Maryland

[jwolfer]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

Seems very Maryland-ish.  In Florida a similar road would be 65 MPH

Z981

[1995hoo]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

Seems very Maryland-ish.  In Florida a similar road would be 65 MPH

Hardly unusual. There are a lot of suburban Interstate segments in Maryland and Virginia that are posted at 55 mph that Florida would likely post at 70. I also recall a segment of FL-16 between I-95 and the St. John's River that was posted at 60 mph. It's a two-lane road, so there would be zero possibility of a 60-mph speed limit on it if it were up here. (I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

[74/171FAN]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

Seems very Maryland-ish.  In Florida a similar road would be 65 MPH

Hardly unusual. There are a lot of suburban Interstate segments in Maryland and Virginia that are posted at 55 mph that Florida would likely post at 70. I also recall a segment of FL-16 between I-95 and the St. John's River that was posted at 60 mph. It's a two-lane road, so there would be zero possibility of a 60-mph speed limit on it if it were up here. (I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

I-81 is 60 from I-70 to the north side of Hagerstown.

[1995hoo]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

Seems very Maryland-ish.  In Florida a similar road would be 65 MPH

Hardly unusual. There are a lot of suburban Interstate segments in Maryland and Virginia that are posted at 55 mph that Florida would likely post at 70. I also recall a segment of FL-16 between I-95 and the St. John's River that was posted at 60 mph. It's a two-lane road, so there would be zero possibility of a 60-mph speed limit on it if it were up here. (I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

I-81 is 60 from I-70 to the north side of Hagerstown.

Thanks. I have not been on that segment since 2006, as far as I can recall, so no surprise I was unaware of it!

[jwolfer]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

Seems very Maryland-ish.  In Florida a similar road would be 65 MPH

Hardly unusual. There are a lot of suburban Interstate segments in Maryland and Virginia that are posted at 55 mph that Florida would likely post at 70. I also recall a segment of FL-16 between I-95 and the St. John's River that was posted at 60 mph. It's a two-lane road, so there would be zero possibility of a 60-mph speed limit on it if it were up here. (I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

60mph on rural 2 lane state highways is pretty common in FL.  Maryland held on to 55 For a long time. "Still! 55"

Z981

[1995hoo]

60mph on rural 2 lane state highways is pretty common in FL.  Maryland held on to 55 For a long time. "Still! 55"

In the early 1990s, one major reason for that was that Gov. Schaefer refused to consider any bill that would raise it above 55 anywhere. cpzilliacus could probably confirm for sure, but I seem to recall they allowed 65-mph limits pretty darn promptly after Schaefer left office and was succeeded by Gov. Glendening, this a short time after the end of the NMSL.

[Beltway]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

US-301 north of the US-50/US-301 split is an expressway (limited access right-of-way). 

It was 60 mph before 1973.

[ixnay]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

US-301 north of the US-50/US-301 split is an expressway (limited access right-of-way). 

It was 60 mph before 1973.

It has a straight across at grade intersection here (at MD 299 in Cecil County among others), a J-turn there (2 of them are at MD 300 and MD 305), and several grade separated junctions (both junctions with MD 290, MD 291, MD 213, MD 304 [that last one was recently completed, replacing a j-turn that in turn replaced an at grade straight across intersection]).  OTOH the junction with Rolling Bridge Rd., previously at grade straight across, has been recently redone to prevent left turns and U-turns.

ixnay

[Alps]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

US-301 north of the US-50/US-301 split is an expressway (limited access right-of-way). 

It was 60 mph before 1973.

It has a straight across at grade intersection here (at MD 299 in Cecil County among others), a J-turn there (2 of them are at MD 300 and MD 305), and several grade separated junctions (both junctions with MD 290, MD 291, MD 213, MD 304 [that last one was recently completed, replacing a j-turn that in turn replaced an at grade straight across intersection]).  OTOH the junction with Rolling Bridge Rd., previously at grade straight across, has been recently redone to prevent left turns and U-turns.

ixnay

Expressway / limited access means no driveways or private connections. Streets can still intersect at-grade.

[Beltway]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

US-301 north of the US-50/US-301 split is an expressway (limited access right-of-way). 
It was 60 mph before 1973.

