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

[rotarykid]

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

For the first time since the 1970s as of mid summer 2014 a province of Canada(British Columbia) now has a 75 mph(120km/hr) limit posted on some of it's rural built to freeway design highways

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Utah first state to pass a blanket freeway Higher limit 80 mph where ever the data says it is safe to do so...

70 is now(as of mid December 2014) posted throughout the Salt Lake City metro area on it's freeways...

80 mph now( as of mid September) posted over all of the state's rural freeway miles except for those in mountain pass regions...

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South Dakota as of April 1, 2015 the second state to adopt 80 mph as the state's blanket maximum where ever the data says it is safe to do so...

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Montana as of Oct 1, 2015 has now joined the list of states which have now passed law allowing 80 mph where ever the data says it's safe to do so on the state's interstate freeways.......After ~3 months of study 1,050 miles of the state's 1,400 miles of rural interstate freeways.....

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Utah is in the process right now, June 16. 2015 of posting the 80 mph limit on 760 miles of the state's freeways.

I-70 is right now in the process of getting the 80 mph limit from the CO border to I-15.

I-80 has been raised to 80 mph on all of it but the sections through the metro areas, these areas recently received an increase to 70-75 mph from the previously posted limit of 65......

I-84 is now posted to 80 mph the length of the freeway across the state, with the only exceptions being in urban areas and through the canyons where it is not safe to do so.........

I-15 is expected to see the increase to 80 mph on every mile it can safely be done so outside of urban or mountainous areas....

By the end of this summer, 2015 it is expected that ~760 miles, pretty much every mile of freeways across the state can safely be done so will have been raised to 80 mph.

Or if 80 is too high the limit will be raised to a higher speed which is under 80 that is a more appropriate level.

This has been done across the state since a blanket 80 mph limit unless otherwise posted was adopted in law couple of years ago...



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In Wyoming a 80 mph limit bill has passed and been signed by the governors. Starting July 1, 2014 WyDOT will begin to post the increase on the parts of the state's interstates state DOT deems it can be done safely.

Update: .....Wyoming has ~900 miles of eligible interstates where the 80 mph speed limit could be posted. Today the limit is 80 mph on 540 miles across Wyoming:

In mid Sept. 2015 an increase in speed limit from 75 to 80 mph was posted on the stretch of I-90 from SD borders for ~40 miles until the Casper area.. This area had been under study since the change in law allowed 80 mph where deemed safe to make sure it was safe to raise the limit from 75 to 80 mph.....

I-25 • North of Cheyenne to south of Douglas; 117 miles (milepost 18-135);

• North of Douglas to south of Casper; 44 miles (mileposts 141-185); and

• North of Casper to south of Buffalo; 107 miles (mileposts 190-297).

I-80 • East end of Bridger Valley to west of Green River; 34 miles (mileposts 48-82);

• East of Rock Springs to west of Wamsutter; 55 miles (mileposts 110-165); and

• East of Cheyenne to west of Pine Bluffs; 27 miles (mileposts 373-400).

I-90 • East of Buffalo to west of Gillette; 64 miles (mileposts 59-123); and

• East of Gillette to between Moorcroft and Sundance; 40 miles (mileposts 130-170).

WYDOT is continuing to assess two other sections of interstate where a speed limit increase could be possible. One section, measuring 46 miles, is I-80 from west of Rawlins to just west of Walcott Junction.

The other section, measuring 17 miles, is I-90 from east of Sundance to the South Dakota state line. WYDOT does not have a time frame for completing the additional study......

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South Dakota now has a 80 mph maximum on the state's two interstates which was achieved by amendment to a transportation bill that was signed by the governor on March 17,2015. It allows I-29 & I-90 to rise from 75 to 80 under the amendment to the state's statutory maximum....

With the passage of this change in law the state has now joined the other 4 states(Utah, Wyoming, Texas, and Idaho) with 80 mph posted limits in the region. The limit will go into effect on all rural interstates raising the posted maximum from 75 to 80 mph starting April 1,2015.

The higher limit was posted where ever the current maximum is posted today @ 75 mph. The signs went up on April 1, 2015 across the state everywhere the limit was previously 75....

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In Wisconsin as of June 16, 2015 the limit went to 70 mph on 810 miles of the state's rural freeways........

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Maryland raised an 80 mile stretch in western Maryland on I-68 from the I-70 split to the West Virginia border on Thursday Oct. 1, 2015.....

As of late April,2016 another 100 miles of 70 mph was raised on I-70

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Oregon passed signed bill & now posted which has raised as of March 2016 the speed limit to 70Cars/65Trucks on US 95, I-82 & I-84.

And the posted limit has gone up to 65C/60T on US 20, 26, 395, 97 & 197 in central & eastern Oregon starting in February/March 2016!!!

Oregon DOT has had the power to raise posted maximums to 70C/65T since legislation was passed & signed into law in 2003.

But OregonDOT has refused to raise the limit anywhere in the state claiming that emergency infrastructure could not handle the increase they claim will happen with a statewide increase in posted maximums allowed in law.....

But Oregon DOT's own recently collected speed data says actual safe observed travel speeds are over 70 mph today on the state's freeways. And the Safety & crash stats say their claim is BS not backed up by data from DOT's around the world....

