I just heard on the news that the TRUCK and NIGHT SPEED LIMITs will be removed from Texas highways by the end of the year.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftdtnews.com%3A8080%2Fmain%2Fp16879s6fnv80lqe1rln8q11vqu8.jpg&hash=b9eee21fc9f4c821864daebb3f28dd936d54db4e)
Some state highways may be eligible for 75 mph speed limits too.
http://www.txdot.gov/news/032-2011.htm
QuoteThe 82nd Texas Legislature passed and the Governor signed House Bill 1353, which takes effect on September 1. This legislation allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to create a 75-mile per hour speed limit on any state highway found to be reasonable and safe through a speed study. TxDOT will be reviewing existing 70-mile per hour speed limits to determine where a 75-mile per hour speed limit may be safely posted.
HB 1353 also eliminates the 65-mile per hour nighttime speed limit and all truck speed limits. On September 1, the existing nighttime and truck speed limits are repealed and no longer enforceable.
Great, since some rural interestates are only 70 MPH too
Good. Night speed limits are a crock of shit.
Especially as they never seemed to be obeyed or enforced.
rte66man
I've never seen a nighttime speed limit outside of Texas.
Also, didn't they just recently allow some rural highways to have 85 mph speed limits now?
Quote from: Quillz on September 07, 2011, 09:06:15 PM
I've never seen a nighttime speed limit outside of Texas.
Also, didn't they just recently allow some rural highways to have 85 mph speed limits now?
Ohio had them until not too long ago, such that there are still remnants. I'd point you to my I-275 page, but the update with the relevant sign is coming tomorrow/Sunday...
Montana is night 65, and there's actually night speed limits on a lot of arterials in Tucson!
US-1 in a portion of the Florida Keys has a speed limit of 35, to protect the endangered Key Deer.
Quote from: corco on September 08, 2011, 12:07:22 AM
Montana is night 65, and there's actually night speed limits on a lot of arterials in Tucson!
Montana has a split speed limit for day and night for both cars and trucks. So, on a non-freeway there's four speed limits posted. At least on the interstate there is no night time speed limit, just the 75/65 differential.
Texas FM routes tend to have split night time speed limits for cars and trucks as well (usually 65/55 at night). All trucks in Texas are currently capped at 70 no matter how fast the car speed is set. But, generally anything lower or equal and trucks get the same speed limit.
DFW news just said 3 counties are about to up speed limits for I-20 to 75mph. It's the immediate counties to the east and west of DFW: Van Zandt to the east and Palo Pinto and Erath to the west
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
http://blogs.star-telegram.com/honkin_mad/2012/01/speed-limit-going-up-to-75-mph-on-another-1500-miles-of-texas-highways-80-mph-limit-still-in-place-i.html (http://blogs.star-telegram.com/honkin_mad/2012/01/speed-limit-going-up-to-75-mph-on-another-1500-miles-of-texas-highways-80-mph-limit-still-in-place-i.html)
Speed limit going up to 75 mph on another 1,500 miles of Texas highways; 80 mph limit still in place in West Texas
Good news for Texas leadfoots. The speed limit soon will be increasing on nearly 1,500 miles of highway - although motorists are strongly encouraged to obey the old speed limit until they see the new signs.
"The new speed limit is not official until the signs go up," said Carol Rawson, Texas Department of Transportation traffic operations director.
Highways will be posted for 75 mph in 60 counties after the Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday approved the change. The decision came after speed studies were conducted on the roads, where the current posted speed limit is 70 mph.
Where will the new speed limits be posted?
Interstate 10 – 289 miles across the counties of El Paso, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Bexar, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Gonzales, Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Jefferson and Orange.
Interstate 20 – 423 miles across the counties of Crane, Ector, Midland, Martin, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Erath, Palo Pinto, Van Zandt, Smith, Gregg and Harrison.
Interstate 27 – 109 miles across the counties of Lubbock, Hale, Swisher and Randall.
