided highways it would limit left lane use, along with that it would give clear guidelines to help cops issue tickets

A handful of bills at the Oklahoma statehouse would limit lane use, simplify issuance of citations, and authorize faster speeds for all vehicles on certain roadways.

The Senate Transportation Committee voted to advance a bill that would make the far left lane of multilane highways off limits for anything other than passing another vehicle.

Oklahoma law now requires vehicles driving slower than the normal flow of traffic to stay to the right on multilane highways. Vehicles are allowed to merge left to overtake and pass slower moving traffic.

Sponsored by Sen. Larry Boggs, R-Red Oak, SB1517 would apply to all vehicles, regardless of speed. Truckers and other drivers traveling on multilane roadways couldn’t stay in the far left lane.

Supporters say limiting the left lane for passing only would result in improved traffic flow and reducing the number of drivers who impede traffic.

The bill would also require signage to be posted on interstates alerting travelers to the left lane rule.

SB1517 awaits further consideration in the Senate.

Another bill in the Senate Transportation Committee would boost turnpike speeds by 5 mph from 75 to 80 mph.

The Sooner State now authorizes 75 mph travel for truckers and others on the turnpike system and rural interstates. Speeds on multilane divided highways are set at 70 mph while 65 mph speeds are allowed on smaller highways.

Sponsored by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, SB1459 would authorize cars and trucks to drive 80 mph.

Advocates say the speed change could improve safety on roads because the disparity in vehicle speeds would be reduced.

On the House side, Rep. Cory Williams, D-Stillwater, offered a bill that would increase speed limits on four-lane divided highways and super two-lane highways from 70 to 75 mph.

HB2610 is in the House Public Safety Committee.

One more bill would make it easier for police to issue tickets.

Sen. Al McAffrey, D-Oklahoma City, introduced a bill that would allow police officers to issue electronic citations for such offenses as traffic, misdemeanor and municipal ordinance violations.

McAffrey said the rule would better protect officers by keeping them out of harm’s way.

“Routine traffic stops are one of the most dangerous times for officers to become injured because they don’t know what kind of situation or individual they’re approaching,” McAffrey said in a news release. “By allowing them to submit electronic citations, they’d no longer have to leave the safety of their car.”

A $5 fee would be added to speeding tickets and other traffic citations to help cover the program’s expenses.

SB1872 is in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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rotarykid said:

A blanket freeway limit increase that would allow the limit across Maryland to rise to 70 on rural freeways has crossed the first threshold by unanimously passing the state house....

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Higher speed limits 'save lives'

A two-year trial to increase the speed limits on some roads in Denmark has reduced traffic collisions and cut road deaths.


An increase in the speed limits on some roads in Denmark has reduced traffic collisions and cut road deaths


An increase in the speed limits on some roads in Denmark has reduced traffic collisions and cut road deaths. The two-year trial has also found that higher speed limits on motorways have helped lower the number of accidents.

The Danish road directorate conducted the trial on rural two-way roads where there had previously been an 80km/h (50mph) speed limit and increased it to 90km/h (56mph). What the study found was that slower drivers increased their speed slightly while faster drivers reduced their speed.

Average speeds on these roads remained almost unchanged but the smaller difference in speeds between faster and slower traffic resulted in fewer accidents. The Danish road directorate says the move helped lessen the frustration of drivers who found themselves behind slower vehicles and reduced the urge to overtake.

Danish police were initially unsure of this trial, but Erik Mather, a spokesman for the Danish Traffic Police, said: 'The police are perhaps a little biased on this issue, but we've had to completely change our view now that the experiment has gone on for two years.'

Brian Gregory, of the Alliance of British Drivers, added: 'These findings vindicate that raising unreasonably low speed limits improves road safety by reducing speed differentials and driver frustration.'

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Increased speed limit leads to fewer road accidents in Denmark




Two-year study reveals an increase in speed limits decreased the number of road accidents.

Speeding kills, or so we're told. It would seem the reality, however, is much less black and white. A report by the Danish Road Directorate Vejdirektoratet found that increasing the speed limit actually had a positive effect on the number of road accidents.

The two-year study looked at the effect increasing the limit on rural roads from 80km/h (50mph) to 90km/h (56mph). Since 2011, accident numbers have fallen because the difference between fastest and slowest cars was reduced, resulting in less overtaking.

