Current state speed limit increase proposals

[roadfro]

I also don't know that I-15 to California would be wise to blanket raise without further study–while much of that traffic flows at 80+ now, I would be worried about the speed differentials out there (especially on holiday weekends.

I think a bigger concern is big rig traffic.  If I'm not mistaken, Nevada does not have a separate speed limit for trucks so if I-15 is raised to 80 MPH, that would create a 25 MPH differential in speed limits upon entering California and its 55 MPH speed limit for all trucks.

Nevada does not have any separated speed limits.

Right now, I think the stretch of I-15 between Las Vegas and Primm (CA state line) is 70mph, but entering California I think it is 65mph/55 trucks. The speed differentials in Nevada exist regardless, because it is quite common to see people doing 80+ in this stretch amongst the more law-abiding travelers and trucks.

[Pink Jazz]

And that makes sense to me. Automatically bumping up all rural freeways straight to 80 seems pretty stupid. I'm sure the studies will support an increase, but a study should always be performed.

Agreed.  South Dakota tried a blanket increase to 80 mph for all rural freeways without any study, only to later lower I-90 back to 75 mph west of Rapid City.

I wonder, if New Mexico introduces 80 mph speed limits, I wonder whether or not they would require a traffic study or if they would go for the blanket approach.  I personally think I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, as well as I-10 between Las Cruces and the Texas state line should remain 75 due to the relatively high amounts of traffic compared to other rural corridors in the state.  Plus, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express may throw a fit if I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe is raised to 80 mph, since it could adversely affect their ridership.

I see New Mexico as one of the two most likely candidates for the next state to raise their speed limit to 80, with the other being North Dakota.  I don't see it happening in Arizona anytime soon unless the state increases the criminal speeding threshold (which many of the state's lawmakers refuse to do), and the terrain in Colorado might not be ideal for an 80 mph limit. 

I actually wonder what is going on with Michigan's proposal.  Michigan announced it last year, but has been slower than other states in getting the bill to pass, since several states that introduced 80 mph bills after Michigan have already had them signed into law.  Is Michigan's bill dead?

[jakeroot]

Frankly, the only reason I want a study to be performed is so that it's harder to knock the limit back down again after it's posted, like in South Dakota.

As for the next 80 mph state, I'm voting for North Dakota. Something tells me NM and AZ would bump their limits at the same time if either of them were to consider it (though as stated already, the latter would need to do some work on the law books).

[SSOWorld]

I also don't know that I-15 to California would be wise to blanket raise without further study–while much of that traffic flows at 80+ now, I would be worried about the speed differentials out there (especially on holiday weekends.

It's 70 on the CA side of the line (55 trucks is correct though)

I think a bigger concern is big rig traffic.  If I'm not mistaken, Nevada does not have a separate speed limit for trucks so if I-15 is raised to 80 MPH, that would create a 25 MPH differential in speed limits upon entering California and its 55 MPH speed limit for all trucks.

Nevada does not have any separated speed limits.

Right now, I think the stretch of I-15 between Las Vegas and Primm (CA state line) is 70mph, but entering California I think it is 65mph/55 trucks. The speed differentials in Nevada exist regardless, because it is quite common to see people doing 80+ in this stretch amongst the more law-abiding travelers and trucks.

[corco]

Pardon the graniness, but it is now 80 MPH in Montana. Even though MDT had discretion to leave some speed limits at 75 until they conducted a full safety investigation, they posted pretty deep into Helena, with this sign being posted just south of I-15 and US-12. The speed limit still drops to 65 for two exits north of there.



It's funny- when the bill to raise to 80 that passed was introduced, the primary intent was to lessen the truck speed differential, by also eliminating the 60 MPH off-interstate truck speed limit and raising interstate truck speed limits to 75. What actually got through was a speed limit increase to 80 for passenger cars, with no stipulations at all for trucks, so now Montana is tied with CA for the highest truck speed differential in the country. That's the power of the legislative process, for you. 

[Billy F 1988]

I was afraid this was going to happen. I just saw one near Frenchtown the other morning. Yep. Now I have 80 more god dang reasons to stay off I-90 because what if a deer came out and some car hit it at 80? You'd be pretty much sufficiently injured, or worse, dead.

[jakeroot]

I was afraid this was going to happen. I just saw one near Frenchtown the other morning. Yep. Now I have 80 more god dang reasons to stay off I-90 because what if a deer came out and some car hit it at 80? You'd be pretty much sufficiently injured, or worse, dead.

You were fucked at 75 anyways. Big deal.

[Billy F 1988]

Big deal? Riiiiiight. Thus the heretic speaks bullshit.

[Rothman]

Big deal? Riiiiiight. Thus the heretic speaks bullshit.

