The Detroit Free Press reports today:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/02/75-80-mph-may-new-limit-rural-highways/79702158/
QuoteA package of five bills increasing speed limits on most rural highways passed the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday with bi-partisan support.
"We tried to craft a bill that will provide safety and better traffic movement throughout the state," said state Rep. Brad Jacobsen, R-Oxford, who sponsored the bills. "In certain areas with rural access highways that now have a speed limit of 70, it would go to 75 with the potential for 80 miles per hour if the Michigan State Police finds that all safety requirements would be met."
... He cited U.S.-127 north of St. Johns up to Grayling, I-69 between Lansing and Flint, and I-75 north of Bay City as prime areas for a bump in speed limits.
Now if they'd just increase the 2-lane state highways to 65, like they were back before NMSL.
Quote from: GaryV on February 02, 2016, 06:35:52 PM
Now if they'd just increase the 2-lane state highways to 65, like they were back before NMSL.
Seriously. Travel across "Da U.P." is slow enough as is; sticking to 55 is miserable. I'd be happy with a posted 65 and cops allowing 5 over. If it was Texas, most state highway in the U.P. would be posted for 70.
It still has to get through the full House and Senate before going to Gov. Snyder. But I'd be surprised if it didn't pass.
Quote from: JREwing78 on February 02, 2016, 09:19:27 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 02, 2016, 06:35:52 PM
Now if they'd just increase the 2-lane state highways to 65, like they were back before NMSL.
Seriously. Travel across "Da U.P." is slow enough as is; sticking to 55 is miserable. I'd be happy with a posted 65 and cops allowing 5 over. If it was Texas, most state highway in the U.P. would be posted for 70.
It still has to get through the full House and Senate before going to Gov. Snyder. But I'd be surprised if it didn't pass.
Make that 75 or 80. Most 2 lane roads are posted that high. Excluding cities.
Quote from: JREwing78 on February 02, 2016, 09:19:27 PM
Quote from: GaryV on February 02, 2016, 06:35:52 PM
Now if they'd just increase the 2-lane state highways to 65, like they were back before NMSL.
Seriously. Travel across "Da U.P." is slow enough as is; sticking to 55 is miserable. I'd be happy with a posted 65 and cops allowing 5 over. If it was Texas, most state highway in the U.P. would be posted for 70.
It still has to get through the full House and Senate before going to Gov. Snyder. But I'd be surprised if it didn't pass.
Hell, I topped off at 104 MPH for a few seconds on a side route somewhere near the Seney Wildlife Area on my one and only trip in Yooperland. It was a flat, desolate and smooth road. The UP can definitely accommodate 65-70 MPH speeds on the two lanes -- at least in the warm weather season, which one person said was just a few hours long around July 10th.
Quote from: Kniwt on February 02, 2016, 05:16:58 PM
Quote
... He cited U.S.-127 north of St. Johns up to Grayling, I-69 between Lansing and Flint, and I-75 north of Bay City as prime areas for a bump in speed limits.
Interesting that he cited 127 from St. Johns, and not Ithaca. That section still isn't a freeway (after 50+ years of waiting, no less), has an at-grade railroad crossing, and has a speed limit lower than the rest of the freeways in Michigan. Maybe he misspoke?
Quote from: GaryV on February 02, 2016, 06:35:52 PM
Now if they'd just increase the 2-lane state highways to 65, like they were back before NMSL.
If you read the article, that's part of the bill.
Quote from: Brandon on February 03, 2016, 07:21:47 AM
Quote from: GaryV on February 02, 2016, 06:35:52 PM
Now if they'd just increase the 2-lane state highways to 65, like they were back before NMSL.
If you read the article, that's part of the bill.
OK, thanks. But where's M-23? :confused:
As for 127, he said north of St Johns - he didn't say how far north. ;-)
I personally think 75 mph on freeways would be enough, and they can do it statewide. Allowing some areas to be 75 or 80, while leaving other areas at 70 invites yo-yo-ing of speed limits like they do in Ohio ... raise the limit to 70, only to lower it back to 65 five miles later. Raising the speed limit in Michigan to 80 would encourage people to go 90 or 95.
