Unusual speed limits

[Quillz]

Is it true that at one point in time, Montana had speed limits signs that simply said, "Reasonable and prudent?" I read this somewhere a long time ago and took it to literally mean that signs in the state used to say that. But I never found any pictures or any other supporting evidence.

[Michael in Philly]

Is it true that at one point in time, Montana had speed limits signs that simply said, "Reasonable and prudent?" I read this somewhere a long time ago and took it to literally mean that signs in the state used to say that. But I never found any pictures or any other supporting evidence.

You wouldn't actually need signs if the law's on the books.

[Central Avenue]

Is it true that at one point in time, Montana had speed limits signs that simply said, "Reasonable and prudent?" I read this somewhere a long time ago and took it to literally mean that signs in the state used to say that. But I never found any pictures or any other supporting evidence.

Alp's Roads has a picture of one.

[SSOWorld]

Reminds me of this one on the PA Turnpike Ext of the NJTP

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/4983156246/in/set-72157624814793553/

Not a true error, but... well you'll get the point 

[Alps]

Something worth mentioning: The MUTCD makes it explicit it does not apply to parking lots.

No, the MUTCD makes it explicit that the 2009 edition DOES apply to parking lots that allow public travel. So Hawaii will be waving aloha to its blue stop signs.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Something worth mentioning: The MUTCD makes it explicit it does not apply to parking lots.

No, the MUTCD makes it explicit that the 2009 edition DOES apply to parking lots that allow public travel. So Hawaii will be waving aloha to its blue stop signs.

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/knowledge/faqs/faq_general.htm#q7
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/intro/intro.htm (see ¶ 03)

[mightyace]

^^^

Good luck enforcing that!  With the thousands upon thousands of parking lots both public and private, who would they get to police MUTCD regulations?

[yanksfan6129]

To me, 50 mph is not a particularly unusual limit. As was previously mentioned, it is used here on 2 lane rural roads. But it is also used on roads like US 46 and NJ 10. I've also seen it on US 206 south of Somerville (I think). It is probably 50 mph on US 22, but I don't venture down there frequently (I think I've been on US 22 in NJ once in my entire life).

Also, x0 speed limits were mentioned as unusual in general. I dispute that as well. In my town, several local roads have 40 mph limits. So at least in my area of the country, 40 mph and 50 mph are fairly standard for certain classifications of road.

[Alps]

Something worth mentioning: The MUTCD makes it explicit it does not apply to parking lots.

No, the MUTCD makes it explicit that the 2009 edition DOES apply to parking lots that allow public travel. So Hawaii will be waving aloha to its blue stop signs.

Never mind, then. That was definitely in the NPA. Must have had a lot of negative feedback from property owners and law enforcement.

[Michael in Philly]

To me, 50 mph is not a particularly unusual limit. As was previously mentioned, it is used here on 2 lane rural roads. But it is also used on roads like US 46 and NJ 10. I've also seen it on US 206 south of Somerville (I think). It is probably 50 mph on US 22, but I don't venture down there frequently (I think I've been on US 22 in NJ once in my entire life).

Also, x0 speed limits were mentioned as unusual in general. I dispute that as well. In my town, several local roads have 40 mph limits. So at least in my area of the country, 40 mph and 50 mph are fairly standard for certain classifications of road.

I grew up a block off of 22.  In those days (if memory serves), it was 45 from New Providence Road in Mountainside (the easternmost light) east to 1/9, 50 from there west to 202/206.  Farther west than that I'm not sure.

[Ian]

My memory is fuzzy, but I recall seeing a speed limit 14 1/2 at a campground along PA 134 south of Gettysburg.

[hm insulators]

The other day, I went hiking in the McDowell Mountains northeast of Phoenix. The road to the trailhead had a 13 mph speed limit.

What is up with the weird speed limits anyway? Just post a 10 or 15 mph limit and be done with it!

[mrpablue]

I've seen 6mph in airports (where the little luggage cars go) and 14 and 24 in an amusement park.

30mph and 45mph make me uncomfortable, but they're not very uncommon.

[freebrickproductions]

30mph and 45mph make me uncomfortable, but they're not very uncommon.

