News:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered from the forum database changes made in Fall 2023. Let us know if you discover anymore.

Main Menu

Idaho and Wyoming may raise Speed Limit to 80

Started by US 41, April 25, 2014, 10:25:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

US 41

Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM


hotdogPi

#1
How about no speed limits at all?
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

KEK Inc.

#2
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2014, 10:32:04 PM
How about no speed limits at all?

Not a good idea in the United States.
Take the road less traveled.

hotdogPi

#3
Quote from: KEK Inc. on April 25, 2014, 10:40:15 PM
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2014, 10:32:04 PM
How about no speed limits at all?

Not a good idea in the United States.

I meant in the parts that would be 80, just remove the speed limit.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

The High Plains Traveler

#4
That was tried already (Montana). Courts ruled that enforcement could therefore only be arbitrary, so Montana adopted 75. So, I guess you could raise the limit to 100 mph and it would be OK.
"Tongue-tied and twisted; just an earth-bound misfit, I."

US 41

#5
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2014, 10:49:29 PM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on April 25, 2014, 10:40:15 PM
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2014, 10:32:04 PM
How about no speed limits at all?

Not a good idea in the United States.

I meant in the parts that would be 80, just remove the speed limit.

I think KEK meant that a lot of people in America in general would drive recklessly trying to max out their cars just because there's no speed limit. 
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

KEK Inc.

#6
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2014, 10:49:29 PM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on April 25, 2014, 10:40:15 PM
Quote from: 1 on April 25, 2014, 10:32:04 PM
How about no speed limits at all?

Not a good idea in the United States.

I meant in the parts that would be 80, just remove the speed limit.

I'd be more OK with it if we restructured how we teach new drivers how to drive.  As it is, it's way too easy to get a driver's license.

Germany has some unlimited speed zones, but have much stricter enforcement and base-learning in other driving laws like how to safely overtake a vehicle and leave good following distances.
Take the road less traveled.

corco

#7
I think more significantly, Idaho is raising the speed limits on a lot of its rural two lane roads to 70 MPH. I wish Wyoming would follow suit on that.

80 in Idaho and Wyoming is nice, but you'll only actually be able to safely/intelligently drive that fast a few months of the year, especially in Wyoming where there's either snow or high winds that already nuke gas mileage for the majority of the year. Because of that, it probably won't affect my driving habits. I already went 80 when it was safe, maybe now I'll go 82. Anything faster than that gets expensive.

Being able to go 70 (75 realistically) instead of 65 (70) though on routes like US 20 in the summer will be amazing.

I'm trying to figure out where Idaho will actually raise speed limits to 80- probably not in too many spots. Idaho has been increasingly dropping speed limits (50 MPH speed limit for the last 70 miles of US 12 now for fuck's sake, 45 and 35 zones through mountain canyons that used to be 55, etc), so this is sort of surprising. If I had to put money on it, I'd guess ITD only does it on I-84 from Boise to Mountain Home, I-84 from I-86 to Utah, I-86, I-15 from Montana to Idaho Falls, and I-15 from maybe McCammon to Utah. The way ITD has been handling speed limits for the last decade, I'd be very surprised to see them post 80 limits anywhere where there's any sharper curves/tight interchanges (I-84 from Mountain Home to Twin Falls, 15 from Pocatello to McCammon, and I-90 come to mind) or traffic (traffic by Idaho standards, before you east coasters pull some AADT number and tell me there's no traffic).

My guess is the 70 zones only pop up in the eastern half of the state on 20/26/93/22/33/28/maybe US 30 east of I-15/maybe Idaho 51. I don't see them raising any part of US 95 or SH-55 through Round and Long Valleys to 70, or anything in the panhandle. The only exception could be US 95 from Oregon to Homedale, but even then I'd be pretty surprised.

doorknob60

#8
Looks like Idaho finally put them up. They originally planned to do it July 1st but postponed it. http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2014/07/24/speed-limit-increases/13103293/

I'll check them out tomorrow (between Caldwell and Oregon border, assuming they did it there).

vdeane

#9
Really curious if the 80 zone went all the way to Oregon.  It would be nice; could put pressure on ODOT to raise the roads to 70 like the law allows/requires them to.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

corco

#10
Quote from: vdeane on July 25, 2014, 11:58:47 PM
Really curious if the 80 zone went all the way to Oregon.  It would be nice; could put pressure on ODOT to raise the roads to 70 like the law allows/requires them to.

Ontario is such a remote outpost relative to the rest of Oregon that I doubt it would have any effect whatsoever. Most people in Oregon don't even know the state exists east of Bend. If Washington or California were to do it, it might have some weight. Idaho and Nevada are weird, remote states that don't matter at all in the eyes of 90% of Oregon.

It sounds like they did switch it to 80 from Oregon to about exit 26 though.

Zmapper

#11
Wyoming's I-80 signs between Cheyenne and the Nebraska border were erected no later than July 2nd. The speed limit remains at 75 near the Pine Bluff curves, as well as on I-25 south of Cheyenne.

andy3175

Additional 80 mph zone on I-90 between Sundance and Beulah (Wyo-SD state line) added last week...

http://www.dot.state.wy.us/news/speed-limit-now-80-mph-from-sundance-to-south-dakota

QuoteDate: 08/20/2015

An 80 mph speed limit is now in effect on a 17-mile section of Interstate 90 in northeast Wyoming.

The increase affects I-90 between the East Sundance Interchange (milepost 190)  and the South Dakota border (milepost 207).

Motorists should note that a 75 mph speed limit remains in place on an adjoining 20-mile stretch of I-90 (mileposts 170-190) between Sundance and Inyan Kara, about 15 miles east of Moorcroft.

Other sections of I-90 already posted at 80 mph include 64 miles between Buffalo and Gillette and 40 miles between Gillette and Inyan Kara.  The 80 mph speed limit is in also in effect on 268 miles of I-25 and 116 miles of I-80.

The initial speed limit increase to 80 mph occurred in July 2014, after the Wyoming Legislature directed WYDOT to conduct a study of rural interstate routes to determine where a speed limit of 80 would be appropriate. Factors considered in the study were roadway characteristics, including curves, grades, width and proximity of interchanges, as well as traffic patterns, including current average speeds, traffic volumes and proportion of commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. Also considered were safety statistics, including crash rates and relative severity of crashes in terms of numbers of fatalities and serious injuries.

At the time of the original study, the Sundance-South Dakota section of I-90 was affected by road improvement work, so WYDOT opted to wait for the work to be completed before undertaking the additional study that resulted in the latest speed limit increase.

The 505 miles of interstate highway in Wyoming on which the 80 mph limit is in effect are:

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

I-25

North of Cheyenne to south of Douglas; 117 miles (mileposts 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-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)
East of Sundance to the South Dakota border; 17 miles (mileposts 190-207)   
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.