I remember in the pre-NMSL days, that two-lane state highways were set at 65 mph. They could return to that and I would be happy.
Totally agree with this!! Would love to see 65mph up there.
Quote
Seriously. Travel across "Da U.P." is slow enough as is; sticking to 55 is miserable. I'd be happy with a posted 65 and cops allowing 5 over. If it was Texas, most state highway in the U.P. would be posted for 70.
It still has to get through the full House and Senate before going to Gov. Snyder. But I'd be surprised if it didn't pass.
Quote from: roadgeek on February 04, 2016, 10:48:48 AM
Totally agree with this!! Would love to see 65mph up there.
Quote
Seriously. Travel across "Da U.P." is slow enough as is; sticking to 55 is miserable. I'd be happy with a posted 65 and cops allowing 5 over. If it was Texas, most state highway in the U.P. would be posted for 70.
It still has to get through the full House and Senate before going to Gov. "Send Me A Bill And I'll Sign It" Snyder. But I'd be surprised if it didn't pass.
FTFY.
From the Detroit News web site:
"80 mph plan hits speed bump in Michigan House"
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/17/michigan-speed-limits-increase/80522924/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB79jXA2vMU
You can't fault the House committee for trying to recognize reality here. They drive 80 anyway (85+ in Detroit).
Excellent :clap: :clap:
Wow, didn't expect something like that. God I remember when they increased it from 65 MPH how big of a deal it was when I was still living there.
HB 4423, as it currently reads, allows 75 mph speed limits. Where are the media folks finding this 80 mph information?
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2015-2016/billengrossed/House/htm/2015-HEBH-4423.htm (http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2015-2016/billengrossed/House/htm/2015-HEBH-4423.htm)
I understand they were initially talking about 80 mph, but that got yanked out of the bill after it was introduced.
More exciting (for me, anyway) is the prospect of 65 mph limits on certain trunklines. 55 mph limits in the U.P. and northern Lower Peninsula are a joke. Ditto for the infuriating 55 mph limit on US-131 south of Portage, or US-31 between Holland and Grand Haven.
I like the idea of restoring 2-lane state highways to their old 65 mph limits. It just seems to make the most sense, in my opinion - nobody goes 55 on them anyway.
My favourite speed limit on a 2-lane rural road would be 60 mph, 70 on an expressway, and 75 on a freeway. Speed limits should be set at the 85th percentile, not so as to criminalize 85% of drivers.
(Although seriously, 25 mph on a main arterial, at least in my neck of the woods, is unenforceable.)
One step closer (for 75 MPH): Michigan Senate votes 28-8 for the higher speed limits. The linked article is unclear on what, if any, differences there are between the House and Senate versions. In any event, it looks likely to wind up on the governor's desk sometime soon.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/the-latest-senate-oks-higher-speed-limits-on-rural-highways_
Edit: This Detroit Free Press article has more details:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/12/07/increased-speed-limit-nears-final-passage-legislature/95088708/
75 mph speed limits win final approval, head to Snyder
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/12/13/speed-limits/95386172/
Governor signs bill, 75 m.p.h. speed limit approved for some rural Michigan highways:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/05/snyder-speed-limit-highways-michigan/96196550/
Any word on which highways will see the increase? My googling came up blank, only saying that around 600 miles of rural freeway will be studied for 75 mph.
Quote from: pianocello on January 06, 2017, 01:32:04 PM
Any word on which highways will see the increase? My googling came up blank, only saying that around 600 miles of rural freeway will be studied for 75 mph.
No one's really sure yet. MDOT and the Michigan State Police have to conduct a study to determine that.
I'm guessing I-75 north of Bay City, US-127 from Clare (or perhaps Ithaca) to Grayling, US-131 from the north Kent County line to Manton, and US-31 from Muskegon to Ludington at the least.
So I-75 will soon be joining the small number of interstates that have sections where the speed limit matches the route number