Name Em... especially the notorious ones...
US 63 in Arkansas was one of the worst in the Country before it turned into I-555
I wonder if speed traps have increased because so many towns are hurting from the bad economy...?
Coopertown, TN along I-24 NW of Nashville has made AAA's list of worst speed traps.
Spring Hill, TN has higher than average enforcement, but it would be a stretch to call it a speed trap.
The village of Boston Heights, OH which straddles OH 8 and the Ohio Turnpike was one when I lived in OH (1985-1995). The village had approximately 1,000 residents but had around 8 cops and six patrol cars!
US 280 through Harpersville, AL
US 301 through Waldo, FL
I've heard Childress TX is quite bad.
In OK we thankfully have no real speed traps anymore due to our law which prohibits towns from deriving more than a certain percent of their revenue from traffic fines. If that limit is exceeded, the local PD is barred from traffic enforcement on state highways and OHP is called in to do it. Thanks to this law the former notorious speed trap of Big Cabin was shut down and one other town was forced to disincorporate because without the traffic fine money they fell into bankruptcy!
Oh, I forgot about Lakewood, OH which is a Cleveland suburb.
A whole 1/4 mile of I-90 passes through the city and there is no exit within Lakewood city limits. Even so, they used to catch speeders going through their city with "hot pursuit." In the late '80s, the Ohio legislature put an end to this foolishness with a law that required cities to have at least a mile of freeway in their city AND have an exit within city limits.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 02, 2009, 02:46:41 AM
In OK we thankfully have no real speed traps anymore due to our law which prohibits towns from deriving more than a certain percent of their revenue from traffic fines. If that limit is exceeded, the local PD is barred from traffic enforcement on state highways and OHP is called in to do it. Thanks to this law the former notorious speed trap of Big Cabin was shut down and one other town was forced to disincorporate because without the traffic fine money they fell into bankruptcy!
I like this idea. Unfortunatly, they even have "fine targets" in my country, meaning they just have to get an x number of fines at the end of the year. And they say it's all about traffic safety. :eyebrow:
Let me say just one thing, police is only interested in traffic safety if it brings in some revenue, on this side of the pond... They only do a full staff alcohol/other check with dozens or even more than a hundred policemen a couple of times per year because it costs more money than it brings in... while these are really the best for traffic safety, they always catch a lot of DUI's and vehicles that are way below the safety treshold. But it takes too much working hours to make this profitable. :rolleyes:
Quote from: Chris on August 02, 2009, 05:32:01 AM
I like this idea. Unfortunatly, they even have "fine targets" in my country, meaning they just have to get an x number of fines at the end of the year. And they say it's all about traffic safety. :eyebrow:
Oh, they have ticket quotas over here too. Though the cops always officially try to deny it, there are always a few (usually former) officers who will admit to it.
They do DUI checkpoints here as well, although normally only on special occasions where there's likely to be drunkards out driving (New Years Eve especially). I have a feeling that the reason they're not done more often isn't because of staffing/revenue concerns, but probably more likely because if it were done more often it could be protested as a violation of the Fourth Amendment:
QuoteThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Emporia, VA is a notorious one along I-95.
Watch out for Nichols, SC along SC 9 and US 76.
I used to live near one of the most notorious speed traps in America....
NEW ROME, OH
A small berg of less than 60 people, whose police force was far and above what such a small town really needed...they would enforce speed laws arbitrarily, esp if you were minority, black, so somehow piqued their interest in emptying your wallet...their mayor's court was little more than a kangaroo court (How do you plead, you guilty bastard?).....much money they raised through their over-aggressive traffic enforcement ended up going to pay lawsuits filed for excessive police force, or disappearing never to be found again....
in recent years that place was run by a small group of people who had a vested interest in hyper-speed law eforcement (even illegally changing US 40's speed limit from 45 to 35....ODOT kept saying the limit change was illegal, but they had no legal teeth to enforce that....every time ODOT put up 45s, the signs would magically change back to 35 within a day or so....)
Finally, the State put an end to this little dictatorship by placing a law on the books that was squarely aimed at New Rome...a village under 100 people had to supply so many services to stay in business, and New Rome failed badly....
There are two other dinky locales in the Columbus area where the cops are a bit more aggressive than the average bears...Valley View, and Minerva Park......elsewhere, Gahanna cops love to hang out on I-270 as do Hilliard cops....
so if you pass through Columbus, beware....and hang on to your wallets!
VA 106, Wagner Rd, and US 460 in Petersburg. The speed limit on all 3 is only 35-40 mph when they could be 45-55 in some spots ;-)
U.S. 98 in Gulf Breeze is rigidly enforced, and the city limits extend all the way to the National Seashore boundary. Speed limits are 45 in the seashore area and 35 elsewhere. The three-mile bridge over Pensacola Bay is jointly enforced by the cities of Pensacola and Gulf Breeze too, with varying levels of enforcement. Speed limits are 45 overall and 35 on the approach to Gulf Breeze.
Elsmere cops in Delaware used to tout their stretch of Delaware 2 (Kirkwood highway) as the "Best Speed Trap in Delaware." They even flew a banner over the four-lane highway as you entered the city. Despite a grassy or concrete median, speed limits drop to 25 through the community. I'm not sure if its rigidly enforced these days as it was in the 1990s.
Speeding anywhere in the city of Newark, Delaware is really not a good idea either as cops started getting more serious about traffic enforcement in the mid 2000s.
US 98 in whichever county has Panama City. Sheriff got behind me at the county line, tailed me all the way to the other end of the county.
It was 4am. I had California plates. I also had cruise control. Sucker!
US 90 in Madison, FL. If you miss the first 35mph sign, by the time you see the second one just after it, there are sirens behind you.
SR 528 in Orlando from US 17/92/441 to I-4 is a place where troopers like to hang out.
US-77 heading south out of Lincoln, Nebraska has speeds going 65-55-65-55-65-55 alternating. it's 55 at every traffic light (which are about a mile apart) then 65 for several hundred yards between them. I had cruise control on 61 and was hitting a green wave on a Saturday night when I got pulled over.
doesn't seem to generally be much of a speed trap, as I was let off with a verbal warning, on the 26th of the month. I am thinking it was more a sobriety check than anything else.
The entertaining part was the officer asked me to *show him* some of the photos of old signs I had claimed to be taking!
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 02, 2009, 01:46:42 PM
The entertaining part was the officer asked me to *show him* some of the photos of old signs I had claimed to be taking!
Closet roadgeek, perhaps?
US 24/Telegraph Road in Redford Township. I once saw a cop pull over 3 people within the hour.
In my opinion, pulling someone over has more impact than getting some automated bill 4 weeks after the traffic offense in the mail... Especially considering 80% of the speeding fines are for less than 6 mph too fast over here...
How's some 4 weeks overdue bill for driving 4 miles over the limit gonna change someone's driving behaviour?
US 127 between Ithaca and St. Johns. Goes from 70 mph freeway to 55 mph divided highway with few intersections and no traffic lights. I have not seen a cop while traveling that stretch only twice.
I can't think of any speed traps in the Upper Peninsula, but there are some very rural areas where the 55 mph limit is enforced strictly: US 2 in Mackinac County, M-28 between M-94 and Seney (the "Seney Stretch"), and US 41 between US 141 and L'Anse. On other roads up there you can get away with going 15 over.
