Olympia: Speed limit on end of US 101 drops from 60 to 45

[Kniwt]

The Olympian reports today that the speed limit on the section of southbound 101 from the last exit before it ends at I-5 is being permanently reduced from 60mph to 45mph due to "134 collisions in the area" over the past year.

The speed limit reduction affects only the southbound stretch of 101 from Crosby Boulevard — the exit where the Olympia Auto Mall is located - to the Interstate 5 interchange. Washington State Patrol Trooper Guy Gill said Tuesday that the speed limit reduction was requested by the patrol to reduce the high number of collisions there and make the roadway safer.

[corco]

A short 45 bookended by three 60 zones. Cars are definitely going to go 45. It'll be just like the 55 zone on SR 18- people are still going to go 60-70.

[Landshark]

This does not solve the problem, and will only turn it into a speed trap during not peak hours.

[Brandon]

State police (or any other law enforcement for that matter) should never have any say in setting speed limits.  That should only be done by a licensed professional engineer after a proper engineering study.

[rschen7754]

I was on that yesterday... and it was quite ridiculous. Since when do you have a 45 mph zone on a freeway? Even in December 23rd traffic, the limit could have been higher.

[english si]

State police (or any other law enforcement for that matter) should never have any say in setting speed limits.  That should only be done by a licensed professional engineer after a proper engineering study.

I know you've added 'a proper engineering study', but law enforcement is often involved in the setting of speed limits in the UK - mostly to check and see if they will actually bother enforcing it, as a lot of our licensed professional engineers are under immense pressure from the rest of the bureaucracy, and even more from the elected councillors, to lower speed limits to very low speeds.