Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[US71]

ARDOT is finally raising speed limits by 5mph on all highways

Rural Interstates (and other divided highways) 70 to 75
Urban Interstates 65 mph

[Roadgeekteen]

Yay for Arkansas! Nice to see 75 creeping further east.

[Ketchup99]

Yay for Arkansas! Nice to see 75 creeping further east.

Indeed. I guess here in PA I've got a while to wait

[vdeane]

Yay for Arkansas! Nice to see 75 creeping further east.

Indeed. I guess here in PA I've got a while to wait

It could be worse.  Here in NY we're still waiting for 70.

[roadman65]

In Florida we had 75 approved by the legislature in Tallahassee, but that bald headed idiot vetoed it.

[Ketchup99]

In Florida we had 75 approved by the legislature in Tallahassee, but that bald headed idiot vetoed it.

The bald headed idiot who you just sent to Washington? Oops politics

Yay for Arkansas! Nice to see 75 creeping further east.

Indeed. I guess here in PA I've got a while to wait

It could be worse.  Here in NY we're still waiting for 70.

Isn't there talk of upping the Thruway to 75?

[webny99]

Yay for Arkansas! Nice to see 75 creeping further east.

Indeed. I guess here in PA I've got a while to wait

It could be worse.  Here in NY we're still waiting for 70.

Yeah, I wish New York could pull off a speed limit change that smoothly. That's hardly even a news article by our standards. Only one quote from the DOT?  I think if we ever got a speed limit increase in New York, there would be at least 20 or 25 officials with something to say about it before the hoopla was over.

[Road Hog]

So will speed limits go to 60 on two-lane roads? A large number of roads in the state aren’t safe at 55.

[US71]

So will speed limits go to 60 on two-lane roads? A large number of roads in the state aren’t safe at 55.

My guess is it will be on a case by case basis.

FWIW, Texas has some 2-lanes that are 70 mph that I wouldn't call safe.

[sprjus4]

Yay for Arkansas! Nice to see 75 creeping further east.

Michigan and Maine currently have 75 mph posted on rural interstate highways.

West Virginia recently was permitted to post 75 mph on rural interstate highways, though currently has not done any IIRC.

North Carolina Senate passed a bill back in 2013 to authorize 75 mph speed limits on rural interstate highways, though it never passed the House.

Mississippi and a few other states I believe have also attempted it, but never passed.

I think it would be worthwhile to bring them back up in the future to see if it can pass again. Different people in office, perhaps maybe a chance. They need to try annually, not just once and give up. I'd also like to see states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and northeastern states increase the maximum speed limit permitted on non-limited-access divided highways to 65-70 mph, and 60-65 mph on two-lane roads.

A fix for Virginia's infamous 80 mph reckless driving limit for 70 mph zones failed for many years, yet they kept pushing it through, and finally this year it actually passed and was signed by Governor Northam, and beginning July 1, the reckless driving threshold will increase to 85 mph.

[sprjus4]

So will speed limits go to 60 on two-lane roads? A large number of roads in the state aren’t safe at 55.

https://237995-729345-1-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-Speed-Limit-Study-FINAL.pdf

Here is the study that was completed.

In compliance with Act 784 of the 92nd General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (Department) conducted an engineering and traffic investigation to determine the feasibility of increasing the speed limits on State highways. The investigation reviewed four groups of highways, and found the following speed limits feasible:

• Rural Interstates – 75 miles per hour (mph);
• Urban Interstates – 65 mph;
• Rural Multi-Lane Highways – 65 mph, unless an engineering study determines the need for a lower speed limit; and
• Other Rural Highways – 55 mph, with the option to increase the speed limit to 60 mph on individual highways where an engineering study determines that a higher speed limit is warranted.

I find it interesting that it mentions a maximum of 55 mph, with an optional 60 mph for two-lane roads, yet at least one two-lane road, SR-530, is posted at 65 mph.

Where is it indicated that 65 mph is permitted? I'm not against this speed limit, but am curious where law permits it if a statutory maximum of 55 mph with an optional 60 mph is all that's allowed.

[sprjus4]

Map of proposed 75 mph zones. Arkansas doesn't appear to be shy with this one - 75 mph will be posted on almost every rural freeway segment in the state outside urban areas.

[Roadgeekteen]

Map of proposed 75 mph zones. Arkansas doesn't appear to be shy with this one - 75 mph will be posted on almost every rural freeway segment in the state outside urban areas.

Is that all the 70 zones?

[sprjus4]

Map of proposed 75 mph zones. Arkansas doesn't appear to be shy with this one - 75 mph will be posted on almost every rural freeway segment in the state outside urban areas.

Is that all the 70 zones?

Pretty much, though there may be some small 70 mph zones remaining that are closer to urban areas.

[debragga]

So will speed limits go to 60 on two-lane roads? A large number of roads in the state aren’t safe at 55.

My guess is it will be on a case by case basis.

FWIW, Texas has some 2-lanes that are 70 mph that I wouldn't call safe.

I'd say some of the 75 mph ones are unsafe as well

[edwaleni]

If trucks are still limited then raising the car limit won't buy a lot unless there is little truck traffic to overtake.

For example, Little Rock to Memphis probably will not raise the average automobile speed by a large amount because it has such a large truck volume.

A truck going 60 passing a truck going 55 will typically cause these half mile left lane backups of autos coming up at 75.

Raising it to 75 will also create more left lane dogs who seem to believe it is their god given right to use the left at any speed they see fit.

Which creates a chicane for passing traffic on the right.