I-85 (College Park/East Point/Hapeville/Union City)
I-285 (East Point - Between I-85 and East Point-Atlanta line)
Be well,
Bryant
We have them everywhere in the UK, fixed (around 6000) and mobile (countless as the can park their Talivans anywhere). Most of our fixed cameras are made by a Dutch company, Gatso, as Chris will probably tell you.
I've seen plenty of cops in the US parked on the shoulder/median radaring but I've only ever seen one van with the specific purpose of catching speeders and that was on I-8 east of Yuma, AZ where the east and westbound lanes cross over. The speed limit is lower at this point and I guess it makes lots of money :banghead:
Quote from: mightyace on August 02, 2009, 02:51:45 AM
Oh, I forgot about Lakewood, OH which is a Cleveland suburb.
A whole 1/4 mile of I-90 passes through the city and there is no exit within Lakewood city limits. Even so, they used to catch speeders going through their city with "hot pursuit." In the late '80s, the Ohio legislature put an end to this foolishness with a law that required cities to have at least a mile of freeway in their city AND have an exit within city limits.
Hasn't stopped the village of Linndale, which borders Cleveland, OH.
There is about a 600-some odd foot stretch of I-71 which passes through this tiny town. No exits, except for Exit 242/W. 130th St. just outside of the village limits. But the cops would sit under one of the two overpasses looking to nab any speeders in this 60 MPH zone. Nevermind that they COULD make a mint on the speeders on Memphis Avenue over I-71. The legality of this speed trap have been going back & forth for years.
When I used to live there, when the Linndale cop was on the other side of the freeway waiting for the next victim, I'd lay on the horn just to taunt, since there was nowhere he could turn around to catch up with me. :-D
And yes, the Boston Heights Police are affectionately known as the Boston Stranglers. I wonder how they are gonna deal with the upgraded SR-8 freeway which will take out the 50 MPH speeds and traffic lights???? :clap:
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 02, 2009, 03:43:01 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 02, 2009, 01:46:42 PM
The entertaining part was the officer asked me to *show him* some of the photos of old signs I had claimed to be taking!
Closet roadgeek, perhaps?
Nah, probably just checking up on his story. Cops do that. In case, you know, the person's up to no good and they're trying to cover things up. Then if you catch 'em lying to you, you have an excuse to look into things a bit more and maybe discover something more serious.
As for a bad speed trap area: New Canaan, CT. The speed limit everywhere in town is 25 or 30. Even on roads where it could easily be 40. The problem is, they're a town full of people in mansions with too much money, and they want to keep their town nice and quiet, free of "noise pollution" from people speeding by, and free of riff-raff from the ever-encroaching suburbs of New York cutting through. And on top of that, there's no crime and the cops have nothing better to do. So, they set the speed limits low (you even see people with bumper stickers that say "slow down in our town") and enforce them like crazy. What's worse, they intentionally target out of towners. If your driver's license has an address in New Canaan on it, they'll likely let you go. Another town? Not so much. Out of state? God help you.
New Jersey Turnpike is a place with a lot of cops. Infact, all of New Jersey is one giant speed trap...
A lot of Upstate New York freeways have a lot of cops (especially I-87/Adirondack Northway and the New York Thruway). A lot of rural NY roads also have a lot of cops.
Pennsylvania Turnpike has a lot of speed traps and all the cops have pretty good hiding places. Once, there was a cop in between the Morgantown and Reading interchanges that was behind a bridge so cars approaching it had absolutely no clue they were coming up to it.
I-95 in PA is one giant speed trap, especially south of the Philadelphia Int'l Airport.
The Maine Turnpike has a lot of cops aswell.
i
the state of Virginia is a big speed trip. I got pulled over on I-81 two hundred feet past the WV state line. 29th of the month. Got me a big fat ticket, too. No way I was getting out of that one. 73 in a 65 ...
WV dutifully put up a sign that said "speed limit 65 ahead" (as opposed to their 70) - what they should've put up is a big sign that said "assholes ahead - we reverse-seceded in 1862 for less than this!"
Quote from: PennDOTFan on August 02, 2009, 07:46:25 PMPennsylvania Turnpike has a lot of speed traps and all the cops have pretty good hiding places. Once, there was a cop in between the Morgantown and Reading interchanges that was behind a bridge so cars approaching it had absolutely no clue they were coming up to it.
I-95 in PA is one giant speed trap, especially south of the Philadelphia Int'l Airport.
Pennsylvania in general is a giant speed trap. Whatever crevasse, nook, or crany the State Police can wedge a cruiser into, they will. Or as they do in Indiana County, don camouflage and hide in the woods next to the roads.
When I lived there, police weren't allowed to use unmarked cars and had to be "in plain sight."
Of course, there's ways around everything. The Boston Stranglers (Boston Heights, OH) would park a cruiser on the embankment of OH 8 North, just in front of a pedestrian bridge. You couldn't see them until you crested a rise in the freeway and by the time you saw them, you'd be busted. Plus, the site was near an ODOT maintenance depot with microwave relays. The relays would set off false alarms on a radar detector about the same place that the Boston Stranglers lurked! :ded:
Interstate 20 between Abilene and Weatherford, Tx. One time in this stretch of highway i saw maybe 10-15 people pulled over, no joke, 100% serious
hence why they have the pre-repeal 55-mph zones.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on August 02, 2009, 07:46:25 PM
Pennsylvania Turnpike has a lot of speed traps and all the cops have pretty good hiding places.
I can agree with that. Though since at least 95% of it is narrow enough to have the median barrier, you don't have to worry about them being in between the carriageways.
Pittsburgh city cops take advantage of a perfect hiding area on Rt. 65 (Ohio River Blvd) Northbound right next to the West End Bridge (where the highway is posted at an unnecessarily low 40mph). From the W.E. Bridge to the next exit (Marshall Ave) there are 3 northbound lanes, where they can stage mass pull-overs.
They also use the area for random various safety-checks (especially commercial vehicles), and the occasional DUI checkpoint.
I've also observed lately state cops watching the Parkway East sitting off to the side in the middle of the Forest Hills / Wilkinsburg interchange complex.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on August 02, 2009, 07:46:25 PM
New Jersey Turnpike is a place with a lot of cops.
And, as signs advise motorists, they double the fines in a 65 mph zone... can you say "ca-ching"?
The entire state of Oregon. 65 max on the Interstates, 55 max everywhere else. It's like the infernal NMSL is still around.
-Alex (Tarkus)
Yea, Smokie is always on US 58 somewhere shooting radar! :no: in Emporia, VA.
Those d@mn Madison cops sat out on I 10 too, you could just about count on seeing him somewhere in the median of 10! :angry:
Quote from: Mr_Northside on August 03, 2009, 09:21:11 AMI can agree with that. Though since at least 95% of it is narrow enough to have the median barrier, you don't have to worry about them being in between the carriageways.
They'll stick with areas where hillsides end or one of the nooks and/or cranies I mentioned earlier on 76 eastbound just beyond Exit 57.
Quote from: Mr_Northside on August 03, 2009, 09:21:11 AMI've also observed lately state cops watching the Parkway East sitting off to the side in the middle of the Forest Hills / Wilkinsburg interchange complex.
I used to see them parked in the emergency pull-offs on the Parkway Central. They also sit on the bottom of the hill approaching Exit 14.
QuoteThose d@mn Madison cops sat out on I 10 too, you could just about count on seeing him somewhere in the median of 10!
Madison of what state? I-10 doesn't go anywhere near Wisconsin...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=madison+florida&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=30.589455,-83.453522&spn=0.450406,1.234589&z=10&iwloc=A (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=madison+florida&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=30.589455,-83.453522&spn=0.450406,1.234589&z=10&iwloc=A)
any questions?
