Upping the speed limit on Morro & Atascadero Road (State Route 41) accidents?

[ACSCmapcollector]

Upping the speed limit on Morro & Atascadero Road (State Route 41) from whatever it is posted either 55 to 65 or higher would cause more automobile accidents, collisions and more people takened to the hospital between Morro Bay and Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County.  This road used to been old U.S. 466 and there is no need to have it raised because there are twist and turns bends and signs warning people not to speed or someone would loose their lives!   What comments do you have?

Scott C. Presnal
Morro Bay, CA



AK= I am Ariel's Keeper, Disney's TLM.

[Max Rockatansky]

I think you might have gotten this from something I posted in the "road improvements you'd like to see" thread awhile back.  From Shandon north to Lemoore it ought it be 65 MPH with the exceptions of crossings at CA 46, CA 33 or residential areas like Kettleman City.  CA 43 basically has the same issue in the flat and/or straight areas with a bunch of nothing but 55 MPH when it could be at least 60 MPH if not 65 MPH.  In those situations people are already driving usually somewhere from 62 to 70 MPH already given the remoteness of the roadway and relative ease of the terrain.  Most surrounding states that have a rural situation like that posted speed limits already at 60 or 65 MPH.  South of Shandon 60 MPH probably would be appropriate in a lot of the straights so long as there was ample yellow advisory speed limit signs for the twisties.  I would compare it to something like US 60 in Arizona, between Globe and Show Low in particular...  Yes there is traffic and twisted corners but ADOT does a pretty decent job in comparison to Caltrans in posting appropriate speedlimits for; straight roadway, hairpins and even preparation for cross traffic with another highway.

In a much more extreme situation with CA 1 north of Cambria almost all the way to the Bixby Bridge the limit is 55 MPH.  Most people naturally aren't going to drive that fast, especially southbound and there isn't much in the way of reassurance markers for the 55 MPH but there are plenty of yellow advisories.  Seems like Caltrans likes to post one 55 MPH limit on most hilly roads and call it a day...you hardly ever any others unless you cross another highway.  In the instance of CA 1 there are a lot of tourist traffic with people who don't know how to use pullouts which is infuriating as all hell when you have to wait until an opportunity to pass.  I think that I even mentioned something about putting up more reassurance speed limit signage to encourage people to speed up rather than slug along at 35 MPH since the last thing they saw was a yellow sign.

[ACSCmapcollector]

Well I think the Green Valley Highway, California state route 46 from CA 1 to U.S. 101 is a better route, Max.  However people have four choices to get to Interstate 5:  A) CA 1 to CA 41, CA 1 is known the Cabrillo Highway, to CA 41 (old U.S. 466 east) on the Atascadero Road then you encounter those twist and turns in the mountains in the Los Padres National Forest, then after that, you come to Atascadero, where my buddy friend lives at, and U.S. 101, the El Camino Real, not old U.S. 101, but the freeway to CA 46 east to CA 41 north to near Kettleman City, going pass CA 33 to Interstate 5, the Westside Freeway.  B) CA 1 down to San Luis Obispo to U.S. 101 beyond Paso Robles, CA or C) CA 1 to CA 41 to U.S. 101.  Continuing on U.S. 101 on its freeway expressway sections until the city of San Jose, than Interstate 680 North Sacramento to Interstate 580, Interstate 205 to Interstate 5.
The other route is Interstate 680 all the way up to Interstate 80 (old U.S. 40) to Interstate 505 to Interstate 5.  This is four routes to get into the Beaver State of Oregon, Max.  And yet I have read your threads so I am familiar with it.  So long if they don't drive drunk or on drugs either.

Scott C. Presnal
AK "I love you Ariel!"
Morro Bay, CA

[Max Rockatansky]

Well I think the Green Valley Highway, California state route 46 from CA 1 to U.S. 101 is a better route, Max.  However people have four choices to get to Interstate 5:  A) CA 1 to CA 41, CA 1 is known the Cabrillo Highway, to CA 41 (old U.S. 466 east) on the Atascadero Road then you encounter those twist and turns in the mountains in the Los Padres National Forest, then after that, you come to Atascadero, where my buddy friend lives at, and U.S. 101, the El Camino Real, not old U.S. 101, but the freeway to CA 46 east to CA 41 north to near Kettleman City, going pass CA 33 to Interstate 5, the Westside Freeway.  B) CA 1 down to San Luis Obispo to U.S. 101 beyond Paso Robles, CA or C) CA 1 to CA 41 to U.S. 101.  Continuing on U.S. 101 on its freeway expressway sections until the city of San Jose, than Interstate 680 North Sacramento to Interstate 580, Interstate 205 to Interstate 5.
The other route is Interstate 680 all the way up to Interstate 80 (old U.S. 40) to Interstate 505 to Interstate 5.  This is four routes to get into the Beaver State of Oregon, Max.  And yet I have read your threads so I am familiar with it.  So long if they don't drive drunk or on drugs either.

