Most inappropriate speed limits

[Buffaboy]

What roads that you can think of are (in your opinion) signed either too high or too low for their conditions?

The one that comes to my mind is Duerr Road in Orchard Park, NY. It is a 2-lane, no shoulder, under maintained residential road signed at (I think) 45 MPH.

[SignGeek101]

This comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/5UGB7sDsQym

It's been like this for years now. Six lanes on divided roadway, with no sharp curves or anything. 50 km/h (30 mph) limit. Though they are now installing a traffic light down the road, which makes the limit make more sense.

[Buffaboy]

This comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/5UGB7sDsQym

It's been like this for years now. Six lanes on divided roadway, with no sharp curves or anything. 50 km/h (30 mph) limit. Though they are now installing a traffic light down the road, which makes the limit make more sense.

Hah! This reminds me of the Scajaquada Expressway's 30 MPH speed limit in Buffalo. It used to be 50, but as you can tell from flipping between dates on GSV, they've made some punishing changes. And recently they announced it will become a parkway. This is all the result of a boy that was tragically struck and killed, and I know he didn't cause any of this, but it was such a knee jerk reaction.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@42.9309759,-78.8554347,3a,75y,324.72h,82.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSouTAZOoq20tZ4ABZnwKFQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[dfwtbear]

For me its the speed limit on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, 35 mph on a bridge built to freeway specs and its connected to a freeway.

[Revive 755]

* Forest Park Parkway in the St. Louis area - has a low grade freeway segment posted only at 40 mph that should be 50.

* Many sections of suburban interstates that are posted with too low and frequently ignored limits.  I-465 is one such example, being only posted for 55.

* Many rural two lane roadways that are posted at 55, some of which were posted at 65 prior to the NMSL.

* Rural expressways in Indiana - need to be 65 to 70, not 60.

* Almost any work zone on a tollway in Illinois- they seriously expect compliance with a 45 mph speed limit for 37+ miles on a road that should be 70 or 75 when not under construction?

[roadman65]

US 7 in CT.  Most of the non freeway segments were only 40 mph back in 1998.  I doubt that they changed it, but most of the route was rural.

All of Delaware's two lane roads are at 50 when 55 could do.

All of Vermont's two lane roads (which there are hardly any four lane roads other than its two interstates) are only 50 just like DE.  Only the Super 2 US 7 has 55 mph and probably is the only 55 mph road in the entire Green Mountain State unless I-89 does drop down in Burlington.  Most likely the VT legislature made a clause in the two lane speed limit signing to only go above 50 if the road has no intersections which is why US 7 is allowed to go above the 50 mph max.

55 on the LIE in Suffolk County, NY.  Considering that Upstate all interstates outside Metro NYC are 65 it makes no sense that NYSDOT did not let at least that part of Long Island get its freeways at that speed limit.

[noelbotevera]

This comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/5UGB7sDsQym

It's been like this for years now. Six lanes on divided roadway, with no sharp curves or anything. 50 km/h (30 mph) limit. Though they are now installing a traffic light down the road, which makes the limit make more sense.

Actually, I found this article that relates to this road.


http://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-best-takedown-of-the-speed-kills-myth-you-1302382244

Here's the YouTube video associated with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKdbxX1pDw

[SignGeek101]

This comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/5UGB7sDsQym

It's been like this for years now. Six lanes on divided roadway, with no sharp curves or anything. 50 km/h (30 mph) limit. Though they are now installing a traffic light down the road, which makes the limit make more sense.

Actually, I found this article that relates to this road.


http://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-best-takedown-of-the-speed-kills-myth-you-1302382244

Here's the YouTube video associated with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKdbxX1pDw

That's where I found it from. Great video BTW.

[noelbotevera]

This comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/5UGB7sDsQym

It's been like this for years now. Six lanes on divided roadway, with no sharp curves or anything. 50 km/h (30 mph) limit. Though they are now installing a traffic light down the road, which makes the limit make more sense.

Actually, I found this article that relates to this road.

(snip)
Here's the YouTube video associated with it:
(snip)

That's where I found it from. Great video BTW.

I also used this in another thread. Terrific video, this is what people SHOULD listen to.

[wanderer2575]

I-96 Jeffries Freeway local lanes in Detroit has a 55 mph limit and no more of a weave/merge issue than the rest of the freeway outside of downtown -- which has a 70 mph limit.

[jakeroot]

The Spokane Street Viaduct (read: freeway) in Seattle was rebuilt a couple years ago, to implement safer merges and an actual shoulder, but the limit is still an insulting 40 mph:

[roadman65]

40 on the FDR Drive in NYC.  Come on!  Its a freeway for Pete's sake.