Yes... why is there an SR-10 paralleling I-10? Isn't that confusing?
(of course ODOT has an OK-270 paralleling I-40/US-270...)
QuoteMadison of what state? I-10 doesn't go anywhere near Wisconsin...
. Sorry bout that, I'm new to the forum and thought the quote from the post I was responding to would show in my post. I see MasterSon posted a google map for reference,
remember where MAdison FL is cuz those county mounties dont play!
QuoteYes... why is there an SR-10 paralleling I-10? Isn't that confusing?
. No confusion cuz SR10 is signed and known as US90. All Interstate Hwys in FL also have a SR #, I 10 is SR8 but the onlly place I;ve seen it referred to as 8 is on FHP reports, I dont know why they do it?
Is OK-270 an old US-270 alignment at least?
QuoteIs OK-270 an old US-270 alignment at least?
Yes, OK 270 is an old alignment of U.S. 270. Funny thing is...the state highway's western terminus in Harrah has an error "END US 270" assembly...
Regarding US 77 in Nebraska south of I-80 (unless it's changed in the past two weeks):
* I-80 to just south of L55W: 55mph. Between I-80 and the stoplight at Pioneers Blvd is a full freeway that really should post at 60. Usually a Lancaster County sheriff patrolling this section.
* Just south of L55W to north of Satillo Rd: 65 mph.
* Around the Satillo Rd stoplight: 50 mph.
* From south of Satillo to Princeton: 65 mph.
* Through Princeton: 55 mph?
* Between Princeton and Cortland: 65 mph.
* Through Cortland: 45 mph? (this was the slower town on the expressway section).
* South of Cortland to around Beatrice: 65 mph.
Down the street from my house, there's a big time speed trap...
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=42.374786,-83.333337&spn=0,359.994319&z=18&layer=c&cbll=42.374699,-83.333333&panoid=lQ04lTEha14VocBOs8Eswg&cbp=12,215.15,,0,4.66 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=42.374786,-83.333337&spn=0,359.994319&z=18&layer=c&cbll=42.374699,-83.333333&panoid=lQ04lTEha14VocBOs8Eswg&cbp=12,215.15,,0,4.66)
US-17/258 coming northbound off of the James River Bridge in Newport News, VA is a big one. Drops from 55 to 35 (the 35 stretch is brief before it goes back up to 45), and after going arrow straight for several miles its hard to keep it under 70, so there are many times I've seen a cop in the median after the bridge catching lazy drivers who don't notice the drop at first.
I think they should give the "Speed Limit 35 Ahead" signs flashers.
QuoteYes, OK 270 is an old alignment of U.S. 270. Funny thing is...the state highway's western terminus in Harrah has an error "END US 270" assembly...
Not anymore...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2Ff%2Ff8%2FOK-270_west_terminus.jpg%2F800px-OK-270_west_terminus.jpg&hash=b70c2353867230b9f799130c78f97ddf26c093ce)
The Dale terminus might still have a U.S. shield; I don't know for sure, but it did have one at some point. But when they went through and cleaverized things, a lot of the U.S.-for-state errors were fixed.
Middlesex CR 692, which runs on the western side of town, is a speed trap for its entire length. All 0.55 miles of it.
More Nebraska speed traps
* NE 2 around Nebraska City: I can kind of see having the speed limit drop between US 75 and the Missouri River bridge, but it stays at 55 too far west of the eastern US 75 intersection. Definitely no reason for a reduction west of the western US 75 interchange.
* Most of I-80 and I-680 around Omaha: No good reason to have most of these at 60 - set by state law.
* I-480: For as empty as this one is during the PM rush, it needs to be higher than 50.
* Several rural US routes: Need to be 65 instead of 60.
Missouri
* MO 141 between Heterich Connector (up the hill from Valley Park) and Rte HH: Should be at least 50, and would be if MoDOT didn't need city ordinances to set speed limits. Usually used to be a Manchester cop near the MO 100 interchange, and a county cop hiding on the NB shoulder just beyond the Big Bend SPUI.
* Most of US 40 west of MO 340: Except for the WB Missouri River Bridge and the under construction section near Prospect Road, this one should be 65.
* US 61 between I-70 and somewhere north of Troy: MoDOT dropped the speed limit from 65 to 60 instead of trying to enforce it (supposedly most drivers were going 70).
* I-70 somewhere between US 61 and MO 370: stays at 60 way too long.
* I-44 from the St. Louis County line to at least MO 141: should be 70 instead of having been reduced to 65 due to accidents near Six Flags - and after another crash out there, there were people on TV wanting it reduced to 55. Inside MO 141 most of I-44 could probably be 65 when it is back in its four lane each way configuration.
* Rte JJ west of Stoutland: Drops to 25 for at least one rural mile with limited driveways outside of the city.
* I-44 at Rolla: should be at least 65 instead of 60. The western edge of this speed trap seems to have shifted farther west of the town to encompass the climb up to the western exit.
Illinois
* IL 3 between IL 158 and the northern edge of Waterloo: Should have stayed at 65 instead of being dropped after a highly publicized crash to 55 'because people are speeding' in the words of an IDOT engineer.
Moving from Minnesota-nice Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, it took me a few months to get used to all the cops hiding out on I-94 and on the Beltline. For the most part, they're pretty lenient and visible, so they only get people who deserve it, i.e., people who aren't paying attention. Must be a lot of inattentive people down here, though...
What I found odd on I-285, when construction is going on, sometimes there are reduced speed limit signs -- and the reduced speed limit is 55; however, 285's speed limit's already 55. :rolleyes: :D
Be well,
Bryant
theres plenty of em' near SA but since no one comes to San Angelo im not gonna waist my time namin' em'
BigMatt
Years ago, my sister, who lives in Jackson, Michigan, said there was a speed trap on US-27 (now BUS US-127) on the northern edge of St. Johns, Michigan, where the speed limit going southbound would drop from 50 to 35 m.p.h. :coffee:
just drove a monster speed trap the other day ... in New Mexico, US-54 between Tularosa and Carrizozo. A rural road signed at 55mph for no discernible reason (should be 65, like US-380 in the same area), and in that 45 mile stretch ... six cops!
also, the entire town of Craig, Colorado. Drove that at night a few days ago. Came in to town on state highway 13, and immediately at the town boundaries, four or five police cars parked. Downtown, another four. I saw about 10 police cars and 1 civilian.
add to that how poorly CO-13 is signed; at one point southbound 13 joins up with US-40 for a few blocks and heads physically west. Then the driver is directed to take a left to resume driving south on 13 - but in the distance half a block away, sits a CO-13 south reassurance marker. I had to follow the grid to eventually get back to 13.
Interstate 94 in Michigan is a speed trap . The speed limit is 70; almost every day I drive to work I see someone getting pulled over by the state police. Oh, and many drug traffickers have been caught on that roadway also.
Another state to add to this list: New Mexico. I saw about 10 cops on my drive down 25 a few weeks ago.
I-93 in MA is pretty constantly patrolled, especially around the 95 interchange. When I worked in that area I saw at least one speed trap every day, usually 2 or more.
There is a speed trap at the end of CA-62 WB as it hits I-10. I'm pretty sure I've seen a speed trap both times I've been through there.