So with over a decade of Oregon DOT refusing the post the increase this legislation was passed removing Oregon DOT from equation, telling them to raise these sections of highways & Interstates.

Recent press releases state that the limit increases are causing no safety issues...

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Limits were expected(by those who proposed & passed the limit increase law) to rise across much of Nevada states once the limit laws take effect in Oct.....


In Nevada NV DOT has decades of collected data saying it is safe & reasonable to raise most miles east of Reno and north of Las Vegas from today's 75 posted to the new allowed in law 80 mph limit after the new limit laws take effect Oct. 1..........

Even though NV DOT seems to believe otherwise, according to current state law the default maximum today is 80mph unless there is real collected data stating that speed is too high and unsafe for specific engineering reasons!!!

But since Oct 1 not a peep, not a word from NV DOT on when or if they will follow the law allowing NV DOT to post 80 mph, the speed that their own data collected for decades now saying it's safe to do so.......

That is Nevada now has a DOT which has stated publicly they do not support the increase for any the state's hundreds of miles of interstate freeways designed for safe high speed travel....

In fact the passed and signed into law bill allowing 80 mph was a compromise lowering the proposed maximum allowed from 85 to 80 to try to get the support of those who testified against passage, mainly the NV DOT chairmen........

Even with the change in the limit law asked for by those in opposition NV DOT made it pretty clear they did not support the law nor would they apply the limit increase to any of the state's rural freeways if they could get away with it................

Oct 6 now and so far NV DOT has ignored the allowed in law where the data says it can be done safely an increase from 75 to 80 mph posted......

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Ohio this past year had an amendment to a transportation bill that was added late winter that would have raised the two year old maximum from 70 to 75 mph. If it passes and becomes law the limit would likely increase where the limit is currently posted today @ 70 mph....

But the insurance lobby efforts to use lies claiming the limit increase would be dangerous quashed the limit increase bill. Their lies were successful in blocking what would have been a safer more appropriate limit................

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In Idaho it is now the law that where Idaho deems it to be safe on freeways for the maximum limit of 80c/70t where IdahoDOT deems it to be safe. The 80c/70t mph bill also allows a 5 mph increase( from 65 to 70) on state & federal highways where IdahoDOT deems it to be safe. The state's highway system is currently under review as where the allowed increase might be implemented.

The 80c/70t limit law went into effect on Jluy 1 but was postponed for 3 week after the AAA pushed for a delay for further review. After a meeting was held on July 11 the limit increase was approved and then raised on July 23, 2014 across most of rural sections of southern and eastern Idaho. Urban stretches were not part of the increase......

I-90 across northern Idaho is still under review as to where it might see a increase. NO date has been given on where the new 70 maximum allowed on state and federal highways might be implemented....

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Higher limit passed(70 mph maximum), signed and now posted this year in Ohio on over 1,900 miles of rural Interstates & look alike freeways......

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Illinois's 70 mph law went into effect on Jan 1 2014. IDOT is planning to have all rural & urban stretches posted that qualify for the 70 mph limit starting on Jan 2 to be done by mid Jan 2014...........

UPDATE: 70 mph now posted or planned to be posted on 98 % of rural freeways by mid January across ILLINOIS. ILLHP has come out with a statement that in areas clearly marked in the IDOT release for the increase they will enforce the new higher limit whether it has been posted yet or not. There are currently negotiations between IDOT & the leader of the Legislature who proposed the current increase on raising freeways around Chicago & St Louis to 70 mph. A compromise that looks likely today is that these freeways will be raised from 55 to 65....

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New Hampshire has now 70 mph limit posted on parts of I-93.... On Jan 1 2014 the limit was raised to 70 mph on ~80 miles of I-93. The signs were changed over the last two weeks of December and were uncovered at the beginning of January......


In New Hampshire there are also two new bills that have been introduced for 2014 legislative session that would raise the limit to 70 mph on a portion of Route 101 & a portion of I-89.....

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Higher limit for freeways passed(75 mph), signed but not posted yet in Maine this year. The DOT is currently studying on what stretches of freeway they can safely post 75 mph.... Department of Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt announced speed limits will increase on sections of Interstates 295 and 95.

Maine DOT said it has done several extensive traffic studies on the issue and found 85 percent of drivers were speeding. "The people are driving not at that posted speed, but at the speed at which we changed the speed limit to. It's the safest speed to post is that 85th percentile. That's why we did it," said Bernhardt. Maine State Police, who will enforce the new speed limits said the goal is to make sure drivers are keeping up with the flow of traffic.

"We've all been in traffic before where there's one slow person, particularly on a two lane highway and you have to wait to pass them in a safe place and traffic backs up. You should really try to go with the flow of traffic," said Maine State Police Col. Robert Williams.

The Legislature approved a bill last year that allows the transportation chief to raise the speed limit to 75 mph. The speed limit for most of the interstate was 65. Bernhardt said the decision to increase the speed limit is about safety. "It's found through studies that the closer you get that comfort level, the safer the road is," said Bernardt.

The speed limit on I-295 from just north of Tukey's Bridge in Portland to mile 51 in West Gardiner will increase from 65 to 70 mph.

The speed limit on the Maine Turnpike connector will increase from 50 to 55 mph.

