70 MPH Speed Limit Increase To 70 In Pennsylvania???

[Roadgeekteen]

Is 70 really as high as PA could get? I feel like there are many, many potential 75 and 80 zones in Pennsylvania.

Although I personally think much of I-80 west of around I-180 (but maybe further east too) could be an 80 zone, and many cars already do 80, I could see a rationale for not doing that because of the high truck traffic. That said, the same excuse does not exist for I-99 south of State College and outside of Altoona. There's very little traffic in general, and there are almost never trucks passing each other - there's just not enough truck traffic making the haul from I-80 to Altoona or Pittsburgh. These would be great places to trial an 80mph speed limit in PA.

Not sure if 80 mph would be realistic in Pennsylvania, though 75 mph would be appropriate on rural freeways where design permits.

What's the difference between a rural, low-use freeway in PA versus one in TX?

I'd bet a rural, low-use freeway in PA has at minimum 4 times the traffic than one in TX.  There aren't too many very long, straight stretches of highway in PA with few or no exits, unlike TX.

80 is probably the upper limit that cars should travel on most rural interstate, except maybe in some Western states. Never felt unsafe in a car going 80. Now going more than 80 can get dicey. Not saying that all rural interstates should be posted at 80 though.

[Ketchup99]

Is 70 really as high as PA could get? I feel like there are many, many potential 75 and 80 zones in Pennsylvania.

Although I personally think much of I-80 west of around I-180 (but maybe further east too) could be an 80 zone, and many cars already do 80, I could see a rationale for not doing that because of the high truck traffic. That said, the same excuse does not exist for I-99 south of State College and outside of Altoona. There's very little traffic in general, and there are almost never trucks passing each other - there's just not enough truck traffic making the haul from I-80 to Altoona or Pittsburgh. These would be great places to trial an 80mph speed limit in PA.

Not sure if 80 mph would be realistic in Pennsylvania, though 75 mph would be appropriate on rural freeways where design permits.

What's the difference between a rural, low-use freeway in PA versus one in TX?

I'd bet a rural, low-use freeway in PA has at minimum 4 times the traffic than one in TX.  There aren't too many very long, straight stretches of highway in PA with few or no exits, unlike TX.

Not many, but there are some. I-99 from Bedford to Altoona comes to mind, as does some of I-80. Personally I drive these roads frequently at 80 and feel entirely comfortable.

[sprjus4]

TX-130 carries close to 60,000 AADT in its northern portion, has traffic congestion, and is currently being widened to 6 lanes, and holds a speed limit of 80 mph.

The speed limit was reduced to 70 mph through the work zone though will increase back to 80 mph once complete.

[kphoger]

I'd bet a rural, low-use freeway in PA has at minimum 4 times the traffic than one in TX.  There aren't too many very long, straight stretches of highway in PA with few or no exits, unlike TX.

AADT on I-80 across Pennsylvania, from I-376 to I-180 ranges from 21,000 to 28,000.

AADT on I-20 between Monahans and Odessa, which is currently signed at 80 mph, is approximately the same.

[ekt8750]

Is 70 really as high as PA could get? I feel like there are many, many potential 75 and 80 zones in Pennsylvania.

Being that I've done triple digits with ease on both branches of the Turnpike, the answer is definitely no. 85 a good place set it

[1995hoo]

Is 70 really as high as PA could get? I feel like there are many, many potential 75 and 80 zones in Pennsylvania.

Although I personally think much of I-80 west of around I-180 (but maybe further east too) could be an 80 zone, and many cars already do 80, I could see a rationale for not doing that because of the high truck traffic. That said, the same excuse does not exist for I-99 south of State College and outside of Altoona. There's very little traffic in general, and there are almost never trucks passing each other - there's just not enough truck traffic making the haul from I-80 to Altoona or Pittsburgh. These would be great places to trial an 80mph speed limit in PA.

Not sure if 80 mph would be realistic in Pennsylvania, though 75 mph would be appropriate on rural freeways where design permits.

What's the difference between a rural, low-use freeway in PA versus one in TX?

I'm not saying it's impossible, but likely less realistic especially in that part of the country. I would like to see 70 mph limits increased to 75 mph though as permits. Maine and Michigan currently have 75 mph limits, West Virginia is allowed to post them but hasn't yet, and North Carolina nearly got them back in 2013 but did not pass the House.

New Jersey is another state where 75 mph would be appropriate on roads like the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway.

I think West Virginia tried 80 mph before, though never passed.

I wouldn't be against 80 mph limits if they ever came about.

A bill to allow 75-mph speed limits passed the Florida legislature a few years ago, but then-Gov. Scott vetoed it and they didn't override the veto.

Back in the early 1970s, apparently there was a plan to expand the Pennsylvania Turnpike into a quad-carriageway setup like part of the New Jersey Turnpike and to post an 80-mph speed limit in the cars-only lanes, but the oil shocks, and the NMSL, put an end to that.

[sprjus4]

A bill to allow 75-mph speed limits passed the Florida legislature a few years ago, but then-Gov. Scott vetoed it and they didn't override the veto.

I don't see why 75 mph speed limits would be an issue on rural Florida interstates and Florida's Turnpike where a traffic engineering study determined it capable.

https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/morning-edition/2014/06/scott-uses-veto-pen-says-75-mph-limit-unsafe.html

Gov. Rick Scott has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the maximum speed limit on Florida highways to rise to 75 miles per hour.

In explaining the decision, Scott said he was responding to safety concerns raised by law enforcement officers, the News Service of Florida said. "While the evidence suggests that increased driving speeds are not the sole cause of traffic accidents, they clearly contribute to the increased severity of vehicle crash outcomes in the form of needless injuries and deaths," Scott wrote in a veto message.

"Safety concerns raised by law enforcement officers"... essentially, it would hurt revenue flow.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2014/05/15/329313.htm

The bill (SB 392) would not raise speed limits automatically, but would allow the Department of Transportation to increase them when it saw fit. The department could also raise the speed limit from 65 to 70 mph on rural, four-lane divided highways and up to 65 mph on other roads.

The legislation would've also allowed up to 70 mph on divided highways and 65 mph on two-lane roads.

This would also be an appropriate increase on many roads.