What about South Plainfield, NJ and their 25 mph on CR 531 which, incidentally, has a 30 mph speed limit up the road in Downtown Plainfield?

[Rothman]

30 mph on the South Mall in Albany, NY.  Highly frustrating.

Come to think of it, 30 mph on US 9W south of the Thruway, too.  State Police love to pull people over on that short stretch where the city speed limit is still in effect before the bridge over Norman Kill and the speed limit goes up to 45.

And, to get silly local, there's also the 15 mph speed limit on Northway Mall Road.  Sure, it's an access road to a few big boxes (separated from the parking lots), but no one goes 15 on it.  No one even goes 25 on it.  I've seen Colonie PD pull people over on it occasionally, though.  Wonder what it must feel like to get a ticket for going the speed people usually go on it (30 or so).

[Rothman]

Oh, and 35 on WI 35 south of Superior along this stretch.  It's a well-known speed trap:

https://goo.gl/maps/eRefQBr4fHo

[jeffandnicole]

Rt. 52, better known as the 9th Street Causeway from Somers Point to Ocean City NJ was 4 narrow 10' lanes, 40 mph speed limit. A number of years ago due to it's condition, they reduced the speed limit to 35 mph and banned vehicles 4 tons and over.  After an expensive, length construction project, the road is now 4 regular sized lanes, barrier between the lanes, and full shoulders.  And the speed limit...40 mph!

They eventually raised it to 45 mph (after they said they would do it, it still took months for the signs to appear), but it's still basically a speed trap.  Should be 50.

[jeffandnicole]

The 35 mph speed limit 3/4 mile out from the Delaware Memorial Bridge toll plaza, and 20 mph a 1/2 mile out.  This is after most people have taken the NJ Turnpike, and had no speed limit reduction approaching the cash lanes there.

[jeffandnicole]

On the opposite end, there's some 55 mph speed limits in NJ on very heavily traveled urban roads with businesses and driveways, and it's nearly impossible to reach that 55 mph limit!

[busman_49]

Most of Norton, Ohio.

In particular, OH 261 within Summit County.  It's signed for 35 MPH, but is most ly rural and could easily be 45 or 55.  Norton must be using it as an ATM...

[TXtoNJ]

The freeway section of SR 60/Courtney Campbell Causeway west of the Tampa airport is fairly egregious (along with, to a lesser extent, SR 60 between 275 and the Veterans Expressway). It has a 50 mph limit when there are six lanes and full grade separation in that one mile segment. This segment would be completely safe at 60-65 mph.

There is also a regular revenue-generating detachment of the TPD posted there, too.

[SectorZ]

US 3 from I-95 to the NH border in MA. It was 55 MPH when it was a narrow four lane highway with poor sight lines and limited merge lanes. Now, it's six lanes, super wide shoulders, much better sight lines, interstate standard merge lanes, and it's still 55 MPH. It should be 65 with maybe an exception from 129 to 4 where 55 could be justified (like 495 thru nearby Lawrence).

[ekt8750]

The DRPA bridges with the exception of maybe the Commodore Barry Bridge could be 50 or 55 MPH. Right now they're all 45 and you hardly see anyone doing that speed.

[Alex4897]

The PA 291 Platt Bridge is signed at 35 MPH for some odd reason.  Any time I've used that bridge the speed limit seems to be universally ignored, even by law enforcement.

[Zeffy]

US 206 has a lot of spots in Princeton where the speed limit drops even though it shouldn't (IMO). From Cherry Valley Rd to Mountain Avenue it's posted as 35, dropping from 45. Then the speed drops to 30, then 25 all the way to the junction with NJ 27. The speed limit remains 30 and then 35 all the way to near Carriage Way. There it finally resumes 40-45 until dropping again in Lawrenceville (understandable since it's the "Main Street" of Lawrenceville).

Worse is how Princeton is notoriously ridiculous with speeding tickets, and so sometimes I debate going any more than 3 above even if people ahead of me are going 7-12 above (fairly common). Isn't the rule of thumb to follow the flow of traffic? Is there a limit to that rule?

[ekt8750]

The PA 291 Platt Bridge is signed at 35 MPH for some odd reason.  Any time I've used that bridge the speed limit seems to be universally ignored, even by law enforcement.

The southbound side could def use a 50 MPH limit but the northbound side probably better off at 40 because of that light at 26th St. and you can't see the intersection until you reach the apex of the bridge. Generally you don't see speeders on that side of the bridge though.

[thenetwork]

All of I-90 in PA should be 65.  The 15-20 mile "urban" 55 MPH zone around Erie is a joke.  The bulk of Erie's population is a few miles north of I-90 and I think more local traffic uses the last few miles of I-79 more than they use I-90.

In other words, I-90 thru PA is just one big glorified speed trap.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!