The speed limit on the Scarborough connector will increase from 55 to 60 mph.

The speed limit on Interstate 195 in Saco will increase from 55 to 60 mph.

The speed limit on Route 1 from Route 196 to Bath will increase from 55 to 60 mph.

However, speed limit on I-295 through Portland and South Portland will not change. The speed limit from Tukey's Bridge to the Fore River will remain 50 mph. The speed limit from the Fore River to the Maine Turnpike will remain 55 mph.

On I-95, the speed limit will remain unchanged through the Augusta Area. From mile 114 to mile 126, the speed limit will increase to 70 mph.

Through the Waterville area the speed limit will remain 65 mph.

From mile 134 to mile 181 in Bangor the speed limit will be 70 mph.

The speed limit from mile 181 to mile 188 in Bangor will increase from 55 mph to 60 mph.

From mile 188 to Old Town, the speed limit will increase to 70 mph. After Old Town, the speed limit will remain 75 mph.

On I-395 until Exit 4, the speed limit will increase from 55 to 60 mph. From Exit 4 to the Route 1A ramp, the speed limit will increase to 65 mph.

This isn't the first time recently that speed limits on Maine highways have increased. The speed limit on I-95 from Old Town to Houlton is 75 mph.

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Higher limit for freeways passed(70 mph), signed posted in Pennsylvania over ~200 miles of test section for the last 26 months....

Pennsylvania is currently starting the process of looking at which interstates & Turnpikes will receive the 70 mph limit. In a interview with the head of PENN DOT DEC 9, 2013 he stated that less than half of Penn interstates will receive the 70 mph limit....

UPDATE:.....Now in Pennsylvania...... as of July 29, Tuesday afternoon the 70 mph signs were uncovered along a 97 mile stretch of the Penn turnpike, stretch between Blue Mountain (Exit 201) and Morgantown (Exit 298)........

An announcement July 30, in a news conference this morning details were given on more stretches soon, Aug. 11.

The next round of increases will be 88 miles of 70 of Interstate 80, from Du Bois in Clearfield County (Exit 101) to Clinton County (mile 189). .....

And 21 miles of I-380 from I-84 in Lackawanna County to Exit 3 (Pocono Pines/Mount Pocono) in Monroe County. .....

Giving a total of 206 miles posted @ 70 mph by Aug. 11, 2014............

Also the turnpike authority said in the July 30 news conference, "that most if not all of the 550 miles of Penn Turnpike will be raised to 70 mph in 6 months" That is once data has been collected saying the limit rise is safe from the 6 month test in effect starting today on the 97 miles of freeway posted today.

UPDATE: Penn DOT & Penn Turnpike commission members have both announced that after a over two year long study of ~200 miles of 70 mph posted in test sections showing safety and speed limit obeying improvements making travel safer that in a few days at the, as of the beginning/middle of May 2016 most of the state's rural freeways already marked @ 65 mph will be safely going up to 70 mph.


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The Nevada 85 mph limit increase died before it could be passed this year.Maybe next year. A bill to raise the limit to 85 mph has been re-introduced again for the 2014 session....85 mph bill re-introduced again in the Jan 2015 session for consideration......

Update Oct. 2015 in Nevada: 80 mph bill passed but now NV DOT is ignoring the allowed limit increase, refusing to post it as allowed in law now......

A Higher freeway limit (75 mph) maximum passed the senate easily but failed in the house in North Carolina this year. The 2015 session is likely the earliest this can be introduced again in NC........

Mississippi proposed higher freeway limit (75 mph ) never made it through the compromise committee after it passed both houses. So this year it is dead, don't know about next year......

Connecticut's proposed higher freeway limit (75 mph) never made it out of committee.....

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Michigan currently has a stalled bill alive in the legislature that would allow MDOT to do a speed & safety study to determine what the maximum should be without the interference of a political maximum. It MDOT determines that 75, 80 or 85 mph is the safe & appropriate speed it could be posted. Michigan would be the only state in the US today if this bill pass with no numerical in law maximum......The bill has been re-introduced again in the 2015 session for consideration...

Missouri has introduced a bill for the 2014 session that would raise the state's' maximum to 75....The 75 mph bill has been re-introduced again for the 2015 session for further consideration....

Oklahoma has introduced bills for a across the board increase of 5 mph. Where the limit is 65 it would go to 70 where deemed safe, where 70 today it would increase to 75 where deemed safe, and on the turnpikes where it is allowed today to go 75 it would increase to 80 mph...At the end of July a state senator asked the OK DOT to investigate where it would be safe to raise the posted limit to 80 mph......

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A Higher freeway limit has been proposed/introduced but not passed yet (75 mph) in New Jersey, Florida & New York.....

Florida has proposed a blanket increase of 5 mph across all types of roads. We will have to wait & see if there is support in the legislature for the increase.....

Bill passed but was vetoed June 3, 2014. On a positive note the legislator that pushed through the 75 limit bill has committed to push the bill through again next session and until it becomes law!

A Higher freeway limit has been proposed/introduced but not passed yet (70 mph) in Massachusetts....