It has a straight across at grade intersection here (at MD 299 in Cecil County among others), a J-turn there (2 of them are at MD 300 and MD 305), and several grade separated junctions (both junctions with MD 290, MD 291, MD 213, MD 304 [that last one was recently completed, replacing a j-turn that in turn replaced an at grade straight across intersection]).  OTOH the junction with Rolling Bridge Rd., previously at grade straight across, has been recently redone to prevent left turns and U-turns.
ixnay

Expressway / limited access means no driveways or private connections. Streets can still intersect at-grade.

Right, it has no driveways or field entrances, AFAIK.

The term "at-grade expressway" is a descriptive term, but I couldn't use that because while this highway does have many at-grade intersections with public roads, it also has 5 interchanges.

[1995hoo]

What is the speed limit on 301 on the Eastern Shore?  Should be 65

55.  Because surface intersections.  Maryland does not sign anything with intersections higher than 55.

US-301 north of the US-50/US-301 split is an expressway (limited access right-of-way). 

It was 60 mph before 1973.

Heh. If you look at my age, you will see why I don't remember that. I moved to Virginia in 1974, but I don't remember that move either. 

[Alps]

Heh. If you look at my age, you will see why I don't remember that. I moved to Virginia in 1974, but I don't remember that move either. 

I moved to New Jersey in 1983
Semi-OT: Just drove MA 2 yesterday, from US 202 eastward. That brought me through the part west of Leominster where there are a few at-grade intersections and driveways. Sequential exit numbers ignored the at-grades, even the one signal. Found that interesting compared to Saw Mill (River) Pkwy. where each signal gets an exit number. (Back to US 301, which has no exit numbers. NCUTCD's latest reasoning on exit numbers was that they should be limited to cases with multiple interchanges in a row, not isolated interchanges broken by at-grades. This is not in the MUTCD but it could be added at some point given some states that number every interchange regardless of context.)

[Beltway]

Heh. If you look at my age, you will see why I don't remember that. I moved to Virginia in 1974, but I don't remember that move either. 

I moved to New Jersey in 1983
Semi-OT: Just drove MA 2 yesterday, from US 202 eastward. That brought me through the part west of Leominster where there are a few at-grade intersections and driveways. Sequential exit numbers ignored the at-grades, even the one signal. Found that interesting compared to Saw Mill (River) Pkwy. where each signal gets an exit number. (Back to US 301, which has no exit numbers. NCUTCD's latest reasoning on exit numbers was that they should be limited to cases with multiple interchanges in a row, not isolated interchanges broken by at-grades. This is not in the MUTCD but it could be added at some point given some states that number every interchange regardless of context.)

Plenty of people on these forums weren't born or weren't old enough to remember something in 1973.  That is why folks like me give eyeball testimony to these things. :-)

My earliest highway memory was family members pointing out the Chicago Skyway, that was while we still lived there, we moved to Florida in 1959.

[MNHighwayMan]

Expressway / limited access means no driveways or private connections. Streets can still intersect at-grade.

So, is there a separate term for a four lane, divided highway that does have private driveways/connections?

[Beltway]

Expressway / limited access means no driveways or private connections. Streets can still intersect at-grade.

So, is there a separate term for a four lane, divided highway that does have private driveways/connections?

Nonlimited-access four lane divided highway.

[MNHighwayMan]

Expressway / limited access means no driveways or private connections. Streets can still intersect at-grade.

So, is there a separate term for a four lane, divided highway that does have private driveways/connections?

Nonlimited-access four lane divided highway.

Well that's quite a mouthful.

[Beltway]

Expressway / limited access means no driveways or private connections. Streets can still intersect at-grade.

So, is there a separate term for a four lane, divided highway that does have private driveways/connections?

Nonlimited-access four lane divided highway.

Well that's quite a mouthful.

"Nonlimited-access highway" would apply to any highway that is not limited access.

[cpzilliacus]

60mph on rural 2 lane state highways is pretty common in FL.  Maryland held on to 55 For a long time. "Still! 55"

In the early 1990s, one major reason for that was that Gov. Schaefer refused to consider any bill that would raise it above 55 anywhere. cpzilliacus could probably confirm for sure, but I seem to recall they allowed 65-mph limits pretty darn promptly after Schaefer left office and was succeeded by Gov. Glendening, this a short time after the end of the NMSL.

Glendening did indeed go along with an  increase to 65 MPH during his two terms in office (I do not recall what year it was).   For quite a while, only freeways in rural areas (as defined by Census and FHWA) were granted the higher limit (I-270 is only 65 north of Clarksburg for that reason still), and after Congress ceded speed limit controls to the states, the "between the Beltways" part of I-95 was increased to 65. 