Interstate 30 – 139 miles across the counties of Hunt, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Morris and Bowie.
Interstate 35 – 106 miles across the counties of Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke.
Interstate 37 – 130 miles across the counties of Nueces, San Patricio, Live Oak, Atascosa and Bexar.
Interstate 40 – 166 miles across the counties of Deaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Donley and Wheeler.
Interstate 44 – 11 miles across Wichita County.
Interstate 45 – 143 miles across the counties of Walker, Madison, Leon, Freestone and Navarro.
Four other highways in Central Texas got the new speed limit late last year. Once all the signs are up, there will be total of 3,063 miles of highway in Texas with a 75 mph speed limit.
And, of course, Texas is famous (safety advocates might say infamous) for its 80 mph speed limit on 521 miles of Interstates 10 and 20 in west Texas.
That's a grand total of 3,584 miles of road in which the speed limit is 75 or greater.
@gdickson
Read more here: http://blogs.star-telegram.com/honkin_mad/2012/01/speed-limit-going-up-to-75-mph-on-another-1500-miles-of-texas-highways-80-mph-limit-still-in-place-i.html#storylink=cpy
Quote from: wtd67 on January 26, 2012, 07:46:23 PM
Interstate 35 106 miles across the counties of Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke.
This being the only one on the list that I drive halfway regularly, I must say it's about time. Between San Antonio and Laredo, the landscape doesn't change much, and it's basically all empty land once you get past, say, Lytle or so. The change from 70 to 75 and back again seemed so totally pointless and random.
Quote from: kphoger on January 27, 2012, 10:30:41 AM
Quote from: wtd67 on January 26, 2012, 07:46:23 PM
Interstate 35 – 106 miles across the counties of Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke.
This being the only one on the list that I drive halfway regularly, I must say it's about time.
could be 80, easily. along with I-69 (US-77) south of Corpus.
what are the criteria for making the speed limit 80? I know 75 has to do with a county's density, but isn't 80 set by some kind of legislative board who decides on a per-county basis? if so, they need to review some of those South Texas counties.
in fact, I'd even make some of US-83 south of Laredo go up to 75mph. I believe a lot of the two-laner is 70.
(and these, of course, are the plausible suggestions. if I had my way, anything signed for 75 or 80 right now would have no limit at all, and those signed for 70 would end up at anything between 70 and 95)
Quote from: Quillz on September 07, 2011, 09:06:15 PM
I've never seen a nighttime speed limit outside of Texas.
Sorry, it's an old thread, but I wanted to add that North Dakota had Night Speed Limits for a very short time, early 2000's (possibly late 90's). If I remember right, it only lasted a few years.
I don't even mind night speed limits, they do make a lot of sense....its daytime speed limits that are generally ridiculous. Remember the 55 speed limit? Made sense for most 2 lane roads but was ridiculous for freeways with traffic going the same direction. Road conditions are an important factor.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 27, 2012, 11:37:28 AM
Quote from: kphoger on January 27, 2012, 10:30:41 AM
Quote from: wtd67 on January 26, 2012, 07:46:23 PM
Interstate 35 – 106 miles across the counties of Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke.
This being the only one on the list that I drive halfway regularly, I must say it's about time.
could be 80, easily. along with I-69 (US-77) south of Corpus.
what are the criteria for making the speed limit 80? I know 75 has to do with a county's density, but isn't 80 set by some kind of legislative board who decides on a per-county basis? if so, they need to review some of those South Texas counties.
....
The original statute allowing 80-mph limits states that "the commission may establish a speed limit of 80 miles per hour on a part of Interstate Highway 10 or Interstate Highway 20 in Crockett, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kerr, Kimble, Pecos, Reeves, Sutton, or Ward County if the commission determines that 80 miles per hour is a reasonable and safe speed for that part of the highway."