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Texas passed a limit increase statewide to 75 mph ~two years ago. After a year after a year & a half of study it was widely posted across most of the state on freeways & highways. Texas also in the last year posted the highest legal limit of 85 mph on a stretch of the Trans-Texas tollway. Now within Texas on rural roads & freeways the posted maximums are 75 ,80 & 85 mph. Many miles of two lane highways across Texas saw the increase to 75 mph this year......

Nevada lawmaker says speed kills a myth, wants higher limits on interstates

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 | 1:30 p.m.

Senator Donald (Don) G. Gustavson of the 77th (2013) Nevada Senatorial District.

CARSON CITY The phrase speed kills often posted along Nevada freeways is a myth, says a state senator who wants to raise the maximum speed limit from 75 to 85 mph.

Sen. Donald Gustavson, R-Sparks, said studies show that more people are killed in 45 mph speed zones than on high-speed freeways.

Tom Greco, assistant director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, told the Senate Transportation Committee that the interstates are very safe and most fatalities occur on two-lane roads in rural areas.

The Nevada Law Enforcement Association supports the bill.
But the Nevada Trucking Association and the AAA auto club opposed Senate Bill 191. Mary Pierczynski of AAA said higher speeds increase risks and injuries and result in more fatalities.

Committee Chairman Sen. Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, said after Wednesday***8217;s hearing that members have an open mind on the bill and want more information before taking a vote in a couple of weeks.
Committee member Sen. Kelvin Atkinson, D-Las Vegas, said he supports higher speed limits.

Asked about teen drivers, Atkinson, who has a 16-year-old daughter, said most accidents involving young drivers happen on city streets.

This bill is aimed at raising the speed limits on Interstate 15 in Southern Nevada and Interstate 80 in Northern Nevada. There was also testimony that the speed limit could be increased on parts of U.S. 95.

Cheryl Blomstrom of the Trucking Association testified that her group voted unanimously to oppose the measure.
She said raising the speed limit would mean an increase in fuel consumption, and the industry operates on thin margins, and every penny saved is important.

If the limit is raised you can expect some cars will exceed even that number and that will create a hazardous condition for both the trucking industry and the motoring public, she said.

Even if the bill is passed, it could be a while before the speed limits are changed. Greco said the transportation department usually does a three-year study before raising speed limits.

After three years of failed efforts to raise the limit to 85 a compromise bill which only raises the limit to 80 mph was passed and signed into law.... A law which as of Oct 1, 2015 allows the limit increase to 80 mph on rural freeways takes effect where the NV DOT deems it to be safe to do so

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Senate has unanimously approved a measure to expand 80 mph stretches of some rural Utah roads.

The Senate passed the bill 29-0 Friday morning. The bill now goes to Gov. Gary Herbert for his signature.

The measure would increase the speed limit on flat, straight portions of Interstates 15, 80 and 84 on the outer edges of the state.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. James Dunnigan of Taylorsville, says that crashes have decreased on Utah roads already with 80 mph speed limits. The average speed rose by only 1 mph.

Nobody in the Senate opposed the bill, but Democrat Rep. Marie Poulson of Salt Lake City of raised safety concerns during a House hearing earlier this month.

Right now, June 16, 2015 the last stretches of I-70 are between the Colorado border and I-15 are in the process of being raised to 80 mph. By the end of the summer ~760 miles of rural freeways across Utah will have an 80 mph posted limit

What do u "VWdubbers" think of limits in the region rising?? And what are the chances are that other states in the region will join in?? I'm hoping for the region states to adopt 80-85 as the posted rural freeway.

~80-85 mph in today's cars seems to be a good, safe and comfortable speed on most of the freeways

I have driven for hours across Nevada in traffic safely cruising around ~83-85 mph on I-80 & I-15. I have driven down I-15 in southern Utah since they posted 80 mph stretches where traffic was safely running ~83-85 mph. And on that long flat empty stretch of I-80 from Salt Lake to Wendover ~85 seems to be about right.....

The way I see it is........

Getting DOT's and legislatures everywhere to acknowledge the real reality of how harmful to travel safety maximums based on a political idea, not on actual engineering really are should be a top priority of those who put these people in power....

The jury is no longer out on this fact, when it comes to improving safety the ending of the political idea based posted limits which are irrelevant to the actual safe maximum for optimal conditions should be first on all lists.....

AS of Today the Political limits left still posted across the US are the limits like the NMSL carryovers in the 8 states which have continued not to return back to pre-NMSL levels or at least 70 mph posted.

The current Arbitrary in law speed embargo maximums in every state today(60,65,70,75,80,ect....) are also political. These current speed limit laws prevent the proper engineering based setting of maximums.

The current limits in the states that were pre-NMSL 60-70 on two lane highways, but today still have NMSL posted highway limits of 55 are political. These Limits which are lower than the DOT engineers who designed these highways & freeways say the design speed is, was pre-NMSL are political are ignored by all so lead to less safe travel.

These political based limits that are lower than are comfortable to drivers relating to current car and road safety engineering designs cannot be enforced nor will they never be obeyed by the majority of drivers...

70+ years of DOT data says this, the data from the ~40 years of data from the politically not engineering based NMSL say this, data on the current driven average speeds related to the current political speed embargoes on proper limits today with their set in law hard set maximums of 60, 65, 70, 75 & 80 the data says they will never be obeyed... NO amount of overzealous enforcement will ever change that...!...

