Ohio to test variable speed limits in construction zones

[6a]

All I can say is it's about time...


http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/apexchange/2012/09/21/oh--road-construction-signs.html

Ohio transportation officials say a new pilot program will use signs that reduce speed limits in some parts of construction zones while allowing traffic to travel at normal speeds elsewhere in those areas.
The Department of Transportation says the Variable Speed Limit program is meant to help protect workers and travelers while reducing congestion and crashes.
Signs with flashing beacons will light up to indicate reduced speed limits in parts of construction zones while workers are exposed to traffic. When workers are gone, the beacons will turn off.
The signs will be tested during road and bridge projects in Franklin, Lake, Lucas and Warren counties. The program is planned to go statewide next year.
ODOT says several other states use similar signs, but it's a first for Ohio.

[busman_49]

I agree!!!  This should have happened much sooner.

[formulanone]

If they used these in rural Florida, they would alternate between 20 and 35 miles per hour based on need-of-revenue.

[Brandon]

Oh, good.  Knowing Ohio, they'll change the limit after you go past.

[1995hoo]

Oh, good.  Knowing Ohio, they'll change the limit after you go past.

Those of us of a certain age will picture Rosco flipping the sign as the General Lee goes past.

We had variable speed limits on the Beltway in Virginia near where I live for a few years. The experiment failed because people ignored the variable limits. The road is under-posted anyway, so I think that makes people less likely to consider the reason for a variable limit. If the ordinary limit were reasonable, it might (I emphasize "might") cause people to take better notice of a variable limit and say, "Hey, maybe there's a good reason for the lower limit."

[agentsteel53]

I just experienced variable speed limits on I-5 in Seattle, and found them to be very sensible. the speed limits were the upper range of how fast traffic was moving, and served basically to prevent people from darting around.

as traffic got heavier, the limit diminished from 60, to 50, to 40, to 30.  at each point, I found myself going about 4-10mph below that limit, and couldn't have gone faster without some pointlessly aggressive driving.

[6a]

Oh, good.  Knowing Ohio, they'll change the limit after you go past.

That actually brings up an interesting question - how *do* the cops know what the speed limit is at a given time?  If Johnny Law is parked in the median and they change the limit before his location, how would he know?

[6a]

Those of us of a certain age will picture Rosco flipping the sign as the General Lee goes past.

South Bloomfield, OH had a traffic light controlled by a switch on the 2nd floor balcony of a bar for quite some time.

[vtk]

I'm certainly glad to see this coming to Ohio.

Those of us of a certain age will picture Rosco flipping the sign as the General Lee goes past.

South Bloomfield, OH had a traffic light controlled by a switch on the 2nd floor balcony of a bar for quite some time.

I wasn't aware that town had any two-story buildings...

[6a]

Yeah, it used to be here but burned some time ago.  It was a white building, almost had a general store look to it, if that makes sense.

[Alps]

NJ Turnpike has variable speed limits, lowered for construction, congestion, weather, or visibility issues. They get along just fine. There's a state police troop (D) dedicated to them, so there's constant communication and the police are always aware of what speed limits are in effect.