Most terrible speed limits.

[sprjus4]

1. 25 now, it's basically a crawl.

I would agree.

2. Down to 45 since 2017. People routinely do 55 and I've seen 65+.

Looking at the roadway characteristics and development around it, it looks like it could actually reasonable be 55 mph, but certainly at least 50 mph. I could see 45 mph if there's planned development around the area.

[roadman65]

South Plainfield, NJ and their 25 mph speed limits even on Park Avenue where Downtown Plainfield has (or once had a 30 mph speed limit) is 25 mph where that particular road should be at least 40.   Edison is another place on roads like Grove Ave. which is 25 despite other like roads being raised to 35 mph in the late 80's.

Then the Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway being only 45 when the 85 percentile does about 70 to 75 on it.

[bcroadguy]

Round three. How fast would you guess:

This stretch of US-322 Business?

Guessed 30. 35 seems reasonable but 25 is way too slow.

This highway?

Guessed 40. 50 seems pretty fair but I'd probably end up going 55. 45 is too slow but seems pretty typical for a road like that.

How about this?

Guessed 30 but 25 doesn't seem extraordinarily awful. I can't really see this being higher than 35.

And last but not least, this beauty.

Guessed 35 since that's close to what all the straight rural roads near me are unfortunately. I was right! Could easily be 45 or maybe 50.

[jeffandnicole]

3. 25 but it shouldn't be - the apartments are all stowed away behind.

Just to comment about this one - this very specific location appears to be tucked between a residential area with driveways leading out onto the roadway, and a small commercial/warehouse area.  Generally if you can't raise the speed limit for more than 1/2 mile, you keep it the same.   I can easily see thought that people would want to pick up their speed, and the nearby VASCAR lines know the cops do too.  It's just a short, quarter mile stretch of roadway that, if longer, may warrant a higher limit.

[Ketchup99]

3. 25 but it shouldn't be - the apartments are all stowed away behind.

Just to comment about this one - this very specific location appears to be tucked between a residential area with driveways leading out onto the roadway, and a small commercial/warehouse area.  Generally if you can't raise the speed limit for more than 1/2 mile, you keep it the same.   I can easily see thought that people would want to pick up their speed, and the nearby VASCAR lines know the cops do too.  It's just a short, quarter mile stretch of roadway that, if longer, may warrant a higher limit.

I see what you mean, but although on one side it hits a busy arterial (after which, IMO, it should be 25), going the other way down the road, it stays relatively straight. There are some apartments on the edge of the road, but the number of driveways isn't huge, they're all mostly on one side (so not too much cross-traffic), and people do 35 or more on the whole thing.

[vdeane]

I don't remember if I mentioned this one or not, but PA certainly seems to have a thing for large roads with absurdly low limits.  This four-lane suburban commercial road near Wilkes-Barre is only 25!

[kphoger]

I don't remember if I mentioned this one or not, but PA certainly seems to have a thing for large roads with absurdly low limits.  This four-lane suburban commercial road near Wilkes-Barre is only 25!

On the other hand, it changes to ... 15 mph ... a couple of stoplights later.   

[vdeane]

I don't remember if I mentioned this one or not, but PA certainly seems to have a thing for large roads with absurdly low limits.  This four-lane suburban commercial road near Wilkes-Barre is only 25!

On the other hand, it changes to ... 15 mph ... a couple of stoplights later.   

I think that part is a mall parking lot entrance.

[kphoger]

It is.  It would just bother me anyway because it's still a four-lane divided road there.

[formulanone]

I drove on US 31 Alternate in Tennessee last month, and the 30-35 mph limits throughout Nashville and smaller towns made it an annoying slog. You'd get up to 55 for a short stretch and slow down again.

Then Florida with its 20 mph school zones.   Even NJ lets you do 25 mph through a school zone.

Florida is better than parts of Tennessee and Wisconsin which have 15 mph school zones.

It seems to be set by the county. Broward and Miami-Dade have 15 mph school zone speed limits; whereas 20 and 25 are more common throughout the state.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/BpSUfnjYmwPTnALWA
25 mph on US 22 ( a freeway) in Easton, PA.

https://goo.gl/maps/L63W1n12LoWHLp1X8

[formulanone]

https://goo.gl/maps/BpSUfnjYmwPTnALWA
25 mph on US 22 ( a freeway) in Easton, PA.

https://goo.gl/maps/L63W1n12LoWHLp1X8

The Expressway Ends about 500 feet from that point...though 35 mph would probably suffice.

[thenetwork]

https://goo.gl/maps/BpSUfnjYmwPTnALWA
25 mph on US 22 ( a freeway) in Easton, PA.

https://goo.gl/maps/L63W1n12LoWHLp1X8

Considering there are no shoulders, and a short on-ramp merge with a lane jog ahead before the bridge, it seems to be a reasonable speed.