Today limit laws allow for lower than the state's maximum to match safety and engineering conditions. But based on outdated political ideas today these limit laws have an arbitrary maximum which prevents state DOT's from posting the actual safe speed above that speed when conditions and design say a higher limit is appropriate....

if the actual safe speed for a given freeway or highway is today above the state's arbitrary maximum limit the laws on the books current laws do not allow that limit to be posted.

THE Only reason to keep the current speeds set in law, is to keep revenue flowing from speeding tickets given to drivers exceeding political, not safety and engineering based maximums.

Limit Laws need to be passed by every state with no arbitrary maximum number(60,65,70,80...ect...)..Limit Laws in every state should be passed which allows a state's DOT to use safety and engineering based speed data to set the proper safe maximums, high or low below current in law maximums...

If posted limits are really about the safest maximum speed on a given highway and freeway all of the state's DOT's should be given the power to set the limit the above or below the normal state speed limit. That is without the current in law in all 50 states arbitrary speed embargoes which prevent this ...

And if we must have laws which require the posting of numerical limits over not just having Drive to Conditions laws, like reasonable & prudent those laws must require the using engineering & design data along with observed 85th percentile speeds data....

If we ever want speed limits that actually have a positive effect on and improve safety as their claimed reason for being is,.....

WE must pas laws that from this point forward require the posting of actual safe maximums for optimal conditions based on engineering, real safety data, and the 85th percentile observed averages....

If making travel the safest it can be is the real reason as claimed behind a posted limit, which in many places today across the US it is not changes in law must happen now. These changes in laws and policies to require the posted limit be related the safe maximum for optimal conditions should be at the top of all legislative and DOT lists.......

???...What does it take for the clueless clowns who ignore reality like those on the current Oregon DOT Transportation Committee who vote to set speed limits to start to acknowledge the real reality??? !

How do we the people get legislatures & DOT's everywhere to acknowledge the fact that proper engineering and 85th percentile based posted speed limits make travel safer!

And the fact that political based fantasies like the NMSL based not those based on engineering speed limits will always be ignored so do not make travel safer????.

And get anti limit groups to drop the excuse that is always used of drivers will always go 10 mph faster than posted????

This claim that drivers will always exceed the posted limit by 10+ mph is wrong, 70+ years of DOT engineering says this is wrong. A claim that Utah as well as many other places around the world finally posting reality based maximum have proven to be wrong with them posting 80 mph state/province/country wide...

How do we the drivers who much travel across our land get these people in charge blocking proper limit posting to acknowledge the fact that limits based on a political ideas over sound engineering do not improve safety and lead directly to aggressive driving making travel less safer???

 

[kpenner]

Those higher speed limits work great in Texas! Love setting my cruise control on 90 when going to San Antonio (I know the speed limit is 85 but who cares!)

 

[JSWTDI09]

Much of Utah has been 80mph for years, now they are just extending to all the interstates (except in the big cities). There was no appreciable increase in accidents or deaths in the stretches of highway with the 80mph speed limits.

As for Nevada, there used to be no speed limits until the 55mph National speed limit was imposed way back when. Until the 70s the speed limit was "safe and reasonable". What was "safe and reasonable" depended a lot on what you were driving. It might be 65mph in an old air cooled VW or 130mph in a Porsche 911.

We shall see what happens. In much of rural Nevada (which is most of the state), you can see 5 miles ahead and the roads are arrow straight. There is nothing for a police car to hide behind. I know a guy (with a CR JSW) who routinely sets his cruise control for 115 and drives for hours. He won't tell me what mileage he gets when he does that.

Have Fun!

Don

 

[waltzconmigo]

don---maybe you can buy "said" gentlemen a beer sometime and get that number out of him.

 

[Abacus]

The speed limit for the norther half of Maine was increased from 65 to 75 last year, and there is a proposal to do so for the bottom half of the state now (specifically I-295). Everyone drove 75 anyway, and with the increase to 75, almost no one is driving above 80 since it's just not an optimal speed for today's cars.

I am in agreement with the top half of the state, but not with the bottom half. Most of the morons who come from out of state don't know how to drive 65, let alone 75, and the traffic is bad enough as it is. It's simply too many people for a 2 lane road.

But on an unencumbered interstate road, I am all for a higher speed limit, although our B4's like to run best below 80 mph, so I don't see going much higher than that regardless of what the sign says. You people out west have some crazy straight, in great shape, and flat highways that would be ideal for a higher speed limit. Most of our highways suck by comparison, especially those in Mass, NY, and PA.

 

[rotarykid]

Last I looked the current crop of other states considering, real legislation passed for higher posted limits are ;

Ohio has just passed a blanket 70 mph on rural freeway and divided highway limit, they are currently waiting to work out the differences between the state houses to send it to the Gov.

Maine is considering expansion of the 75 limit to freeways in southern Maine.

Mississippi is considering allowing 75 mph on rural freeways.

Connecticut is debating in the state house a 75 mph limit on freeways.

New Hampshire has been debating several bills (70 & 75 mph) and has narrowed it down to 70 mph on one freeway in the north end of the state.