Scott C. Presnal
AK "I love you Ariel!"
Morro Bay, CA

Personally my preference on the average day to reach anywhere would be on the road with largest mountain grades possible.  Most people coming out of Bakersfield usually jump on CA 152 to get over to US 101 to reach the Bay Area....I prefer CA 198 and CA 25 since they are pretty engaging roads...25 gets kind of nuts even on flat terrain due to the San Andreas Fault basically deciding where the road goes.  If I had to pick entering Oregon, my go-to would probably be a nice jog up US 199 to Grants Pass.  That road is a hell of a lot of fun on the California side and takes some considerable skill to stay near 55 MPH until you hit the Oregon state line.  I-5 is tolerable since most of the traffic disappears north of Sacramento but US 97 for what it's worth is really well built and is more sparsely traveled....never minded passing a couple trucks in the two-lane sections.  I actually took the strange way into Oregon and used Merill Road off of CA 161 to hit Oregon a couple months back since I was coming out of Lava Beds National Monument, most people forget CA 161 or even CA 139 are even there.  I'll have to add Merill Road to my list of places you can enter California without an agriculture station if the topic ever comes up again.

[coatimundi]

The speed limit on highways is actually set by the California Vehicle Code, and it takes a lot to increase it. It's only 65 on divided roads, and that's why it goes up on the newly divided sections of 46.
I've driven in all 50 states, and California is pretty weird with the speed limits, just because it doesn't always decrease speed limits when it probably should for safety reasons (such as curvy, mountainous, urban, or otherwise dangerous areas) and it doesn't increase them when the majority of drivers ignore the limit. If you've ever driven the mind-numbing two-lane straightaway on CA 180 west of Fresno, you'd see what I'm talking about: no one goes under 65 and god help you if you do. And there are other highways that are the same way (like the flat sections of CA 41). And, if you need an example from the opposite extreme, look at the Pines to Palms Highway: 55 the whole way, and many curves are not even signed at the speed they require. CA 1 south of Carmel is another example: 55 is very rarely a safe speed because of terrain and curves, but mainly because of tourist traffic. The scariest thing is that you can pass on much of CA 1, and people often do (I say just enjoy the drive, and know that the Ford Mustang convertible full of Euro tourists in front of you will pull off at some point).
A lot of other states just assume that people are stupid. For instance, the section of US 60 through Salt River Canyon (Globe to Show Low) was mentioned: that goes down to 35mph at one point. In California, that would be 55 the whole way.

[Max Rockatansky]

The speed limit on highways is actually set by the California Vehicle Code, and it takes a lot to increase it. It's only 65 on divided roads, and that's why it goes up on the newly divided sections of 46.
I've driven in all 50 states, and California is pretty weird with the speed limits, just because it doesn't always decrease speed limits when it probably should for safety reasons (such as curvy, mountainous, urban, or otherwise dangerous areas) and it doesn't increase them when the majority of drivers ignore the limit. If you've ever driven the mind-numbing two-lane straightaway on CA 180 west of Fresno, you'd see what I'm talking about: no one goes under 65 and god help you if you do. And there are other highways that are the same way (like the flat sections of CA 41). And, if you need an example from the opposite extreme, look at the Pines to Palms Highway: 55 the whole way, and many curves are not even signed at the speed they require. CA 1 south of Carmel is another example: 55 is very rarely a safe speed because of terrain and curves, but mainly because of tourist traffic. The scariest thing is that you can pass on much of CA 1, and people often do (I say just enjoy the drive, and know that the Ford Mustang convertible full of Euro tourists in front of you will pull off at some point).
A lot of other states just assume that people are stupid. For instance, the section of US 60 through Salt River Canyon (Globe to Show Low) was mentioned: that goes down to 35mph at one point. In California, that would be 55 the whole way.