The new statute allowing 85-mph limits states as follows:
Quote... [T]he commission may establish a speed limit not to exceed 85 miles per hour on a part of the state highway system if:
(1) that part of the highway system is designed to accommodate travel at that established speed or a higher speed; and
(2) the commission determines, after an engineering and traffic investigation, that the established speed limit is reasonable and safe for that part of the highway system.
the statute for 85mph seems like it can be applied to rural sections of I-10, I-20, and I-69. may as well do the engineering study.
Quote from: texaskdog on January 30, 2012, 01:50:16 PM
Remember the 55 speed limit? Made sense for most 2 lane roads but was ridiculous for freeways with traffic going the same direction.
well, that had to do with considerations somewhat more Equine Bowel Elimination than actual engineering studies of road conditions.
Anyone see any of the new signs up yet?
i drove from DFW up 35 yesterday to Oklahoma and Cooke county still has 70 as the speed limit. I'm kind of surprised that Cooke county will bump up the speed limit just because through Gainesville the lanes seem narrow with the center wall between north and south bound lanes and a couple of turns that you'd feel a pull going 75 near the welcome center at the state line
35 is still signed for 70 between Austin and San Antonio as well.
Still weird to see 70 MPH signs in Austin even south of 2222
I drove across Texas in the last few days. Much of I-10 east of Houston, to the Louisiana state line, is now signed at 75mph. AFAIK, under the old law 75mph never got that far east in Texas.
Parts of I-10 west of San Antonio, until the 80mph limits begin, are also signed at 75mph. However, I'm not sure that's a recent change.
Quote from: texaskdog on February 26, 2012, 11:15:27 PM
Still weird to see 70 MPH signs in Austin even south of 2222
Why? 60 is fast enough, the road isn't designed for such speed even ignoring the congestion issues.
Quote from: InterstateNG on February 27, 2012, 09:18:28 AM
Quote from: texaskdog on February 26, 2012, 11:15:27 PM
Still weird to see 70 MPH signs in Austin even south of 2222
Why? 60 is fast enough, the road isn't designed for such speed even ignoring the congestion issues.
Its designed for drivers to drive 70...just not Austin drivers
Quote from: bassoon1986 on February 26, 2012, 12:07:18 PM
i drove from DFW up 35 yesterday to Oklahoma and Cooke county still has 70 as the speed limit. I'm kind of surprised that Cooke county will bump up the speed limit just because through Gainesville the lanes seem narrow with the center wall between north and south bound lanes and a couple of turns that you'd feel a pull going 75 near the welcome center at the state line
I agree. 35 though Gainesville is very restricted, and I think 75 would be too high. I believe that adequate LEFT shoulder space should be a major consideration in raising speed limits.
Gainesville isn't huge, but that county isn't as rural as a lot of the other counties on this list and it probably won't stay rural for long between DFW on one side and the casino at the OK border haha
The only 'new' 75 zone I saw on my recent trip to Texas was on I-35W between Hillsboro and Grandview - 12 whole miles.
All of I-20 and I-30, east of the metroplex, are still posted at 70.
80 mph for SH-130 and SH-45 SE:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/traffic/entries/2012/03/29/txdot_accelerates_speed_limit.html?cxntfid=blogs_shortcuts
QuoteThe Texas Transportation Commission today, relying on a state law passed last year, decided to raise the speed limit on Texas 130 and Texas 45 Southeast to 80 mph. The action comes only seven months after the limit had been raised from 70 to 75 mph.
Officials said, however, that drivers should wait to hit the gas until actual signs go up with the 80 mph limit, and that could take another month or so.
The Legislature last year passed House Bill 1201, and Gov. Perry signed the bill into law, allowing the Texas Department of Transportation to set speed limits of up to 85 mph on roads that were "designed to accommodate" that speed. In addition, the agency, before raising the limit, had to conduct an engineering and traffic study to show that at least 85 percent of people were already going at or near the higher limit.