 

[jmsti]

I love that they are going forward on this. I live in northern NV and make the trip to/from to SLC quite often, from Wendover to Tooele is considerably flat/straight which I do at 85mph already with ease. Also from Elko to Reno about 75% of that drive is flat/straight which would be really awesome as it is a long nagging drive.

 

[Jeffbucc]

It's great but the sections aren't very long. They could do quite a few more 80 mph sections then we currently have.

 

[rotarykid]

Update of what is currently happening with speed limit increase bills;

Ohio has passed and sent to the Gov a 70 limit increase on rural freeways which includes allowing 60 on certain two lane roads. The new law takes effect July 1. So by mid summer 70 mph will be posted across the state of Ohio on rural freeways, hip hip hora!!

Maine has amended the 75 law to now if passed it will be allowed on any rural freeway that the state DOT deems it safe.

Mississippi still has a 75 bill that is alive awaiting passing by one of the chambers that allows 75 to be posted on most of the states rural freeways.

The first bill this year that proposed the increase was passed by one of the houses then killed by missing a filing deadline out of committee in the other. The next day the limit increase was revived by adding the 75 mph increase to a existing bill that passed unanimously. Today two different bills that have passed both houses have allowing limit increase to 75. So the increase to 75 is alive and awaiting either a action by conference committees to work out the differences between the two bills passed by both chambers. Or the other chamber can just pass the current bill that is still alive as is making the increase law. We will see what happens.....There is wide support with no organized opposition in both chambers for the increase so my bet is they will work it out making the increase law by the end of the session......

Maryland is debating and is looking like it will pass a 70 mph limit for all rural freeways across the state.

New Hampshire house voted 292-65 passing a bill that will raise the limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on I-93 from Exit 18 to the Vermont border. The current speed limit would remain the same through Franconia Notch. The Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing House on Bill 146 Tuesday March 25 and is expected to vote in the full senate on the bill after the Easter break.

The Nevada 85 mph on rural freeways bill seems to have wide support in the legislature and may get final passage next week.

I haven't heard anything on the Connecticut 75 mph rural freeway limit legislation in a few weeks.

And the surprise of the week is a 70 mph bill is sailing through the Illinois legislature. It is looking like it may get full approval by the end of April.

 

[GoFaster]

^ It's about time Ohio went to 70 mph!

On our trailer-towing trips south, Ohio is the one exception - not that anyone really changes speed between MI and KY anyhow; but now the 115 km/h that I prefer to go with the trailer in tow will be legal.

Ontariooooo ... are you listening? 130 km/h please ... 100 is ridiculous and no one follows it ...

 

[leicaman]

In my state, 65mph pretty much means I set the cruise at an indicated 74mph, which on my car, according to the my is 71mph. It is a good balance between speed and economy for me. However, I did like setting the cruise at 80 when I was in states with a higher speed limit. Car sure runs lovely after a multi-hour run.

 

[rotarykid]

"Bill FILED April 2 in NC senate" NC legislature has introduced Bill "GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2013 SENATE DRS75253-ML-125A (3/13)" 75 mph limit that would apply on rural freeways where a DOT study show it can safely be posted.

here is the WSOC tv article

Ohio, the 70 mph bill has been signed so becomes law July 1.

Nevada, the bill increasing the maximum speed limit to 85 mph on some open stretches of Nevada highways has cleared the state Senate.

Utah is starting studies to see where they are going to post the new 80 mph limits.

GRANTSVILLE, Tooele County — The Utah Department of Transportation is looking at expanding zones where it can increase the speed limit from 75 to 80 miles per hour.

The Utah State Legislature recently approved a bill allowing for a series of zones to become permanent, as well as expanding them in other places around the state. UDOT began a study on Monday to place more zones on rural parts of I-15, I-80 and I-84.

The areas under consideration, UDOT said, are on I-80 from Grantsville to Wendover, on the Utah-Nevada border; I-84 from Tremonton to the Utah-Idaho border; I-15 from Brigham City to the Utah-Idaho border; and I-15 from Santaquin to Parowan.

“We’d only do it in a situation that would make sense: flat, straight roadways,” said UDOT spokesman John Gleason.

When the legislature debated the issue, opponents suggested it might lead to an increase in speed-related crashes. UDOT had experimental 80 mph zones near Scipio, Cove Fort, Kanosh and Paragonah.

“In those three years we’ve conducted those studies, we haven’t seen an increase in speed-related accidents or fatalities,” Gleason said. “It’s actually been the opposite. There have actually been less fatalities and less speed-related crashes.”

UDOT said one reason for that is most people tend to psychologically feel comfortable going no faster than 82 or 83 miles per hour.

UDOT will begin studying the issue and present it to the Utah State Legislature in the interim before deciding whether or not to make the new 80 mph zones permanent.

 

[waltzconmigo]

i am happy to see this but must admit also a bit surprised. hopefully illinois can get that modest increase passed. to outsiders it may seem crazy but in and around chicago the speed limit is 55 on toll/freeways, yet cruising speed is often 70+ without worry of being ticketed. yet, outside of the city with the speed limit a modest 65 (especially down south of carbondale) there are squad cars nearly every ten miles at times.

does anyone know where this push is coming from? politcal pressure? recently enlightened representatives? seems to be taking place all over the country.