Here's a speed trap that's fictional. I can't imagine anyone in law enforcement doing this. It's from a 1974 TV movie with 1958 nostalgia to it (I did not download these scenes myself):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-h6lSVOyn4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-h6lSVOyn4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D79Ln03ZoaY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D79Ln03ZoaY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QvKS68Zcac (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QvKS68Zcac) :coffee:
The Maryland state line crossing over from Delaware on US-13 or 113. Came through there on Sunday and saw a line of cops hidden at the border with at least a dozen more spread out over the next few miles. Good thing I noticed them. :-D I asked my mom about it (she used to make the drive regularly) and she got a ticket once for doing 59 mere yards across the state line.
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 26, 2009, 08:54:42 PM
Interstate 94 in Michigan is a speed trap . The speed limit is 70; almost every day I drive to work I see someone getting pulled over by the state police. Oh, and many drug traffickers have been caught on that roadway also.
Since when did I-94 become a speed trap? :confused: Every time I've been along it, I get my doors blown off while I'm doing 80. I've been under the impression that the MSP aren't bothering with anyone under triple digits.
Quote from: Brandon on October 20, 2009, 05:36:11 PM
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 26, 2009, 08:54:42 PM
Interstate 94 in Michigan is a speed trap . The speed limit is 70; almost every day I drive to work I see someone getting pulled over by the state police. Oh, and many drug traffickers have been caught on that roadway also.
Since when did I-94 become a speed trap? :confused: Every time I've been along it, I get my doors blown off while I'm doing 80. I've been under the impression that the MSP aren't bothering with anyone under triple digits.
I remember the days when I drove a 1983 Nissan Sentra. The speedometer only went up to
85 MPH, and I remember having that baby "pegged" for over a half hour while "going with the flow" down I-94.
Quote from: thenetwork on October 21, 2009, 10:47:27 AMI remember the days when I drove a 1983 Nissan Sentra. The speedometer only went up to 85 MPH, and I remember having that baby "pegged" for over a half hour while "going with the flow" down I-94.
Oh I remember those days - when the government required "55" to be highlighted and the spedometer to be limited as far as highest speed shown at the height of the "55 rule"
Royce City, TX has always been a notorious speed trap along I-30. The speed limit along that stretch of the interstate is 65 MPH until you cross the Hunt County line. There is always at least one city cop sitting on each side of town going either direction on I-30.
Another speed trap area along I-30 is in and around Texarkana. You can almost be sure there is at least one cop sitting on either side of the interstate within a three mile distance of the Texas/Arkansas state line.
Quote from: Brandon on October 20, 2009, 05:36:11 PM
Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 26, 2009, 08:54:42 PM
Interstate 94 in Michigan is a speed trap . The speed limit is 70; almost every day I drive to work I see someone getting pulled over by the state police. Oh, and many drug traffickers have been caught on that roadway also.
Since when did I-94 become a speed trap? :confused: Every time I've been along it, I get my doors blown off while I'm doing 80. I've been under the impression that the MSP aren't bothering with anyone under triple digits.
Ditto - I've also been under the impression that the MSP has more important things to do than run radar traps. Don't forget that they *ARE* the local cops in many parts of the state, especially in Da YuPee, too.
That said, the Kenosha and Racine County part of I-94 in Wisconsin has become a speed trap in recent years, too (I remember driving autobahn-fast on it a few years back). The local sheriffs have a thing about people liking to drive FAST on that road - and I shudder to think of what they'll be doing once the current eight-laning project is complete.
Mike
The whole state of Wisconsin is a speed trap. If this were not the case, then why would the state patrol use completely unmarked cars for patrolling the highways?
Quote from: mgk920 on October 21, 2009, 11:55:25 PM
Ditto - I've also been under the impression that the MSP has more important things to do than run radar traps. Don't forget that they *ARE* the local cops in many parts of the state, especially in Da YuPee, too.
That said, the Kenosha and Racine County part of I-94 in Wisconsin has become a speed trap in recent years, too (I remember driving autobahn-fast on it a few years back). The local sheriffs have a thing about people liking to drive FAST on that road - and I shudder to think of what they'll be doing once the current eight-laning project is complete.
Mike
Geeze. You see horror stories in the Chicago Tribune every so often about the speed trap in Kenosha and Racine Counties, especially Racine County. The sheriff there likes to harass people with Illinois plates along I-94/US-41. :-o
Yea, and every now and then they'll do (well publicized, at least) enforcement 'blitzes' on all of US 41 north of Milwaukee - and after it is over things generally return to normal. In fact, a few years ago WisDOT released the results of a survey that said that the section of US 41 between Kaukauna and De Pere, WI has the fastest average actual speeds of any highway in the state (I believe it - you can be flying along at autobahn speeds on that section and it really doesn't seem like you're going fast at all). OTOH, the cops here seldom enforce for less than '10 over', though, and I have never been nailed for speeding here in Wisconsin in all of my years of driving - and I very much keep up with everyone else.
Mike
I just recently returned to Michigan from my vacation to Maryland and we drove to a speed trap on I-68 right before exit 50. There were three cops and two of them pulled over one vehicle each and it was on a hill right before Cumberland.
One of the worst speed traps I know of in Illinois is along I-290/355. The ISP likes to patrol between the median break near Thorndale (Exit 5) and the median break just north of Army Trail Rd on I-355 (just north of the tollway). I've seen several of them sit in the median break near Thorndale with one of them watching with a radar gun. The one with the radar gun usually has his tail end in the northbound (westbound) left shoulder. You see a few of them north of Thorndale, but that stretch is distinctly used as their personal speed trap. South of Army Trail, it's a different ISP district.
5-10 mph tolernace gone? (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-30-speeding-cushion_N.htm?se=yahoorefer)
Be well,
Bryant
Quote from: Bryant5493 on March 31, 2010, 05:41:19 PM
5-10 mph tolernace gone? (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-30-speeding-cushion_N.htm?se=yahoorefer)
Be well,
Bryant
Bullshit. All they have to do is enforce the existing tolerance but actually pull everyone over who goes above it. And maybe fall for a few less sob stories.
Quote from: ctsignguy on August 02, 2009, 10:04:00 AM
in recent years that place was run by a small group of people who had a vested interest in hyper-speed law eforcement (even illegally changing US 40's speed limit from 45 to 35....ODOT kept saying the limit change was illegal, but they had no legal teeth to enforce that....every time ODOT put up 45s, the signs would magically change back to 35 within a day or so....)
Surely there had to be something more that could have been done if the signs were being tampered with, such as an ordinance for the speed limit to be valid under normal conditions (as it is in Missouri). Otherwise it would be very nice to see some groups change the interstate speed limit signs to read 80.
At the least, someone should have posted a security camera near the signs to catch the perps if this was a repeated occurrence.
Quote from: ctsignguy on August 02, 2009, 10:04:00 AM
I used to live near one of the most notorious speed traps in America....
NEW ROME, OH
A small berg of less than 60 people, whose police force was far and above what such a small town really needed...they would enforce speed laws arbitrarily, esp if you were minority, black, so somehow piqued their interest in emptying your wallet...their mayor's court was little more than a kangaroo court (How do you plead, you guilty bastard?).....much money they raised through their over-aggressive traffic enforcement ended up going to pay lawsuits filed for excessive police force, or disappearing never to be found again....
in recent years that place was run by a small group of people who had a vested interest in hyper-speed law eforcement (even illegally changing US 40's speed limit from 45 to 35....ODOT kept saying the limit change was illegal, but they had no legal teeth to enforce that....every time ODOT put up 45s, the signs would magically change back to 35 within a day or so....)