Some of the others in the immediate area that come to mind would be CA 41 north of Oakhurst to Yosemite and a lot of CA 140 north of Mariposa sticking to 55 MPH when roadway really isn't designed for it.  I want to say that the cliff side section of CA 49 between Oakhurst and Coulterville is that way but I wouldn't quote myself to that.  US 199 is interesting because for the most part unless you're a wimp you can can pull that 55 MPH no problem in the straights.  So is the 55 MPH out in the mountain grades brilliant or insane?...it probably edges on insane for the average driver and average maintained car.  Those trips up CA 1 get a lot more fun heading north bound since the you have a lane away from the cliff inspiring more confidence. 

Another example of that dropping down to 55 MPH nonsense is on 198 when the expressway ends heading westbound, there NO WAY that traffic is going to slow down on that flat of a road.  On the flip side there are roads up in Fresno/Tulare Counties which are divided, not even state maintained and EVEN have traffic lights that get 65 MPH because they four lane divided.  Basically all this is really boiling down to is that there needs to be some legislative adjustments on speed limit codes either for increases and decreases where needed.   

I'm fairly certain if I recall correctly about Salt River Canyon that it picks right back up to 65 MPH once you reach the canyon south rim?  Hey....at least things are as bad as they are up in Oregon, holy crap that place is so freaking slow and I guess that speed increase bill went nowhere.

[Max Rockatansky]

I had a thought while I was out running this morning.  What's the difference with two-lane highways like CA 62 east of 29 Palms to CA 177 and the CA49/120 multiplex that makes them 65 MPH zones?  In the instance of the CA49/120 multiplex it at least feels like it has a similar traffic volume to CA 41 south of Kettleman City.  The only visual cue that seems to come to mind is lane and shoulder width seems be wider?  I'm fairly certain CA 62 even east of CA 177 is a 60 MPH zone...  Hell there is even 65 MPH portions of US 97 north of Weed near the Mount Shasta overlook.

[ACSCmapcollector]

Well I would prefer the Freeway/Expressway sections of U.S. 101, Interstate 680, Interstate 580 to Interstate 205 to Interstate 5 to Stockton and Sacramento, Interstate 5, the Westside Freeway took over a portion of U.S. 50 too back in the early 1970s according to my old antique gasoline maps that I have in my collection.

However CA 166 from north of Santa Maria to Interstate 5, I wonder what the speed limit is on that mountainous highway, this is my buddy Dexter Rickett's suggest to use the CA 166 from the U.S. 101 freeway, south of Nipomo to get to Interstate 5.  That is not the best way to get to Los Angeles, CA.  The best way to get to Los Angeles, is A) U.S. 101 to B) CA 126 Santa Paula Freeway/Telegraph Road/Henry Mayo Newhall Drive to Interstate 5, the Golden State Freeway (OldU.S. 99) or C) [B1] U.S. 101 as the Ventura Freeway to CA 23 Moorpark (Thousand Oaks) Freeway) to CA 118 Ronald Reagan Freeway (Simi Valley-San Fernando Valley Freeway to Interstate 5, (Old U.S. 6 & 99) Golden State Freeway to Los Angeles as a control city.

Scott C. Presnal
Morro Bay, CA

[coatimundi]

I'm fairly certain if I recall correctly about Salt River Canyon that it picks right back up to 65 MPH once you reach the canyon south rim?

Yes! And that was part of my point. AZ wants to keep you safe, and doesn't trust you to keep yourself safe, and does things like take the limit down to 35 on the curvy part there on US 60 or, for another example, to 25 on 191/The Coronado Trail. CA would just keep everything at 55 and say "Good luck, f@#*%r." I've don't recall any other state that does that trusts a driver like that.

First one that comes to my mind, as far as non-state roads with 65mph limits, is Fryant Road north of Fresno. It's actually not that long of a section, but it's divided, mostly up to expressway standards, and it's basically used as a freeway by those who live out in Fryant and Millerton.
Then, again around Fresno, there's 168 going up to Shaver Lake, which goes up to 60 with a 55 truck/trailer limit, and has a "divide" that consists of two double-yellows with about 3' between them.