Slower drivers became faster with the new higher speed limit in place, while the fastest 15 per cent of drivers only drove one km/h faster, going against the thinking that a higher limit means everyone automatically drives like a lunatic.

“If there is a large difference between speeds, then more people will attempt to overtake, so the more homogeneous we can get the speeds on the two-lane roads, the safer they will become,” Vejdirektoratet spokesperson Rene Juhl Hollen commented.

Backing up the claim are Danish motorway figures. Fatalities have decreased in the country since the speed limit was increased from 110km/h (68mph) to 130km/h (81mph) nearly a decade ago.

Danish traffic officer Erik Mather said of the findings: "The police are perhaps a little biased on this issue, but we've had to completely change our view now that the experiment has gone on for two years."

Official accident statistics reveal two-lane roads in Denmark accounted for two-thirds of all road deaths. Speed was said to be a contributing factor in half of all road deaths.

Although the Danish traffic study, which will go on until 2015, represents the experience of one country, the figures are certainly positive. The question is whether upping, say, the UK's 70mph speed limit to 80mph would have the same effect?

Whatever the answer, it seems as if the decision has been made up already. A 60mph speed limit has been proposed on stretches of two UK motorways. In one case the government is decreasing the speed limit to help with air pollution in a bid to comply with EU regulations.

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Cheyenne, WY (KGWN) - There is over 900 miles of interstate highway in Wyoming. Beginning this summer drivers could be covering those miles quicker than ever.

The Wyoming Legislature has passed House Bill 12, a law that would allow WYDOT to raise speed limits from 75 to 80 miles per hour pending their study to see what sections a raised speed limit would be safe.

"Can a car drive that road safely based on the design of the roadway. We'll look at the 85th percentile. That being 85 percent of the cars travel at a certain speed," said Del McOmie, Chief Engineer for WYDOT.

WYDOT estimates the 85th percentile in Wyoming to be 79 miles per hour.

According the national manual, the 85th percentile should be within five miles per hour of the posted speed limit.

"The 75 mile an hour speed limit is posted correctly for what we're seeing in Wyoming drivers right now, but 80 would obviously be closer. So we're going to look at the environmental effects. We're going to look at the safety aspects and we're going to look at the traffic speeds that are out there right now," McOmie said.

Some areas, WYDOT already knows, probably won't be seeing the increase.

"Some of those being in the marginal areas, say here in Cheyenne where you have a lot of off-ramps and on-ramps, merging traffic,” said McOmie.

Other areas in southeast Wyoming are very likely candidates to see the bump.

"I think some of your areas where you have a flatter terrain say out west of Laramie, over towards Pine Bluffs your roadway is fairly straight," McOmie said.

The law will go into effect on July 1 pending the Governor's approval.
Wyoming would join only Utah and Texas as states that have speed limits posted above 75 miles per hour.

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BOISE — Some stretches of freeway in Idaho could see speed limits rise to 80 mph, under legislation that won final passage in the Idaho House on Tuesday and headed to the governor’s desk.

The House was closely divided, approving the measure on a 34-31 vote, with opponents citing safety concerns.

Backers said the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) would only up the top speeds on sections where it determines, after engineering and traffic studies, that it would be in the public interest. Attention is aimed squarely at the southern end of the state, where Interstate 84 across the Utah state line already is at 80 mph, while Idaho remains at 75.

Rep. Marc Gibbs, R-Grace, the bill’s House sponsor, said, “I think it can safely be done in Idaho.”

Utah did a three-year experiment with 80 mph top speeds and found that accident rates didn’t rise with the higher limit, in part because drivers on the selected stretches of freeway mostly went no faster than they had before.

The bill, SB 1284a, also would allow Idaho to raise top speeds from 65 mph to 70 mph on selected stretches of state highway, under the same conditions. If Gov. Butch Otter signs the bill into law, it would take effect July 1; it would then be up to the ITD to decide when, or if, any speed limits would rise.

Utah is currently the only state with an 80 mph top speed limit, but Texas is at 85 mph.

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Higher speed limits approved for North Texas Dallas Metroplex


Speed limits on many Metroplex freeways will soon be raised by 5 mph after the Regional Transportation Council voted unanimously on Thursday to end its 13-year policy of keeping limits low to reduce pollution.