Finally, the State put an end to this little dictatorship by placing a law on the books that was squarely aimed at New Rome...a village under 100 people had to supply so many services to stay in business, and New Rome failed badly....
There are two other dinky locales in the Columbus area where the cops are a bit more aggressive than the average bears...Valley View, and Minerva Park......elsewhere, Gahanna cops love to hang out on I-270 as do Hilliard cops....
so if you pass through Columbus, beware....and hang on to your wallets!
Don't forget Westerville, Genoa Twp., Granville, and anywhere slse in Delaware Co!
The worst speed trap I've ever encountered is on SH 36 in Wallis, TX - just on the north-northwest side of Rosenberg.
SH 36 is a two-lane highway signed at 70 MPH for much of the distance between Rosenberg & Sealy. However, in Wallis, the speed limit drops to 35. Cops. All. Over. The. Place.
Quote from: AlpsROADS on March 31, 2010, 07:24:28 PM
Bullshit. All they have to do is enforce the existing tolerance but actually pull everyone over who goes above it. And maybe fall for a few less sob stories.
Or maybe go bust drug dealers and patrol high-crime areas looking for burglars instead of trying to bring the nanny state to the highways.
Quote from: Revive 755 on March 31, 2010, 07:26:18 PM
Quote from: ctsignguy on August 02, 2009, 10:04:00 AM
in recent years that place was run by a small group of people who had a vested interest in hyper-speed law eforcement (even illegally changing US 40's speed limit from 45 to 35....ODOT kept saying the limit change was illegal, but they had no legal teeth to enforce that....every time ODOT put up 45s, the signs would magically change back to 35 within a day or so....)
Surely there had to be something more that could have been done if the signs were being tampered with, such as an ordinance for the speed limit to be valid under normal conditions (as it is in Missouri). Otherwise it would be very nice to see some groups change the interstate speed limit signs to read 80.
At the least, someone should have posted a security camera near the signs to catch the perps if this was a repeated occurrence.
I'd think this would fall under some type of vandalism law or ordinance -- not much different than spraypainting a sign, which is illegal.
Quote from: hbelkins on April 02, 2010, 11:41:42 PM
Or maybe go bust drug dealers and patrol high-crime areas looking for burglars instead of trying to bring the nanny state to the highways.
trying to? it's been here ever since 1973, when the feds got rid of the last no-speed-limit areas in Nevada, Montana, and several other states. (Montana tried it again in the late 90s, but got bogged down in legislation.)
Quote from: hbelkins on April 02, 2010, 11:42:58 PM
I'd think this would fall under some type of vandalism law or ordinance -- not much different than spraypainting a sign, which is illegal.
That's the one good thing we have here in Oregon. While ODOT has basically been crushed under political duress with regard raising speed limits beyond the ridiculously arcane 65 on Interstates/55 everywhere else, they have a good Speed Zoning program that has some sharp legal teeth to go after cities that try to create speed traps. They can actually go after cities under three different ordinances. ORS 811.111 defines statutory speeds, ORS 810.180 defines the ability to override the previous ordinance with non-statutory "designated" speeds via a Speed Zone Order, which requires the city/county to cooperate with ODOT in a proper speed study to establish a proper limit. ORS 810.230 deals with illegal signage, and in effect, any improper speed limit sign posting can be declared a "public nuisance", carrying with it the charge of a Class B Traffic Violation.
ODOT also keeps a rather nice Speed Zone Order database online as well so you can see what's what. . . it's pretty easy to figure out whether or not something's been posted in violation as a result. There's a firm legal basis in place.
-Tarkus
One thing about Kentucky is that on state maintained highways, the state sets the speed limit. Local governments can request speed limit changes, but the final decision belongs to the state. Local governments don't set speed limits on state highways.
I-5 at Starbird Road (Exit 218 in Washington). In the past two months, I've seen a total of 7 cops on 5 different occasions, chilling on the overpass with their radar guns. (I make the trip about every other week, I think the math works out to them being there about 25% of the time.)
I'm not sure what the reason is for the location, it's in the 70 mph zone. It is just north of the Skagit County line, but all the enforcement is done by the State Patrol, not locally.
The only other speed trap I've noticed with any sort of regularity is at 145th Street (Exit 175) -- they like the northbound freeway stop.
Thought this Marmaduke cartoon was pretty amusing:
http://comics.com/zoom/343305 :coffee:
I got a ticket for doing 85 in a 65 last year on the PA turnpike NE extension, came over a hill and the cop caught me, took until the I-80 exit for me to realise the cop was following me. GOod thing she did not catch me about 20 minutes earlier when i was doing my cars top speed...109 mph. Is it just me or is the speed limit on the NJ turnpike pretty much the "do this and you get your doors blown off" speed? same with 295 and 195.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 16, 2010, 09:34:12 AM
Is it just me or is the speed limit on the NJ turnpike pretty much the "do this and you get your doors blown off" speed? same with 295 and 195.
I'm pretty sure that applies to any New Jersey highway. More so on the Turnpike and the Parkway than on 195 and 295 that I've seen. Also, Interstate 80 applies too, especially between Netcong and Paterson.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 16, 2010, 09:34:12 AM
Is it just me or is the speed limit on the NJ turnpike pretty much the "do this and you get your doors blown off" speed?
what do you mean by that?
Quote from: agentsteel53 on November 16, 2010, 10:26:54 AM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 16, 2010, 09:34:12 AM
Is it just me or is the speed limit on the NJ turnpike pretty much the "do this and you get your doors blown off" speed?
what do you mean by that?
As in,if you do the 65 mph, everybody even little old ladies in large cars pass you.
Also a big speed trap where i was at in ND. US-2 and the airport in grand forks, speed limit drops down to 55 from 70 on the four lane road, and the cops wait at the intersection after the speed change. good thing about ND is you can see cops for miles around.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on November 16, 2010, 10:56:33 AM
As in,if you do the 65 mph, everybody even little old ladies in large cars pass you.
Pretty much every road in NY is like that, even the ones posted lower.
oh, I getcha. In my experience, damn near every freeway in the country is like that. not quite as badly as was during the silly 55mph era, where even the cops didn't bother raising an eyebrow below 80...
Probably been mentioned already, but US-395 in the Owens Valley. I don't know where CHP hides, but you go maybe 5-10 mph above the speed limit, and BAM! You get pulled over.
A couple of years ago I was driving back from Mammoth with my father. The speed limit was 65 (IIRC), he was going 71 or so. About 15 seconds later, an officer pulls up behind him, and pulls over not just him, but the two cars in front of us. Out of nowhere, a three-person traffic stop.
Also Victory Boulevard in the SF Valley (not a numbered street) has several sections, especially the one west of CA-27, that is notorious for pulling people over who go even the slightest bit above the speed limit.
NJ has another way to get you on the turnpike, Slit-Vane type displays that can change the speed. So you can be in what on tuesday was a 65 mph zone, but today it is a 45 or a 55 due to some arbitrary reason.
I don't recall ever seeing the speed limit lowered other than due to construction, foul weather, or congestion - all of which makes perfect sense.
Then again, maybe I've just never noticed when the neon signs aren't lit...
Quote from: Duke87 on November 16, 2010, 07:36:08 PM
I don't recall ever seeing the speed limit lowered other than due to construction, foul weather, or congestion - all of which makes perfect sense.
Then again, maybe I've just never noticed when the neon signs aren't lit...