Thus far, the Capital Beltway in both Maryland counties and most of I-270 in Montgomery County are signed 55, which is almost universally ignored. 

I can understand why Glendening would have been unwilling to offend his Green  friends in Montgomery County with a speed limit increase, but Hogan is not constrained by that, as he is widely disliked by the Greens.

[1995hoo]

According to this article– https://object.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa346.pdf (scroll down to page 12)–Maryland raised its speed limits to allow 65 mph in July 1996 and, as you note, basically complied with the revised 1987 version of the NMSL, at least initially. Glendening was governor from January 1995 to January 2003, but of course the NMSL repeal wasn't effective until 8 December 1995. My recollection was that Maryland passed the bill allowing 65-mph limits in 1995 because Maryland was one of the last two states (New York was the other) to allow 65-mph limits prior to the NMSL's repeal, and a Google search for "Parris Glendening" and "speed limit" turned up a reference saying the bill had been enacted at least by August 1995. Maybe the "July 1996" reference relates to when I-95 "between the Beltways" first got a 65-mph limit, since obviously that could not have happened until after the NMSL's demise. I did not read the article in intense detail, but I kind of construed its references to "speed limit increases" as meaning "increases beyond what the NMSL allowed" because that was the whole point of what they were addressing.

Some research indicates the General Assembly did pass a 65-mph bill in 1991, but Schaefer vetoed it. It would have applied only to the following roads:  I-95 north of Route 24 in Harford County to the state line, I-83 north of Hunt Valley to the state line, I-70 west of Bethany Lane in Howard County to Hancock, I-270 from Gaithersburg to Frederick, I-68 excluding Cumberland, US-50 from Bowie to Annapolis, and I-97 south of the Route 3 Business exit in Glen Burnie.

[tckma]

(I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

The entire length of I-795.

[tckma]

Maryland held on to 55 For a long time. "Still! 55"

You sure that wasn't Pennsylvania?  The first year or so I was in college (when I drove from Long Island to Ithaca, NY using I-80 to I-380 to I-81 to NY-79), I remember a metric crapton of signage posted on PA interstates saying "Pennsylvania's Speed Limit is STILL 55 MPH!!!" with lots of exclamation points and STILL 55 MPH being huge compared to the other text.  This would have been around 1996-1998.  Not saying Maryland didn't do the same, but say "STILL 55!" and I instantly think PA.

[Rothman]

Definitely remember the 55 mph signs with STILL! banners in MD.

[cl94]

(I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

The entire length of I-795.

I-195 as well.

[1995hoo]

Definitely remember the 55 mph signs with STILL! banners in MD.

Me too. I recall they had those on the Beltway right after you crossed the Legion Bridge from Virginia. I thought that was odd during the NMSL days because they couldn't have posted 65 on that road regardless of whether they had allowed it elsewhere around the state.

(I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

The entire length of I-795.

Thanks. That is the one Maryland Interstate I have never travelled (it, I-70 inside the Baltimore Beltway, and a piece of the I-895 spur are keeping me from clinching 100% of Maryland's Interstates).

(I may be mistaken, but as far as I know, the only 60-mph limit in Maryland is on the Intercounty Connector.)

The entire length of I-795.

I-195 as well.

Thanks. Have not been to BWI in several years, so I didn't know that. Obviously, they have a few more 60-mph zones than I knew about, but it sounds like it's still on a much smaller scale than in some other states.

[PHLBOS]

Maryland held on to 55 For a long time. "Still! 55"

You sure that wasn't Pennsylvania?  The first year or so I was in college (when I drove from Long Island to Ithaca, NY using I-80 to I-380 to I-81 to NY-79), I remember a metric crapton of signage posted on PA interstates saying "Pennsylvania's Speed Limit is STILL 55 MPH!!!" with lots of exclamation points and STILL 55 MPH being huge compared to the other text.  This would have been around 1996-1998.  Not saying Maryland didn't do the same, but say "STILL 55!" and I instantly think PA.

I couldn't find a photo of such on line; but PA's sign read (typically placed within 5 miles from its borders):

   PENNSYLVANIA'S
   MAXIMUM SPEED
LIMIT STILL 55 M.P.H.

The STILL text was boxed in yellow.

These signs were taken down circa 1996 when PA initially raised its maximum speed limits on rural Interstates to 65.