Speed Limit changes coming to Texas

[texaskdog]

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

[kphoger]

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.

[bassoon1986]

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

[DevalDragon]

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.

[InterstateNG]

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

The 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.

[agentsteel53]

80 mph for SH-130 and SH-45 SE:

not 85?  what is the rationale to not going to full monty?

[bassoon1986]

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?

[texaskdog]

Its a nice open highway...that no one actually drives on. 

[1995hoo]

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. They have some odd system for determining exit numbers on non-Interstate freeways. I suppose that should be no surprise!

[InterstateNG]

Its a nice open highway...that no one actually drives on. 

Plenty busy last time I was on it.

[Henry]

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)

[rte66man]

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

[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

[Brandon]

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.

[JREwing78]

Compared to today, when a new car typically has a 140 to 160mph speedometer, but is governed to around 110.

[agentsteel53]

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!