Raising the speed limit on the existing 56 miles of Texas 130 and Texas 45 Southeast could encourage more people to use that toll route – at a cost of about $6.50 for cars with a toll tag – rather than the shorter free and parallel route on Interstate 35. And when the next 40 miles of Texas 130 opens later this year, having an 80 mph speed limit on that privately built and operated road would increase the amount of money TxDOT gets from a consortium led by Spanish tollway company Cintra.
Quote from: InterstateNG on March 29, 2012, 08:27:15 PM
80 mph for SH-130 and SH-45 SE:
not 85? what is the rationale to not going to full monty?
I was just looking at Google maps at SH 130 and SH 45. Where did the numbering come from for those 130 exits? They're in the 400's. Or are those just Google Maps screw-ups?
Its a nice open highway...that no one actually drives on. :)
Quote from: bassoon1986 on March 30, 2012, 12:18:11 PM
I was just looking at Google maps at SH 130 and SH 45. Where did the numbering come from for those 130 exits? They're in the 400's. Or are those just Google Maps screw-ups?
Bing Maps shows the same numbering. The photo attached to the Wikipedia article shows Exit 428, so I assume the maps are correct.
Edited to add: Apparently the explanation can be found in Section 7 of the Texas Reference Marker System User's Manual. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/trm/texas_reference_marker_system.htm) They have some odd system for determining exit numbers on non-Interstate freeways. I suppose that should be no surprise!
Quote from: texaskdog on March 30, 2012, 01:37:04 PM
Its a nice open highway...that no one actually drives on. :)
Plenty busy last time I was on it.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 30, 2012, 11:42:56 AM
Quote from: InterstateNG on March 29, 2012, 08:27:15 PM
80 mph for SH-130 and SH-45 SE:
not 85? what is the rationale to not going to full monty?
One could only imagine the 1970s-era politicians going berserk at the thought of cars going all the way to the other end of their speedometers nonstop! (back then, a lot of cars had 80 and 85 as their top speed, and few even broke 100)
Quote from: bassoon1986 on February 26, 2012, 12:07:18 PM
i drove from DFW up 35 yesterday to Oklahoma and Cooke county still has 70 as the speed limit. I'm kind of surprised that Cooke county will bump up the speed limit just because through Gainesville the lanes seem narrow with the center wall between north and south bound lanes and a couple of turns that you'd feel a pull going 75 near the welcome center at the state line
As of April 6, it is still 70 in Cooke County.
rte66man
Went to Houston last week. Drove I35, I35E, and I45. The only 75 m.p.h. I saw was on 45 between Streetman and the Montgomery County line.
That brings up another question: why is I45 only 65 from just south of I20 to past Ennis? That is a new 6 lane with Jersey barrier all the way. Should be at least 70.
rte66man
Quote from: Henry on April 07, 2012, 09:51:06 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 30, 2012, 11:42:56 AM
Quote from: InterstateNG on March 29, 2012, 08:27:15 PM
80 mph for SH-130 and SH-45 SE:
not 85? what is the rationale to not going to full monty?
One could only imagine the 1970s-era politicians going berserk at the thought of cars going all the way to the other end of their speedometers nonstop! (back then, a lot of cars had 80 and 85 as their top speed, and few even broke 100)
It was actually a federal law (Carter-era) in the late 1970s through the early 80s that a speedometer must have 85 mph as its maximum speed. Needless to say, many cars could bury the needle at that time.
Compared to today, when a new car typically has a 140 to 160mph speedometer, but is governed to around 110.
Quote from: Brandon on April 08, 2012, 08:01:56 PM
It was actually a federal law (Carter-era) in the late 1970s through the early 80s that a speedometer must have 85 mph as its maximum speed. Needless to say, many cars could bury the needle at that time.
I buried the needle on an '89 Escort. It kept going. I took it up to 88 and indeed, the needle was just past 85. I tried taking it to 89 but then the downhill leveled out! :-D