[Brandon]

https://goo.gl/maps/BpSUfnjYmwPTnALWA
25 mph on US 22 ( a freeway) in Easton, PA.

https://goo.gl/maps/L63W1n12LoWHLp1X8

That seems excessively low to me.

[Roadsguy]

Blame the DRJTBC since they own the approach starting where the pavement changes to concrete.

[ftballfan]

US-31's speed limit actually dropping when it changes from expressway to freeway north of Indianapolis (the expressway section is 60, while the Hamilton County freeway section is 55)

[CovalenceSTU]

Jetty Rd. in Warrenton, OR has a speed limit of 40, but most people go 60-65 because the road is so straight/flat. If there were warning signs for the side roads it could easily be increased to 55. https://earth.app.goo.gl/nhYArv

[hotdogPi]

Jetty Rd. in Warrenton, OR has a speed limit of 40, but most people go 60-65 because the road is so straight/flat. If there were warning signs for the side roads it could easily be increased to 55. https://earth.app.goo.gl/nhYArv

Not everyone has Google Earth.

[mrose]

I'm back in Australia and Melbourne is even worse than it was the first time I lived here.

Almost every freeway in urban Melbourne is 80 km/hr now even under perfect conditions with light traffic. If you take the Tullamarine / CityLink all the way in now, it is absolutely aggravating. It's been widened to 10/12 lanes now for a good portion of it and they still leave it at 80. 

Worse, every freeway has variable signs now and they'll drop it to 60 at the first sign of congestion or adverse weather.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.7325174,144.9160861,3a,75y,125.53h,88.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scwpp0ZJJlsK5isoe93uQzA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&authuser=0

[jakeroot]

Jetty Rd. in Warrenton, OR has a speed limit of 40, but most people go 60-65 because the road is so straight/flat. If there were warning signs for the side roads it could easily be increased to 55. https://earth.app.goo.gl/nhYArv

Not everyone has Google Earth.

No, but everyone has access to the Google Earth website, which is where his link directs you. Did you click the link?

[jakeroot]

I'm back in Australia and Melbourne is even worse than it was the first time I lived here.

Almost every freeway in urban Melbourne is 80 km/hr now even under perfect conditions with light traffic. If you take the Tullamarine / CityLink all the way in now, it is absolutely aggravating. It's been widened to 10/12 lanes now for a good portion of it and they still leave it at 80. 

Worse, every freeway has variable signs now and they'll drop it to 60 at the first sign of congestion or adverse weather.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.7325174,144.9160861,3a,75y,125.53h,88.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scwpp0ZJJlsK5isoe93uQzA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&authuser=0

I think that would drive me mad.

I have some family near Sydney. They say that traffic usually moves at around 110 km/h, but I also think the limits in Sydney are higher. Does traffic largely ignore the 80 limit?

In the Seattle area, where I live, there is some construction along I-5 (near Tacoma) where the limit has been dropped from the standard 100 km/h to 80 km/h, but everyone is still largely going 110-120 as they were before (at least during quiet hours). At some point, limits become so stupidly low that people stop recognizing them as legitimate; I assume that would be the case with those freeways in Melbourne? Especially if traffic was used to higher limits before.

[Max Rockatansky]

Someone reminded me of the 35 MPH speed limit on the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road in Fort Hunter Liggett.  That road could easily handle 45-55 MPH up to the Los Padres National Forest boundary but is artificially reduced like most military bases are. 

[Roadsguy]

Jetty Rd. in Warrenton, OR has a speed limit of 40, but most people go 60-65 because the road is so straight/flat. If there were warning signs for the side roads it could easily be increased to 55. https://earth.app.goo.gl/nhYArv

Not everyone has Google Earth.

No, but everyone has access to the Google Earth website, which is where his link directs you. Did you click the link?

On mobile (Android at least), it takes me to the Play Store page for Google Earth. It doesn't go to the web page or the Google Maps app.

[doorknob60]

I found a bad one, Stevens Dr in Richland, WA.


GSV Link

35 MPH on what's essentially a 6 lane expressway. It does raise to 40 a little ways past this picture, but that's hardly better. It should be 50 or 55, no less than 45. It also appears to be a huge speed trap, as the state highway portion of this road (WA-240) just to the south is 55 MPH, and then it turns into a city street and immediately drops to 35 for no reason.

I used to live in West Richland, but never really had a reason to go that far north.

[Ketchup99]

I was driving this earlier today. Thirty-what?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2284806,-76.9321619,3a,75y,2.86h,88.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swFChtiBzRTK69QVLx9AIVQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192