But CA 62 is a good example of why 55 doesn't always work for all undivided situations. I mean, we took a roadtrip once years ago that involved that highway and I think, at one point, my friend got the little Dodge Neon we had rented up to 100 on there. If 55 is ridiculous on some of the rural Central Valley roads, then it's just completely unreasonable on roads like 62, where the sight distance is often more than a mile. And that's why California, like Arizona, has the "85 percentile" rule, where the speed limit is supposed to reflect what 85% of the drivers are driving. That's where I think 62, and a very few select others, fits in. But I don't know why some of these Central Valley roads don't qualify.
Meanwhile, CA 49/120 is a bit of a mystery too, isn't it: two lanes, undivided, limited sight distance, high traffic volumes, intersections with popular side roads... I don't know. If anything, that should be 55, and 41 around Kettlemen City should be 65, no?

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm fairly certain if I recall correctly about Salt River Canyon that it picks right back up to 65 MPH once you reach the canyon south rim?

Yes! And that was part of my point. AZ wants to keep you safe, and doesn't trust you to keep yourself safe, and does things like take the limit down to 35 on the curvy part there on US 60 or, for another example, to 25 on 191/The Coronado Trail. CA would just keep everything at 55 and say "Good luck, f@#*%r." I've don't recall any other state that does that trusts a driver like that.

First one that comes to my mind, as far as non-state roads with 65mph limits, is Fryant Road north of Fresno. It's actually not that long of a section, but it's divided, mostly up to expressway standards, and it's basically used as a freeway by those who live out in Fryant and Millerton.
Then, again around Fresno, there's 168 going up to Shaver Lake, which goes up to 60 with a 55 truck/trailer limit, and has a "divide" that consists of two double-yellows with about 3' between them.

But CA 62 is a good example of why 55 doesn't always work for all undivided situations. I mean, we took a roadtrip once years ago that involved that highway and I think, at one point, my friend got the little Dodge Neon we had rented up to 100 on there. If 55 is ridiculous on some of the rural Central Valley roads, then it's just completely unreasonable on roads like 62, where the sight distance is often more than a mile. And that's why California, like Arizona, has the "85 percentile" rule, where the speed limit is supposed to reflect what 85% of the drivers are driving. That's where I think 62, and a very few select others, fits in. But I don't know why some of these Central Valley roads don't qualify.
Meanwhile, CA 49/120 is a bit of a mystery too, isn't it: two lanes, undivided, limited sight distance, high traffic volumes, intersections with popular side roads... I don't know. If anything, that should be 55, and 41 around Kettlemen City should be 65, no?

Actually they do have some signs warning you about when US 191 isn't patrolled or plowed.  I've never once seen a DPS Patrol car on that stretch of highway, how would you like to be the officer who pulled duty on a road with 500 plus curves? lol That's the thing though, I always felt like California kind of led the way with lazy speed signage.  There are a lot more highways where basically it's a total guessing game to what the actual speed limit is cine you will never see a speed sign other than at the point of origin for the highway....so what happens if you pull on somewhere else?  And what's more is that we're not talking about a lot of money to post road signs...at least as far materials go.  And people wonder why I'm always beating on Caltrans for no relinquishing secondary highways and urban streets faster. 

The traffic volumes on 49/120 are pretty seasonal though.  I want to say that there is a 65 MPH section somewhere on CA 4 east of Stockton after a long jaunt of 55 MPH.  I seem to recall that within the vicinity of Copperopolis the road lanes and shoulders widen...much like how 62 and 49/120.  41 south of Kettleman seemed to have more narrow lanes and softer shoulders by comparison...I bet there is a formula for something like that which might play more than even that the traffic volume or surveyed speed.

The only other states that I can think of that I've been too lately who are pretty wonky with speed limit postings is Montana and Wyoming.  I was on US 212 a couple weeks back on my way to Yellowstone from Billings.  When I left Red Lodge heading west there was a 70 MPH speed limit sign.  Basically there is a HUGE number of hair pins that take you from 5,500 feet to 9,000 and I don't recall seeing another sign until I was almost to the Wyoming state line which showed 45 MPH.  Wyoming didn't have a single speed limit sign until I was well past WY 296.  So basically I went 55-60 the entire time and just mashed the brakes in the curves. Made for some fun as hell driving that's for sure.

[ACSCmapcollector]

This is getting off the subject that I have posted.

Scott C. Presnal
Morro Bay, CA