(emphasis mine)
So they're somewhat common?

Also, 30 MPH and 45 MPH aren't exactly unusual.

[mrpablue]

30mph and 45mph make me uncomfortable, but they're not very uncommon.

(emphasis mine)
So they're somewhat common?

Also, 30 MPH and 45 MPH aren't exactly unusual.

I meant that double negative...haha

[TBKS1]

So like this?

[Hurricane Rex]

16 in a neighborhood in Lincoln Beach, Oregon. Default is 25 and 20 is possible but uncommon outside Portland but 16?

308 Ocean View St

https://goo.gl/maps/EvTi92mdh1G2

[1995hoo]

Quite a threadbump there.

As to the topic, the speed limit on James Street in Durham, NC, used to be 27 mph, with standard signs, but residents complained about it and it was changed to 25.

There used to be a "Speed Limit 9" sign at the Virginian retirement home on US-50 just east of Fairfax City; it was plainly visible from the road and was a standard sign in every way except the odd number, though of course it was on private property so it doesn't necessarily "count" in the same way as James Street. They emphasized it in resident and employee communications, too (I worked there during high school). Don't know if the sign is still there because I haven't been past there recently, though I don't see any reason why they'd change it.

Edited to add–the Google Maps app shows they still have a "Speed Limit 9" sign, though not in the same spot where it was 27 years ago. You'll have to pan the camera view to your left to see it: https://goo.gl/maps/xdtWjQ9UwGB2

[roadman]

^^^

Good luck enforcing that!  With the thousands upon thousands of parking lots both public and private, who would they get to police MUTCD regulations?

One crash, and a reasonably competent lawyer, is all it will take to bring the parking lot into compliance.  After the owner pays out a whole bunch of cash, of course.

[mrsman]

To what extent are the unusual speed limits just rounding for common metric speed limits?

5 km/h = 3 MPH (5 km/h ~ 3.1 mph)
10, 6
15, 9
20, 12
25, 16 (this due to rounding 25km/h ~ 15.5 mph)
30, 19
35, 22
40, 25
45, 28
50, 31
55, 34
60, 37
65, 40
70, 43
75, 47
80, 50
85, 53
90, 56
95, 59
100, 62
105, 65
110, 68
115, 71

So if any of the numbers on the right are speed limits, they are nearly divisible by 5 in metric.

[ThatRandomOshawott]

In one of the roads that is beside the parking lot of Opry Mills in Nashville, TN, the speed limit is 24.

[formulanone]

Last week, I saw this "05 MPH" advisory sign at Gainesville Regional Airport:



While not actually a speed limit sign, the leading zero is unusual.

[SectorZ]

Last week, I saw this "05 MPH" advisory sign at Gainesville Regional Airport:



While not actually a speed limit sign, the leading zero is unusual.

That speed hump is very poorly designed if it needs a 5 MPH advisory speed. Most I've seen are all over 15. Unless it's an actual speed bump and they used the wrong term.

(And I say this unsure if there are specific outlines for referring to speed bumps and speed humps).

[formulanone]

Last week, I saw this "05 MPH" advisory sign at Gainesville Regional Airport:

While not actually a speed limit sign, the leading zero is unusual.

That speed hump is very poorly designed if it needs a 5 MPH advisory speed. Most I've seen are all over 15. Unless it's an actual speed bump and they used the wrong term.

(And I say this unsure if there are specific outlines for referring to speed bumps and speed humps).

It was one of those smooth bumps which could probably be taken at higher speeds than 5mph. There's folks crossing to parking, dropping off departures, or picking up passengers. But the sign worked, because I slowed for a photo.

[1995hoo]

This weekend we were at the Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia. The inn's property has a Speed Limit 12-1/2 mph sign (I didn't get a picture). Nearby, there's some sort of old folks' home across the street from the Golden Eagle Golf Club. We could see one of their streets had a Speed Limit 22 sign and the other had a nautical sign reading SLOW–NO WAKE."  Never seen the latter on a road before. Didn't get a picture of that either because I didn't want to drive into their property just for a photo, but I'll look later to see if Street View passed close enough to see it (I highly doubt it).

Edited to add: Not legible on Street View.