I agree with the heretic.  Deer can cause injuries and death at much lower speeds than 80/75, so you might as well stay off the roads altogether if that's your standard.

[kkt]

You are more likely to see the deer far enough in advance to avoid them or at least slow to the point that the collision is not fatal to persons in the car if you're going slower.

[1995hoo]

If the argument is a collision with a deer would be worse, couldn't you make that argument as to any collision or other incident (such as hitting truck tire debris)? at some point you have to deem some level of risk acceptable. Otherwise we'd have 25-mph speed limits everywhere.

You don't have to go 80 mph just because you're allowed to do so. We were riding with my brother-in-law yesterday and his van is heavy. He seldom made it much above 65 in a 75-mph zone. But at least he stayed in the right lane! (Wednesday night he did hit truck tire debris. Somehow there was no damage. Sounded like he'd run over a bumper or something.)

[corco]

Right, and you'd be hard pressed to find people that don't have Washington plates going 80+ on interstates in Montana at night at this time of year when there are deer everywhere.

I drove from Roundup back to Helena at night a week ago, and was going 60 MPH in a 70 most of the way. I passed five cars while doing this and was passed by nobody. We know to slow down in this state at night. One of the things I like about this state is that, far moreso than anywhere else I've lived (and I've lived in rural parts of other conservative states), people self-regulate. We want the speed limit as high as possible not because we want to drive that fast but because we don't want the government telling us that we can't drive that fast.

And, yeah, during the day when the roads are dry and wildlife aren't out in force, there is no reason why the speed limit shouldn't be 80. At night, people can generally be trusted to drive slower without a sign telling them they have to. And frankly, if they choose to drive 80 at night at this time of year, by about the second time in ten miles they have to slam their brakes to avoid hitting wildlife, they'll get the point that they need to slow down.

[cl94]

Please. Where I'm from, we had moose. Hit one of those at any speed. Back in 2003, my family was driving on US 9 just north of Saratoga and one darted across the road a couple car lengths in front of us. There's a reason why people have "I brake for moose" bumper stickers.

[The High Plains Traveler]

I've not heard a whisper about raising Colorado's speed limit to 80. If they did, I would only think it appropriate on I-70 east of Watkins, where U.S. 36 exits, and probably on much of I-76 though I haven't the familiarity with that route to judge where it should be. I-25 is urbanized over much of its length, and the part south of Pueblo has a lot of hills and curves. I-70 from Grand Junction to Utah is hilly and windy.

[SD Mapman]

And that makes sense to me. Automatically bumping up all rural freeways straight to 80 seems pretty stupid. I'm sure the studies will support an increase, but a study should always be performed.

Agreed.  South Dakota tried a blanket increase to 80 mph for all rural freeways without any study, only to later lower I-90 back to 75 mph west of Rapid City.

There was talk when they did that of keeping it at 80 from Spearfish to WY, and the argument against was "Wyoming doesn't think I-90 should be 80, so we'll go with them." Now that stretch is 80 in WY. So, that 10-mile stretch might go back up to 80.

[Pink Jazz]

I've not heard a whisper about raising Colorado's speed limit to 80. If they did, I would only think it appropriate on I-70 east of Watkins, where U.S. 36 exits, and probably on much of I-76 though I haven't the familiarity with that route to judge where it should be. I-25 is urbanized over much of its length, and the part south of Pueblo has a lot of hills and curves. I-70 from Grand Junction to Utah is hilly and windy.

I don't see Colorado or Arizona raising their speed limits to 80 anytime soon; Colorado due to the terrain and Arizona due to its 85+ criminal speeding law (such bills in Arizona have been attempted in the past and have all failed due to the refusal of state lawmakers to increase the criminal speeding threshold).  I think either North Dakota or New Mexico are the most likely states. 

For New Mexico, here are some highways that I think can safely be raised to 80:

• I-25 in Sierra County.
• I-25 north of Las Vegas and south of Raton.
• I-40 east of Grants and west of Albuquerque except at one curve in the Laguna Indian Reservation.
• I-40 east of Moriarty and west of Santa Rosa.
• I-40 east of Santa Rosa and west of Tucumcari.
• I-40 east of Tucumcari to Texas line.
• US 70 through White Sands.

Perhaps some parts of I-10 may be able to be raised as well, although I am not sure which parts in particular.  Perhaps between Deming and Las Cruces, as well as between Lordsburg and Deming?

I would keep I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe at 75, as well as I-10 between Las Cruces and the Texas line, both due to higher traffic amounts.  Also, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express will probably throw a fit if I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe is raised to 80, since it could adversely affect their ridership.