You're correct, the speed limit only changes for basically those reasons. I can't think of another offhand, and I wrote the manual on them (well... on work zones in general).
North Courtland, AL on 20/Alt US 72. Speed limit 65. I was doing between 65 and 70 through there one evening. Pulled/ticketed for 75.
Went to traffic school on that; in the class was an old asian guy who arrived in a gold-over-tan early 2000s Honda Accord. His ticket? 83 in a 65. His statement? "He said 83 but I was going between 60 and 65." Accent and everything.
I'd rate the place as pretty damn close to what New Rome was. Court was PACKED. They're taking in $150+ in court costs on every ticket. Their courtroom? A borrowed church, or the "Senior Citizens Center" depending on when, I guess. The "municipal complex" that is the town hall-police dept. is a trailer, just like in New Rome. They have 5 cruisers, all unmarked. Just to patrol a 2-mile stretch of 20.
Oh, and it was incorporated in 1981.
Why is the speed you were ticketed for higher than you were traveling? Let me guess - either your speedo was underreading, the cop's equipment isn't calibrated or the cops are bent and deliberately inflate your speed to earn extra $ :ded:
On Oregon's south coast, be careful of heavy speed enforcement in Port Orford, a city of about 1200 people and more cops on patrol than any other city in our region. Sometimes the Oregon State Police like to send an unit there too. For the most part it's all about the revenue. The City of Port Orford has an intake of $160K budgeted from tickets.
(Dis)honorable mention: Gold Beach. Sometimes the cop cars on the side of the road are empty but don't count on it...LOL!
Rick
Quote from: nexus73 on February 25, 2011, 12:58:09 PM(Dis)honorable mention: Gold Beach. Sometimes the cop cars on the side of the road are empty but don't count on it...LOL!
Or here in QC: sleeping!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKhWlyoNYig
The Thruway. That is all.
CA-58. Mojave Bypass. It took all my salesmanship to talk my way out of this one... and yes, the cops are always there, so I knew to drive slowly. Except I had a horrific little Kia that was, at maximum pedal-to-the-metal, doing 63 up the hill from Tehachapi.
So when it came time to come down the hill I wasn't quite used to the newfound acceleration - and the steering wheel blocks the speedometer (gee thanks, car designed for people who are 5 feet 4 inches tall) so I could, in all honesty, tell the officer that I had no idea how fast I had been going.
turns out it was 84 in a 65. I will do my best to slow down, if this idiot-beast of a car will let me ...
Boston Heights, OH - contains OH 8, 303 and the Turnpike (I-80)
around 1,000 residents, at least a half dozen cops (at least back when I lived in that part of Ohio)
Quote from: Truvelo on February 25, 2011, 05:54:43 AMthe cops are bent and deliberately inflate your speed to earn extra $ :ded:
This one, most likely.
My speedo does slightly under-read, but only by 2mph at 70. I take this into account at all times, but that particular night I was going by the GPS anyway.
Quote from: Bickendan on February 25, 2011, 08:35:49 PM
The Thruway. That is all.
I'd expand it to the entire state of New York. In fact, the reconstruction of the Thruway between exits 39 and 40 had widened areas where a state police vehicle could sit in the median. State trooper presence and reasonableness of the speed limit are inversely related.
Quote from: deanej on February 26, 2011, 12:33:43 PMI'd expand it to the entire state of New York. In fact, the reconstruction of the Thruway between exits 39 and 40 had widened areas where a state police vehicle could sit in the median. State trooper presence and reasonableness of the speed limit are inversely related.
Definitely not I-84. I used to go the entire length of I-84 all the time back when I lived in NH; I passed State Troopers sitting in the median, in excess of 75, many times. This was back when most of it was still 55, too. I was told by several locals that on I-84 they won't come after you unless you're doing 80+. I believe that was largely true. Not sure about now, it's been a few years since I've been that way.
Quote from: deanej on February 26, 2011, 12:33:43 PM
Quote from: Bickendan on February 25, 2011, 08:35:49 PM
The Thruway. That is all.
I'd expand it to the entire state of New York. In fact, the reconstruction of the Thruway between exits 39 and 40 had widened areas where a state police vehicle could sit in the median. State trooper presence and reasonableness of the speed limit are inversely related.
Yup. The vehicle I was riding in almost got busted in that exact situation. Plus, they'd hide slicktops in there, where only their antennae were visible (barely!) over the barrier along the left shoulder.
QuoteDefinitely not I-84. I used to go the entire length of I-84 all the time back when I lived in NH; I passed State Troopers sitting in the median, in excess of 75, many times. This was back when most of it was still 55, too. I was told by several locals that on I-84 they won't come after you unless you're doing 80+. I believe that was largely true. Not sure about now, it's been a few years since I've been that way.
I've only been that far south once so I can't say for sure but I'm pretty sure it's way different now. Back then, NY actually had money. They don't now.
QuoteYup. The vehicle I was riding in almost got busted in that exact situation. Plus, they'd hide slicktops in there, where only their antennae were visible (barely!) over the barrier along the left shoulder.
They're pretty easy to spot if you know what those areas are for. It's pretty hard to disguise a trooper if both lanes of traffic are suddenly move to the right. You can tell where they were even when the work zone traffic patterns aren't in effect because of the extra-wide shoulder.
I've even known the Thruway to set up work zones where nobody is working just to do speed enforcement. One time crossing the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge the right lane was closed with a work zone set up; nobody was working, in fact the only reason the right lane couldn't be used was because a state police officer was standing in it with his radar gun. I suspect something similar might be going on with I-81 near Bartell Rd over Oneida Lake and occurred on NY 590 just south of Sea Breeze Dr.
Last summer, I was driving on NY 17 just west of Binghamton and there was a cop with a radar gun SITTING on the concrete median barrier, feet from the left traffic lane. With the requisite line of police cars waiting to give chase soon afterward.
When I used to be in the area often, I would see a speed trap at least half the time driving on NY 96 in Candor (speed limit 30, I believe), and maybe 25% of the time on NY 96 in Romulus (speed limit 35).
I have been stopped (or speed-camera'd) three times in 30 years of driving, and ticketed once. Always in residential areas with unreasonably low speeds. (Is 25 ever reasonable?)
1) Morse Avenue in Scotch Plains, N.J., weekend before high-school graduation. Doing 42.25 in a 25. Cop took pity on me.
2) Connecticut Avenue at Newland St., Chevy Chase, Md., Inauguration Day 2009, trying to get into Washington in time to be able to stand two miles from the Capitol in 25-degree weather and watch on a big screen; passed a line of cars that - unlike me - knew there was a speed camera there. That's the one ticket in my life - doing something in the 40s in a 30 zone. I now drive by the book through there and have noticed the locals do likewise.
3) Md. 24 westbound, coming into downtown Bel Air, Md., from the east, on a Sunday evening a few months ago. Absent-mindedly failed to notice the limit had dropped to 30, was doing 43. Cop pulls up behind me, flashes his lights.... I think he was looking for something (drunk drivers?) - he was asking questions like "why, when I flashed my lights, did you make that right?" Answer, apparently satisfactory, "well, I couldn't see a safe place to pull over in the block ahead and I knew there were parking spaces here." While I was talking to the cop, a pair of pedestrians passed on the far side of the street and one of them remarked to the other "that's the Xth car I've seen pulled over tonight." Cop asked how my driving record was - I said (truthfully - my memory blanked on the high-school stop) "I can't remember the last time I was pulled over." He let me go with a warning.