Motorists can expect the new speed limits to be rolled out over time — perhaps over a few months — rather than all at once, said Bill Hale, Texas Department of Transportation Dallas district engineer. Meanwhile, motorists must continue to drive the posted speed to avoid getting a ticket, several officials said.

Improvements to auto emissions since 2001 have dramatically reduced the amount of potentially dangerous nitrogen oxides emitted by cars and trucks at higher speeds, making the lower speed limits unnecessary, North Central Texas Council of Governments staff members told the 43-member RTC.

“We didn’t decrease speeds for safety reasons back in 2001. We did so for environmental reasons,” said Mark Enoch, who represents Dallas Area Rapid Transit on the RTC. “We’re not raising speeds to be more dangerous.”

Michael Morris, council of governments transportation director, added that raising the speed limits in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area will help traffic move at a pace closer to the higher speeds in rural areas. It can be dangerous for traffic moving at higher rural speeds to enter a populated area and suddenly have to decelerate, he said.

“We are taking advantage of new emissions standards in cars and trucks, and putting speed limits back to the safety levels,” Morris said.

Speed limits of 60 mph will be raised to 65 mph on Interstate 20, Loop 820 and Texas 121 in central Fort Worth, Grapevine, North Richland Hills and cities in or near the center of Tarrant County. Speed limits of 65 mph could be raised to 70 mph on I-35W from Burleson to the south, and Alliance Airport to the north. Also, a 65 mph posted limit could be raised to 70 mph on U.S. 287 from I-35W north to Wise County, and from I-20 south through Mansfield.

But Hale said that before any of the environmental-based restrictions are removed, the state transportation department must submit its plans to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and federal Environmental Protection Agency — a process that could take weeks.

Officials also wouldn’t rule out the possibility that speed limits in certain freeway corridors could even go beyond the 5 mph across-the-board increase. Hale said the state transportation department is conducting ongoing speed studies in many of the corridors where the speed limits will change.

Speed limits are already much higher outside the North Texas metro area. For example, the speed limit on I-35 is already 75 mph for motorists traveling south of Johnson County toward Waco and Austin. Also, motorists on I-20 west of Weatherford toward Abilene, and east toward Shreveport, La., can already legally travel at 75 mph.

Portions of I-10 and I-20 in far west Texas allow legal speeds of 80 mph, and the Central Texas Turnpike southeast of Austin allows 85 mph.

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TxDOT’s plan to raise Dallas Metroplex speed limits clears key hurdle

The Regional Transportation Council today agreed to fund $54 million in projects aimed at easing the state’s attempts to raise speed limits on scores of area highways.

The Texas Department of Transportation still needs clearance from environmental agencies before it can rise the limits, which will mainly occur on suburban and rural highways. Once that occurs, it will take the agency 60-90 days to change speed limit signs.

Because higher speeds lead to higher car emissions, TxDOT must show that it will offset the expected increase by decreasing emissions elsewhere. The funding package approved Thursday aims to do just that.

Projects include retiming traffic lights throughout the region to decrease stop-and-go traffic. TxDOT also plans to increase the number of passing lanes where 18-wheelers are prohibited from driving.

The Texas Department of Transportation hopes to raise the speed limit on scores of highways by 5 mph.

Major suburban routes proposed to see higher limits include Central Expressway through Richardson and Collin County, Interstate 30 from LBJ Freeway to Rockwall, Interstate 35E from LBJ to Denton and Interstate 20 from State Highway 360 to U.S. Highway 175.

I-20 would see the higher 70-mph limit. The others would rise from 60 to 65 mph.

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Wyoming will soon join an elite club of states with speed limits of 80 mph or greater.

Gov. Matt Mead signed legislation earlier this month allowing the state’s top speed limit to move from 75 mph to 80 mph along Interstate routes.

First, the state Transportation Department has to study which sections may be able to handle the higher limit, but that won’t happen until at least July 1.


Supporters of increasing the speed limit claim estimates show most vehicles traveling on rural sections of Wyoming interstates already travel near 80 mph. Critics contend an increase will result in more traffic fatalities and injuries.

Currently, only Texas and Utah are the only states that allow speeds of 80 mph or greater.

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