Also, I think some roads that are currently 70 mph can be raised to 75 mph.  One such highway that comes to mind is US 285 between Vaughn and Roswell.

[Pink Jazz]

Looks like Kansas is the latest state with an 80 mph speed limit proposal.  Unfortunately, it looks like they are going for a blanket increase, the same botched mistake made by South Dakota, and there is already opposition by KDOT and the Kansas Highway Patrol to this bill.  Blanket increases are not the way, let KDOT make its own determination if 80 mph speed limits are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

States really should learn from the South Dakota fiasco when it comes to blanket speed limit increases.

[jeffandnicole]

Looks like Kansas is the latest state with an 80 mph speed limit proposal.  Unfortunately, it looks like they are going for a blanket increase, the same botched mistake made by South Dakota, and there is already opposition by KDOT and the Kansas Highway Patrol to this bill.  Blanket increases are not the way, let KDOT make its own determination if 80 mph speed limits are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

States really should learn from the South Dakota fiasco when it comes to blanket speed limit increases.

Isn't that what normally happens anyway?  80 mph is a speed limit where appropriate; not mandatory for all roads.

[Pink Jazz]

Looks like Kansas is the latest state with an 80 mph speed limit proposal.  Unfortunately, it looks like they are going for a blanket increase, the same botched mistake made by South Dakota, and there is already opposition by KDOT and the Kansas Highway Patrol to this bill.  Blanket increases are not the way, let KDOT make its own determination if 80 mph speed limits are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

States really should learn from the South Dakota fiasco when it comes to blanket speed limit increases.

Isn't that what normally happens anyway?  80 mph is a speed limit where appropriate; not mandatory for all roads.

Yes, most states that have introduced 80 mph speed limits required that the DOT makes a determination that the speed limit is appropriate.  South Dakota was the lone exception so far, where the law automatically bumped up all 75 mph zones to 80 mph, and it appears that Kansas' bill will do the same.

[Brandon]

And then there's this thread, in which Michigan would become the first state east of the Mississippi to have 80 mph limits: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=17393.0

http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/02/75-80-mph-may-new-limit-rural-highways/79702158/

[J N Winkler]

Looks like Kansas is the latest state with an 80 mph speed limit proposal.  Unfortunately, it looks like they are going for a blanket increase, the same botched mistake made by South Dakota, and there is already opposition by KDOT and the Kansas Highway Patrol to this bill.  Blanket increases are not the way, let KDOT make its own determination if 80 mph speed limits are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

I haven't yet dug up the text of the actual bill, but this Capital-Journal article implies the intent is not to impose a blanket increase to 80:

http://cjonline.com/news/2016-02-09/kansas-bill-raising-speed-limit-80-mph-runs-political-roadblock

Current legislation authorizes KDOT to set a 75 limit on any divided highway, so it sounds like the bill would simply change this ceiling value to 80.  In practice KDOT has allowed 75 only on freeways that have specialization by class, a category of freeway that includes all Interstates, a length of US 81 north of Salina, and K-10 between Lawrence and Shawnee Mission.  I suspect K-10 is the only significant rural length of such road that still has a 70 limit.

[wxfree]

The Kansas bill would increase the default speed limit on "any separated multilane highway."  The authority to lower the limit based on engineering studies under section 8-1559 would remain the same as it is today.

http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/documents/hb2450_00_0000.pdf

[J N Winkler]

Yup.  This bill also doesn't fix what I consider to be a drafting "bad smell" in the statutes.  KSA 8-1558 fixes 55 MPH as the maximum speed limit on county and township roads, but there is separate authority under KSA 8-1560(h) to impose higher limits on such roads, up to 65 MPH.

[ukfan758]

I for one would like to see some of the rural interstates and parkways in the western Kentucky increased to 75 or 80mph, that is if the roads are safe enough.

Georgia's I-75 could also use a speed increase to 75 or 80 while keeping the 85mph Super Speeder law in place . That way, drivers won't just go to 90+ and will instead close the speed gap between law abiders and speeders. Currently, you have a small amount of law abiders going 70 and lots of speeders going between 80-85.

[cl94]

I for one would like to see some of the rural interstates and parkways in the western Kentucky increased to 75 or 80mph, that is if the roads are safe enough.

Georgia's I-75 could also use a speed increase to 75 or 80 while keeping the 85mph Super Speeder law in place . That way, drivers won't just go to 90+ and will instead close the speed gap between law abiders and speeders. Currently, you have a small amount of law abiders going 70 and lots of speeders going between 80-85.

5 mph is too small of a cushion. That falls within faulty speedometer range. A reckless law has to be at least 10 above or you'd be giving every person with a speeding ticket a ticket for reckless driving.