While left lane dogging is illegal, I have yet to see a pull over for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love the new ceiling, but with some truck volumes, it won't be very practical in all places.

[Roadgeekteen]

If trucks are still limited then raising the car limit won't buy a lot unless there is little truck traffic to overtake.

For example, Little Rock to Memphis probably will not raise the average automobile speed by a large amount because it has such a large truck volume.

A truck going 60 passing a truck going 55 will typically cause these half mile left lane backups of autos coming up at 75.

Raising it to 75 will also create more left lane dogs who seem to believe it is their god given right to use the left at any speed they see fit.

Which creates a chicane for passing traffic on the right.

While left lane dogging is illegal, I have yet to see a pull over for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love the new ceiling, but with some truck volumes, it won't be very practical in all places.

What's the truck speed limit in Arkansas?

[Flint1979]

Michigan went to 75 a few years ago but those speed limits are mostly in rural areas except for I-69 between Port Huron and Lansing with a gap in Genesee County.

[US71]

If trucks are still limited then raising the car limit won't buy a lot unless there is little truck traffic to overtake.

For example, Little Rock to Memphis probably will not raise the average automobile speed by a large amount because it has such a large truck volume.

A truck going 60 passing a truck going 55 will typically cause these half mile left lane backups of autos coming up at 75.

Raising it to 75 will also create more left lane dogs who seem to believe it is their god given right to use the left at any speed they see fit.

Which creates a chicane for passing traffic on the right.

While left lane dogging is illegal, I have yet to see a pull over for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love the new ceiling, but with some truck volumes, it won't be very practical in all places.

What's the truck speed limit in Arkansas?

65/70 depending what parts of the interstate you're on.

[Truvelo]

Thank god your trucks aren't mechanically limited to 56mph like ours. Commercial vehicles over 7700lbs have to be limited to 90kmh by EU law

Because there's a slight discrepancy between vehicles there can be a minute difference in speed which means it takes forever for one truck to pass another. Here the yellow truck appears to have just started overtaking the blue truck and there's always a line of cars behind it. About a mile later the overtake may be complete by which time there may be dozens of angry car drivers stuck behind it. https://goo.gl/maps/ZGMwamgnijdsxYubA

[US71]

Thank god your trucks aren't mechanically limited to 56mph like ours. Commercial vehicles over 7700lbs have to be limited to 90kmh by EU law

Because there's a slight discrepancy between vehicles there can be a minute difference in speed which means it takes forever for one truck to pass another. Here the yellow truck appears to have just started overtaking the blue truck and there's always a line of cars behind it. About a mile later the overtake may be complete by which time there may be dozens of angry car drivers stuck behind it. https://goo.gl/maps/ZGMwamgnijdsxYubA

Some trucks ARE limited, but it's the individual companies who make that decision

[kphoger]

Thank god your trucks aren't mechanically limited to 56mph like ours. Commercial vehicles over 7700lbs have to be limited to 90kmh by EU law

Because there's a slight discrepancy between vehicles there can be a minute difference in speed which means it takes forever for one truck to pass another. Here the yellow truck appears to have just started overtaking the blue truck and there's always a line of cars behind it. About a mile later the overtake may be complete by which time there may be dozens of angry car drivers stuck behind it. https://goo.gl/maps/ZGMwamgnijdsxYubA

A mile isn't a very long distance for a truck to overtake another truck.

[mvak36]

Thank god your trucks aren't mechanically limited to 56mph like ours. Commercial vehicles over 7700lbs have to be limited to 90kmh by EU law

Because there's a slight discrepancy between vehicles there can be a minute difference in speed which means it takes forever for one truck to pass another. Here the yellow truck appears to have just started overtaking the blue truck and there's always a line of cars behind it. About a mile later the overtake may be complete by which time there may be dozens of angry car drivers stuck behind it. https://goo.gl/maps/ZGMwamgnijdsxYubA

A mile isn't a very long distance for a truck to overtake another truck.

I can live with it if it's a mile. Usually it's a lot longer than that. Once I was coming back to KC from Nashville and I stayed in the left lane on I-70 from Warrenton all the way till Columbia. It was a combination of trucks taking forever to pass each other and heavier traffic than usual.

[sprjus4]

rural areas except for I-69 between Port Huron and Lansing with a gap in Genesee County.

Is that segment of I-69 not rural?

If trucks are still limited then raising the car limit won't buy a lot unless there is little truck traffic to overtake.

For example, Little Rock to Memphis probably will not raise the average automobile speed by a large amount because it has such a large truck volume.

A truck going 60 passing a truck going 55 will typically cause these half mile left lane backups of autos coming up at 75.

Raising it to 75 will also create more left lane dogs who seem to believe it is their god given right to use the left at any speed they see fit.

Which creates a chicane for passing traffic on the right.

While left lane dogging is illegal, I have yet to see a pull over for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love the new ceiling, but with some truck volumes, it won't be very practical in all places.

While 75 mph may not be reachable during certain times, such as trucks passing, etc., when the road does reach a clear point, it's safe to get up to 75 mph. No reason to keep it at 70 mph just because of truck traffic that is an issue only during certain periods, like micropassing.

I've managed to drive I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis during the late afternoon / early evening on a summer weekday, and was bothered by very little truck traffic and micropassing. I usually managed ~80 mph, except the few trucks that did pass here and there.

[ozarkman417]

If I-49 in the Boston Mountains can be at 75mph, then any interstate up here in MO in rural areas could be bumped up to 75. Many people go that speed, anyway.