The one place I've noticed enough cops for it to be worth warning people about here is on 95 southbound just south of Philadelphia airport. There are overpasses that are bulky enough for the cops to sit on the southbound side. I see them there once a month or so and I'm only there on weekends (and not every weekend). I think it's Philadelphia, rather than state, police, so it'd be in the city limits, but not by much.
Now a related question: a couple of months ago, I was driving up Connecticut Avenue in D.C. Two traffic lanes, no dedicated left-turn lane, so if anyone's turning left you could get stuck. As a light turned red - I was maybe the third car behind someone who'd been unable to turn left on that green - I noticed the right lane was clear (behind me as well) so I pulled into it. As I stopped, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye and said to myself "uh-oh, red-light camera." I've been anticipating getting something from D.C., but nothing yet. Maybe it's because I had not in fact run the light so there was nothing for the camera to photograph, but I have been wondering if it was in fact legal to change lanes in that way while the light was red.
Gloucester County, NJ seems to be one giant speed trap for me, particularly near Glassboro.
The only ticket I've got was for doing 124 km/h / 77 mph on A-30 (speed limit is 100 km/h / 62 mph). On that highway, that's a very usual speed. Cop was obviously in a hurry and/or pissed off, perhaps because he didn't want to be sent there, or he was trying to finish his month's quota.
I've got pulled over many more times for license checks, apparently because my car has been driven by someone without a license before.
Once I passed a speed trap in Ontario, doing 130 km/h / 80 mph; he did flash his lights at me but didn't actually go after me... since it was the middle of the night, I wonder if he was just too lazy.
Quote from: Michael in Philly on February 28, 2011, 10:23:59 AM
I have been stopped (or speed-camera'd) three times in 30 years of driving, and ticketed once. Always in residential areas with unreasonably low speeds. (Is 25 ever reasonable?)
Yes, it's reasonable in a residential area. I find myself going about 20 while scanning the road and roadside and being prepared to stop at any time.
I've been pulled over 4 times, only getting a ticket once. Incredibly, it was in New York State (only time I've ever been to New York)
I was on the Thruway just west of Albany and sped up to pass a truck going under the speed limit. I was headed down hill and got up to 80 in the 65, where a cop was sitting by a tree at the bottom of the hill. I got nailed- he didn't even offer a chance to explain. He took my license and registration and after that he said "You're being pulled over because of your speed," walked back, handed me the ticket, and said "Have a nice day" as he walked away.
I got pulled over the day after I got my driver's license for running a yield sign. Nobody ever explained what that meant- I guess I wasn't yielding to traffic headed in the opposite direction or something and that was somehow illegal. I think it was just a small town and it was right outside my high school and the cops wanted to see who the new driver was.
I got pulled over in McCall again a couple years ago, going 57 in a 35 over a stretch of road that had just had the speed limit dropped from 45 to 35 (damn tourists kept going 45 in the winter and ended up in the ditch...ruined it for all of us). The cop knew my parents and he said "I'm not giving you a ticket and I'm not going to tell your parents. The ticket would have been $180 dollars plus the harm to your insurance. Just don't do it. Please." This is a cool cop- I was at a party in high school and somebody accidentally set off the security system and he came out, and while all but our underage friend whose house it was was hiding in the attic, all our cars were in the driveway and there was beer everywhere and it was really obvious what was going on. I guess he asked my friend what all the cars were doing here, my friend said "we just have some people here to say bye to our friend who is going to college." (which actually was the intent of the party), and then he said "OK, have a good night." and left. I suspect he appreciated that we decided to stay and hide instead of all of us drunkenly getting in our cars and fleeing the area, knowing the cops were coming (which was the other option).
I got pulled over in Laramie for running a red light (I was out in the intersection and couldn't make the left turn because of jaywalkers, and then the light turned red and there were still people illegally crossing the street). I pointed out what happened to the officer and he agreed and let me go.
Quote from: NE2 on February 28, 2011, 02:03:49 PM
Quote from: Michael in Philly on February 28, 2011, 10:23:59 AM
I have been stopped (or speed-camera'd) three times in 30 years of driving, and ticketed once. Always in residential areas with unreasonably low speeds. (Is 25 ever reasonable?)
Yes, it's reasonable in a residential area. I find myself going about 20 while scanning the road and roadside and being prepared to stop at any time.
Feh.
Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase is a six-lane state highway and a major route from downtown Washington to the Beltway. Parents shouldn't be letting their kids play on that particular street, although I assume the fact that the first mile or two outside the Maryland-D.C. line is - unlike the rest of it - lined by houses is the excuse for the speed trap. I'm sure, though, that it's not a coincidence that that stretch is in a fairly small incorporated town.
Md. 24 is also a heavily traveled state highway, mostly commercial. The limit drops abruptly (and commercialization disappears, briefly) at the town line.
The stretch in Scotch Plains where I was stopped 30 years ago was vacant land at the time. Plenty of more-residential streets in that town (where I grew up) have 35s or 40s.
Quotesix-lane state highway
Yeah, there's no excuse for a six-lane state highway to have a 25 MPH speed limit, houses or no. If you're talking about a back neighborhood street, 25 or even 20 is a totally reasonable speed, but in that instance a 25 MPH speed zone is just extortion
I've never been pulled over or gotten a ticket. This despite driving past state cops (in both Oregon and Washington) going 10mph over the speed limit on a couple occasions. I have had a couple close calls with traffic signals in Sherwood, Oregon, though, mainly as they're so horribly timed (signals that are green when you enter often turn red before you get out of the intersection). That city recently entered into a contract with Redflex to turn the craptastic engineering into a cash cow, too. :ded: Needless to say, they're
making money hand over fist (http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2010/11/sherwood_notes_red_light_camer.html) with it.
Quote from: corco on February 28, 2011, 02:31:45 PM
Yeah, there's no excuse for a six-lane state highway to have a 25 MPH speed limit, houses or no. If you're talking about a back neighborhood street, 25 or even 20 is a totally reasonable speed, but in that instance a 25 MPH speed zone is just extortion.
I'd fully concur there.
Never been pulled over, but I have been stopped by cops while not behind the wheel of a car.
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on February 25, 2011, 02:16:02 PM
Quote from: nexus73 on February 25, 2011, 12:58:09 PM(Dis)honorable mention: Gold Beach. Sometimes the cop cars on the side of the road are empty but don't count on it...LOL!
Or here in QC: sleeping!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKhWlyoNYig
ROTFL, those cops got OWNED!
I once managed to slip by somehow on NY 12 near Chippewa Bay doing 65-70 in a 55mph zone. The cop must have realized that the only reason I was going that fast was to pass another car in a reasonable amount of time.
Quote from: Tarkus on February 28, 2011, 03:45:32 PM
I've never been pulled over or gotten a ticket. This despite driving past state cops (in both Oregon and Washington) going 10mph over the speed limit on a couple occasions. I have had a couple close calls with traffic signals in Sherwood, Oregon, though, mainly as they're so horribly timed (signals that are green when you enter often turn red before you get out of the intersection). That city recently entered into a contract with Redflex to turn the craptastic engineering into a cash cow, too. :ded: Needless to say, they're making money hand over fist (http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2010/11/sherwood_notes_red_light_camer.html) with it.
Luckily that can't happen in NY. Here it's legal to be in an intersection when a light is red as long as you entered before it turned red and exit at the earliest opportunity.
If a road actually warrants a speed limit below 30 there's probably no reason to sign it. For example, I'd never drive faster than 25 on my neighborhood streets. The narrow streets, cars parked on the side, potholes, and curves make it unsafe.