 

[rotarykid]

i am happy to see this but must admit also a bit surprised. hopefully illinois can get that modest increase passed. to outsiders it may seem crazy but in and around chicago the speed limit is 55 on toll/freeways, yet cruising speed is often 70+ without worry of being ticketed. yet, outside of the city with the speed limit a modest 65 (especially down south of carbondale) there are squad cars nearly every ten miles at times.

does anyone know where this push is coming from? political pressure? recently enlightened representatives? seems to be taking place all over the country.

I-24 in Ill is one of the worst stretches I drive on anywhere in the US for traffic traveling ~90+ with IHP staked out in a few areas along the stretch. Then you throw in the overzealous speed enforcement penalties I really hate to drive in this state. Traffic is always going at least 75 with cops every few miles, russian roulette is the game you are forced to play there when you go with traffic flow. You are always taking the risk of being the unlucky one that day.......

A couple of years ago I was in a pack running around ~100 @ 3:00 am or so. My radar detector has the speed trap registry programmed into it so it went off with a warning so I slowed down to about ~72. Sure enough just over a rise sat a trooper facing traffic. The poor sap in front did not see him sitting there was accelerating as he passed him. As soon as the car went out of site the cop entered the highway, no flashing lights or radar. About a mile later he came by me doing 100+ still without lights or radar. After he passed me maybe a mile later he switched on the radar. I caught up to them both on the side of the road about ~5 miles later. I'm sure that guy spent some time in jail that night......

On what I could find about the current effort to raise their limit to 70, here is what I found from Monday,

Illinois legislators are considering proposals to raise the state’s speed limit from 65 to 70 miles per hour on interstate highways.

The House and Senate versions of the legislation were introduced in February 2013. Both call for the maximum speed limit outside an urban district to be raised to 70 miles per hour on interstate highways.

The senate version allows for a 70 mph speed limit on other divided highways that have at least four lanes of traffic and a designation from the Department of Transportation while the house version would cap the limit on those roads to 65 mph.

Both versions allow the DOT and Toll Authority to alter speed limits up to the 70 mph maximum.

Both versions were in committee and could be debated by the legislature in April.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Last I looked the current crop of other states considering, real legislation passed for higher posted limits are ;
Ohio has just passed a blanket 70 mph on rural freeway and divided highway limit, they are currently waiting to work out the differences between the state houses to send it to the Gov.
Maine is considering expansion of the 75 limit to freeways in southern Maine.
Mississippi is considering allowing 75 mph on rural freeways.
Connecticut is debating in the state house a 75 mph limit on freeways.
New Hampshire has been debating several bills (70 & 75 mph) and has narrowed it down to 70 mph on one freeway in the north end of the state.

VA recently went up to 70 on interstates, as well (outside of the cities, of course).

 

[rotarykid]

VA recently went up to 70 on interstates, as well (outside of the cities, of course).

I haven't driven across much of VA since they posted their 70 limit, how much of the state has gotten the higher limit??

Something else I just read was I-85 from Durham NC to the VA line has been raised to 70 in the last week.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

http://www.virginiadot.org/info/faq/70_mph_speed_limit.asp

They put quite a bit of thought into it and I think it works pretty well.

 

[waltzconmigo]

rotary---yep, makes no sense to be able to travel without regard to the limits in the heavy congested area of chicago and down south you have to be concerned "in the middle of bfe". revenue generation is the only plausible explanation.

i drive south to memphis half a dozen times a year to visit my parents and when i see the first sign for carbondale i immediately slow to just under 70. better safe than sorry. on the opposite end of the spectrum there is a short portion of the Ryan just south of 290 where the limit is 45 and going 30 over is the norm. this is where i have, for the only time in my life, seen someone pulled over for driving to slowly for traffic (they were probably doing 45-55 but were not in the correct lane for this speed). on a personal note, this change would save me atleast 30 minutes and i could be door to door in under eight hours with an average speed of over 70.

 

[rotarykid]

It looks like a lot more of I-81 got the higher limit than I expected......

 

[rotarykid]

News on NC raising the limit to 75 on rural freeways......

Senate votes to raise speed limit in NC, The state Senate on Thursday approved a proposal to raise the maximum speed limit in North Carolina from 70 to 75 mph. Senate Bill 709 passed by a 45-1 vote and now heads to the House.

Sponsored by Sen. Neal Hunt, R-Wake, the legislation would authorize the state Department of Transportation to raise the limit on interstates and other controlled-access highways where engineering and traffic studies show it would be safe and reasonable. The measure passed the Senate Transportation Committee on a unanimous vote Wednesday and has the support of the DOT. Hunt said he envisions higher speed limits being used for stretches of interstate in rural areas, such as parts of Interstate 40 heading to Wilmington.

"(It's) just to move traffic along. A lot of times, it's not crowded. You have the opportunity to go a little faster without worrying about getting a ticket," he said. "(It's) just the opportunity to get where you're going a little quicker."

 

[rotarykid]

4/16/2013-The proposal to boost the speed limit on rural Illinois interstates to 70 miles per hour roared out of a Senate committee Tuesday.

