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#1

Pacific Southwest / Re: US-101: Speed Limit reduce...

Last post by michravera - Today at 02:17:19 AM

Reducing the speed limit from 70 to 65 isn't going to stop people from going 100, since they're obviously ignoring the limit to begin with...

I had RCC set for 78MPH and passed a CHP CAR, not a truck, who didn't even blink. If what I've now read on this forum is to be believed, (and it would seem that cl94 knows about what they write), I now think that they were hiding and looking for 100+. They do that at some places on I-5 as well. This wasn't a pursuit Mustang or the like (some Yank Tank with a rounded body style), but it looked like it could easily catch someone going just over 100MPH.

I've gone 80 on that stretch and either had no one around, or a cop drove by. I agree, I don't see much enforcement here. Likely just hoping to get the 75 people to go 70, if that truly makes a safety difference.

Part of the thing to remember with CA is that it's stupidly easy to challenge a speeding ticket if you're familiar with speed limit requirements. It is generally not worth their time to stop you if going 10 over is the only thing you're doing wrong because there's a decent chance you can get it tossed. Notably, you need an active speed study to enforce speed limits, and speed limit recalibrations like this are one of the requirements after completing a speed study.

With super high speeds, you can argue for a reckless driving charge or something else not explicitly dependent on a speed study, making it more likely that something will stick.

I'm not sure the way you meant this, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing at all. And didn't just get repealed to some extent?

But I've always appreciated the fact that California required studies to allow cities to enforce their speed limits instead of just having politicians or the city arbitrarily setting some number on a sign which creates a lot of situations where you have revenue generation in mind instead of wanting to protect actual public safety. If you want slower speeds on your road design them better. I can't stand a lot of roads in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma where they're super wide two lanes each way and yet the speed limit just arbitrarily drops to 25 with absolutely no change in the road Design because you're going through some stupid town that says it's like every other town they have Some historic building or landmark or whatever.

Lately I've been preferring to get off the interstate and drive on the back roads, but I love exploring new towns. I just can't stand speed traps.

In California, you needn't worry about manufacturing charges. 100MPH+ is a separate offense.

#2

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by dlsterner - Today at 01:55:08 AM

Businesses that require one to create an account in order to do things like order food or book an appointment.  Sure, offer the option for those who would rather create a username/password and save things like payment/contact information, but there needs to be an option to do these things without creating an account.  I have no desire to create an account for, say, a once a year eye exam or if I'm trying out a new place to get my hair cut, and I definitely won't if I'm just ordering food while I'm traveling, so this degrades my experience by forcing me to downgrade to a phone call (which is both more annoying and more likely to lead to errors; plus there likely won't be an email confirmation).

It has to have been mentioned somewhere in the 338 pages prior, but businesses that require one to register/login to an account, or at least select delivery/pickup options, before allowing one to just look at the damn menu.  Maybe I'm not having it brought home, but instead plan to actually sit down and eat there.  If I have to go through a hassle just to see your offerings, I'll go elsewhere.  :grumble:

Sometimes when I'm on a road trip, I just want to check out the menu at a restaurant that I'm considering for dinner the next night, to see how appealing it might be.  (I prefer to eat at places different than what I can eat at when home).

I don't want to create an account, or be told "we're not open right now; try again when we are".

To be (somewhat) fair, a workaround is to click the place in (say) Google Maps, and check the photos there and check the "Menu" or "Vibe" section for useful photos. But those pics could be quite dated.

#3

Southeast / Re: Alabama

Last post by freebrickproductions - Today at 01:52:14 AM

Gov. Ivey has announced today that the State of Alabama is purchasing the Foley Beach Express toll bridge in Baldwin County for around $60 million. The entire beach express route from I-10 is now slated to become SR 161.

So SR 180 will be truncated west from the Foley Beach Express and replaced with an extension of SR 161. 26 miles of state maintained roads gained.