Quote from: deanej on March 01, 2011, 06:32:47 PM
If a road actually warrants a speed limit below 30 there's probably no reason to sign it. For example, I'd never drive faster than 25 on my neighborhood streets. The narrow streets, cars parked on the side, potholes, and curves make it unsafe.
a lot of the local 25-signed side streets, I think of as being quite safe at 32-33... and a lot of people, at 40. It seems that there is very little distinction between what the City of San Diego deems to be 25 and what it deems to be 35.
Most don't. Most of my neighborhood does though, once you factor in the parked cars and potholes, at least on the sections I typically drive. As I said... no need for a sign.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 01, 2011, 07:46:10 PM
Quote from: deanej on March 01, 2011, 06:32:47 PM
If a road actually warrants a speed limit below 30 there's probably no reason to sign it. For example, I'd never drive faster than 25 on my neighborhood streets. The narrow streets, cars parked on the side, potholes, and curves make it unsafe.
a lot of the local 25-signed side streets, I think of as being quite safe at 32-33... and a lot of people, at 40. It seems that there is very little distinction between what the City of San Diego deems to be 25 and what it deems to be 35.
My dad's done 50 going downhill on our home road before. Of course there's a clean line of sight to do it. But it's posted @ 25.
That would do it. My neighborhood has four streets; two go 1/5 mile before a 45 degree curve, 1/5 mile before another 45 degree curve, and then about 1/10 - 3/5 mile before essentially ending at each other. Another is essentially a driveway that ends in a cul-de-sack, and the last one is two 1/10 mile segments joined at a 90 degree curve.
Got stopped and ticketed on a residential street that's commonly used as a cut-through to avoid traffic - I got caught going 38 in a 25mph zone, even though people regularly go over 40. I just so happened to get caught when no one else was using the road. A lot of county officers expect things like this and wait on pretty much every back road and cut-through for people like me to show up trying to dodge traffic on the way home from work, and I should've remembered this before I went that way.
State troopers tend to be frequent on VA 150, as well, especially at the beginning and end of the northern freeway segment (which carries a 45mph speed limit, but people regularly go 65-70 because...well, it's a freeway!).
The only time I've ever been ticketed for speeding was in Spring Hill, TN. I was coming home from my brother's apartment one July 4th @ 3am and forgot to slow down as the speed limit drops from 70 to 55 right before Saturn Parkway ends @ US 31. The cops and I were the ONLY ones on the road at the time, so while I was going too fast, I was not a safety hazard.
Now, Spring Hill does have a reputation as a speed trap, though, IMHO, that reputation is undeserved, what the cops really are is aggressive in their enforcement. I only occasionally see a Spring Hill cop on the cities thoroughfares, but when I do, they often have someone pulled over.
South Plainfield, NJ and every street being 25 mph especially Park Avenue! Only Hamilton Boulevard, Hadley Road, and of course I-287 are higher! Park Avenue should be 40 mph as it is a county highway!
SR 8 in Cuyahoga Falls and Boston Heights is notorious for speed traps.
Quote from: corco on February 28, 2011, 02:31:45 PM
Yeah, there's no excuse for a six-lane state highway to have a 25 MPH speed limit, houses or no. If you're talking about a back neighborhood street, 25 or even 20 is a totally reasonable speed, but in that instance a 25 MPH speed zone is just extortion
No question. Whoever it is from a DOT that do not do a speed audit on any state owned roadway is derelict their duty and needs to be fired. You can't post 25 mph on a road that has more than 4 lanes.
Worst highway for speed enforcement around here in my opinion is I-684 especially on a weekend when that nice six lane highway is free of traffic with plenty of spots for NYSP to hide. In my own state, the Connecticut State Police generally have a hands off approach on highways other than the very rural areas or during targeted campaigns regarding traffic enforcement. If you're traveling through a smaller town on a local road or rural state highway you may find stricter enforcement of traffic laws.
Four lane roads should be at least 40 MPH regardless of the density of homes and businesses.
^^^
Here's the main street of my hometown, Bloomsburg, PA.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bloomsburg,+PA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.28862,78.134766&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bloomsburg,+Columbia,+Pennsylvania&ll=41.003257,-76.45632&spn=0.001818,0.004769&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.003304,-76.456216&panoid=eQm2FqAp3puCwu32K1j7-A&cbp=12,72.19,,0,16.1
It's four lanes, but IMHO it would be INSANE to have traffic moving at 40mph down it!
EDIT:
Add to that on street parking messing with the right hand lane and left turns from the left lane as there is no turning lane.
Yeah, 40mph is a bit excessive if on-street parking is present. If it isn't, though, 40 seems reasonable, especially if it's divided.
Quote from: connroadgeek on April 01, 2011, 06:20:59 PM
the Connecticut State Police generally have a hands off approach on highways other than the very rural areas or during targeted campaigns regarding traffic enforcement.
Problem is, those targeted campaigns in CT are generally zero tolerance. If the posted limit is 55 and you're doing 56, you'll be stopped and cited.
Ridgeland, the county seat of Jasper County, South Carolina, has been in the news lately over their use of speed traps along Interstate 95, which runs through the eastern part of the town limits.
The state wants to make it illegal for towns and cities to use speed traps or speed cams in the way that Ridgeland is currently doing.
In Michigan, very few people actually follow the speed limits. On I-196 just east of US-131, I was doing 80+ and not catching the cars in front of me (65 mph zone). Back when US-131 through Grand Rapids was 55 mph, everyone usually went at least 70-75 mph. Now the speed limit on that stretch of road is 70 outside of the S-Curve and 50 within it.
Here's an interesting speed limit set (M-45 from I-196 to Grand Valley State University):
I-196 to Oakleigh Ave (five-lane undivided): 35 mph, everyone goes at least 45-50 through here
Oakleigh Ave to Sunset Hills Ave (five-lane undivided): 45 mph, average speed: 55+
Sunset Hills Ave to Wilson Ave (M-11) (five-lane undivided): 35 mph, no one hardly ever slows down
Wilson Ave (M-11) to Ferndale Ave (five-lane undivided): 45 mph
Ferndale Ave to 24th Ave (five-lane undivided): 55 mph, average speed closer to 65
24th Ave to GVSU entrance (four-lane divided with limited access): 55 mph, most people go 70 or more through this stretch
The tiny village of Eastmanville along 68th Ave in Ottawa County (which, IMHO, should be a state highway) includes a short 45 mph section and a stoplight. 68th is 55 mph on both sides of Eastmanville.
Quote from: mjb2002 on April 05, 2011, 07:28:13 PM
Ridgeland, the county seat of Jasper County, South Carolina, has been in the news lately over their use of speed traps along Interstate 95, which runs through the eastern part of the town limits.
The state wants to make it illegal for towns and cities to use speed traps or speed cams in the way that Ridgeland is currently doing.
As well they should. Illinois solved this problem years ago by mandating that revenue from speed patrols goes to the state first then a percentage goes to the municipality. Stops most of the funny business.
I just came back from a trip to Mammoth and I swear, some of the small towns along US-395 are virtual speed traps. Like in Independence, the speed limit drops from 65 down to 25 in about a quarter mile, and there is always a cop waiting there. I nearly got pulled over because I was still in the 50's when entering the town limits. I didn't get a ticket... This year. But in past years, my family has gotten tickets on many random stretches of 395, usually for doing as little as 5-10 mph over the speed limit.