The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Jim Oberweis, a freshman Republican from Sugar Grove,

"said it’s time to either raise the speed limit or start cracking down on violators because few people travel along the state’s four-lane highways at 65 mph. In my opinion, it’s not good to have laws on the books that are widely ignored,” Oberweis said. Although 19 other states have 70 mph speed limits, the proposal is opposed by the agencies that patrol and maintain the state’s roadways. “We would expect rural fatalities to go up,” said John Webber of the Illinois Department of Transportation. “We know that higher speed causes more collisions.”

The Senate Transportation Committee approved this with just one “no” vote, now heads to the full Senate for further debate. The legislation is Senate Bill 2356.

This is what I found on ILL raising their limit on freeways to 70....

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Cool. Hopefully it goes into effect by the time my cross-country trip rolls around in July.

 

[rotarykid]

70 mph legal in NH if gov signs...

If the governor goes along and signs New Hampshire has joined the 70 mph club!!

The bill to raise speed limit from 65 to 70 on portions of I-93 headed to governor. The state Senate Thursday passed to Gov. Maggie Hassan legislation that would raise the speed limit from 65 to 70 miles per hour on about 80 miles of Interstate 93, starting around exit 45 from Canterbury to the Vermont border. An exception would be through the Franconia Notch area, where the speed limit would remain at 55 miles per hour.

Hassan spokesman Marc Goldberg“ She appreciates the hard work that the Legislature put into this measure, and she will review it closely.”

Sen. David Boutin, R-Hooksett, "since virtually all of the portion of the highway that would be subject to the higher speed limit is in a rural area, It is not believed to have a major impact on the flow of traffic. We need to be where the people are,”

North Country Sen. Jeff Woodburn, D-Dalton. “We need to drive where the traffic is going. We need to do what the people want. Most drivers on the interstate are driving at least 70 miles per hour, saying, The law lives in the hearts of the people, not in the signs on the side of the road. Besides, We need to get people to the North Country faster.”

 

[Mattster]

I don't see the point of speed limits in Utah anyway. Everybody does 10-15mph over the limit.

 

[nayr]

Speed Limits in the middle of nowhere seem like cruel and unusual punishment..

especially when in a fine german car capable of much more..

 

[rotarykid]

75 mph speed limit approved in Maine Senate now on to the Gov.

Good news if you drive in Maine....

75 mph speed limit approved in Maine Senate now on to the Gov.

May 07, 2013 2:55 PM
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Senate has given final approval and sent to Gov. Paul LePage a bill allowing — but not ordering — higher speeds on Maine’s interstate highways.

The bill authorizes the transportation commissioner to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on the interstates, where the limit in most areas is 65 mph. But it doesn’t mean an automatic speed limit increase.

Before any change, the transportation commissioner and engineering staff at the Department of Transportation would have to determine it’s safe to raise the speed limit on a given stretch of highway.

The bill’s sponsor, Saco Democratic Rep. Justin Chenette, said during a hearing in March that a number of factors would be taken into account before raising the speed, such as how congested an area is.

 

[waltzconmigo]

i am still hoping this passes in Illinois but AAA, IDOT (illinois dept of trans) and others are opposing its passage. sigh, every other state in the region deem this reasonable except for wisconsin.

 

[rotarykid]

i am still hoping this passes in Illinois but AAA, IDOT (illinois dept of trans) and others are opposing its passage. sigh, every other state in the region deem this reasonable except for wisconsin.

It seems that there is a lot of money at stake here, more than in most states since low limits have been kept for so long there. There are a lot of surcharges that will not be collected by insurance companies if this passes, they are not about to allow this happen without a fight. Cities and state budgets have relied on low limits for the money they created for close to 20 years since surrounding states raised their limits. The cry of this will cost lives has nothing to do with safety!! It is about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!

All I suggest is that if you live in this state call your house representative to tell them it is time to pass the limit increase!

 

[waltzconmigo]

rotary---i am fully aware that this is about revenue generation, see my earlier post about southern illinois -vs- the chicago metro area regarding enforcement. this afternoon on wgn 720 am, they were talking about red light cameras and how they brought in 72,000,000, yep that is $72 million last year in chicago/cook county. can you explain the "insurance surcharges"comment? btw, i sent let my representative know my view of this over a month ago. i had know idea before this thread that illinois may be moving towards a higher limit, i thank you for that.

 

[rotarykid]

70 limit on rural interstates is on gov desk in ILL

rotary---i am fully aware that this is about revenue generation, see my earlier post about southern illinois -vs- the chicago metro area regarding enforcement. this afternoon on wgn 720 am, they were talking about red light cameras and how they brought in 72,000,000, yep that is $72 million last year in chicago/cook county. can you explain the "insurance surcharges"comment? btw, i sent let my representative know my view of this over a month ago. i had know idea before this thread that illinois may be moving towards a higher limit, i thank you for that.

The speed limit on interstate highways in most of downstate Illinois would increase from 65 to 70 mph under legislation overwhelmingly approved by the House Wednesday, May 22.

The House vote was 85-30, with nearly all Downstate state representatives voting in favor. Only Reps. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, and Don Moffitt, R-Galesburg, voted no.

A month ago, the Senate approved the measure, 41-6. A Quinn veto may not prove fatal, however.

The House vote on Wednesday was 85-30, and 71 lawmakers would be needed to overrule Quinn there. Last month, the Senate approved the measure 41-6, with 36 senators needed to override a veto.