What is ALDOT going to truncate to offset that? They cut 32 miles in 2004 with the decommissioning of SR 112 but added 16 miles with the extension of SR 181.
The cut 3.8 miles from SR 180 in 2019 and dropped State Park Road 2 which was 3 miles long and SR 135 in 2016 which was 2.1 miles.

AL 62, maybe?

#4

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by dlsterner - Today at 01:38:29 AM

What roads/bridges have you been on that no longer exist due to a disaster/collapse? For me, the only one I can think of is I-95 in Philly before the collapse. I've never been on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but I'm sure many have.

Been over the Francis Scott Key bridge many a time.  I liked it as an alternative between my house in central Maryland and heading NW of Baltimore on I-95, especially at times when the tunnels might have heavy traffic.  (this was in the days before you could see traffic on Google Maps).

#5

General Highway Talk / Re: Lowest-numbered route you ...

Last post by bm7 - Today at 01:06:37 AM

I was briefly on AR8 on a trip to see the solar eclipse, so my new number is 15.

#6

General Highway Talk / Re: Route A ends at route B, a...

Last post by pderocco - April 18, 2024, 11:57:58 PM

In Gloucester MA, route 127 ends at a rotary with route 128, and then a few miles up 128 crosses 127 and ends a block later at 127A. The interesting thing is that 127 goes way up into Rockport and does a big loop before coming back down to end at 128. Very scenic ride.

#7

Road Enthusiasts Meetings / Re: Where Have We Not Held a R...

Last post by oscar - April 18, 2024, 11:31:28 PM

I have a road meet concept in mind, but picking a venue is problematic as I don't go out to eat that often. Would love to couple a meet with a stop at Busch Gardens as part of a weekend for any fellow coaster enthusiasts (I or Brent sometimes have free guest passes we could share).

If you opted to host a meet without a meal involved, it wouldn't be the first time that occurred.  I've done that myself a few times.

We are pretty much lining up to do that in Bakersfield.  Last year in Fresno we just grabbed brunch at In-n-Out as everyone was meeting up.  Speaking for myself, I'm not really one for sitting down for a couple hours if there is territory to cover on the road. 

OTOH, for the Bakersfield meet we wound up with a good sit-down meal in Lake Isabella mid-meet. Two tables of four, good conversations at each table even if not including everybody (a little hard to do even with just eight people). We also gathered at one table at the McDs at the I-5 Buttonwillow exit, while we were waiting for everybody to show up to start the meet.

Speaking of "sitting down", you might remember one stop where everybody stood around in the middle of a parking lot ... except I had to back away from the group so I could lean against my car, due to lower back pain. Standing in place, even with a walker to provide support, didn't work for me; keeping moving, or sitting someplace, would've been less painful. "Sitting down" has its advantages, especially for older members of the group.

#8

Sports / Re: Arizona Coyotes players ap...

Last post by Rothman - April 18, 2024, 11:20:35 PM

Even when the Coyotes were in a real arena half the spectators attending were usually fans of visiting teams.  I'm having a hard time deciding if Phoenix was just a bad NHL market it or was just gross mismanagement of the Coyotes franchise that led to the team never getting a foothold.

Moreover, is SLC really a better market?

No, there are way more ideal places for the former Arizona franchise to have landed.  The Golden Knights are more than enough for the entire desert southwest at this point.

That's my suspicion as well.  Baseball, basketball, football, heck, soccer...volleyball...I'm having trouble seeing Utah as some sort of burgeoning center for hockey.

#9

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by Great Lakes Roads - April 18, 2024, 11:17:28 PM

I-95 north of Philly
The Key Bridge in Baltimore

#10

Sports / Re: Arizona Coyotes players ap...

Last post by Max Rockatansky - April 18, 2024, 10:55:15 PM

Even when the Coyotes were in a real arena half the spectators attending were usually fans of visiting teams.  I'm having a hard time deciding if Phoenix was just a bad NHL market it or was just gross mismanagement of the Coyotes franchise that led to the team never getting a foothold.

Moreover, is SLC really a better market?

No, there are way more ideal places for the former Arizona franchise to have landed.  The Golden Knights are more than enough for the entire desert southwest at this point.