Speed Limits That Are Too High

[WillWeaverRVA]

The default speed limit for gravel roads in Québec is 70 km/h, which is often too fast considering how many of those roads are riddled with potholes.

The Dalton Highway in Alaska still has gravel segments, yet the whole road is posted at 50 mph (80 km/h).

I think the gravel portion of VA 91 is posted at 35 mph but I'm not positive. The GSV imagery from the area is from 2007 so it's no help.

[kphoger]

The Dalton Highway in Alaska still has gravel segments, yet the whole road is posted at 50 mph (80 km/h).

I think there are several states in which 55 mph is the default speed limit for gravel roads.

[Ketchup99]

Never thought I'd have many additions to this collection, but here's one I encountered recently in Greenwood Lake, NY:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2131613,-74.30725,3a,17.7y,215.44h,88.52t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sHq0NwxdUAOSBCrTqCM80IA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DHq0NwxdUAOSBCrTqCM80IA%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D211.7427%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

[sprjus4]

Never thought I'd have many additions to this collection, but here's one I encountered recently in Greenwood Lake, NY:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2131613,-74.30725,3a,17.7y,215.44h,88.52t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sHq0NwxdUAOSBCrTqCM80IA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DHq0NwxdUAOSBCrTqCM80IA%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D211.7427%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Hard to say it's a "too high" of a limit. It just seems like an actual maximum that would cause a safety hazard to exceed that limit.

[Roadgeekteen]

Never thought I'd have many additions to this collection, but here's one I encountered recently in Greenwood Lake, NY:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2131613,-74.30725,3a,17.7y,215.44h,88.52t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sHq0NwxdUAOSBCrTqCM80IA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DHq0NwxdUAOSBCrTqCM80IA%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D211.7427%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Hard to say it's a "too high" of a limit. It just seems like an actual maximum that would cause a safety hazard to exceed that limit.

That looks like a 30 type of road.

[sprjus4]

40 mph is the maximum safe speed. If it were posted at 30, you would likely get a number of drivers going 35 - 40. With a 40 mph limit, you are setting that as the maximum safe speed, and few people would likely exceed it.

[Ketchup99]

I suppose 40 is a reasonable limit for a road like that, if we're talking true limits. My sense of a reasonable limit has been warped to mean that anything fitting "I can drive a reasonable speed and still be under 10 over" is fine...

[Roadgeekteen]

40 mph is the maximum safe speed. If it were posted at 30, you would likely get a number of drivers going 35 - 40. With a 40 mph limit, you are setting that as the maximum safe speed, and few people would likely exceed it.

Most drivers don't see speed limits as the maximum safe speed.

[webny99]

Most drivers don't see speed limits as the maximum safe speech.

[Roadgeekteen]

Most drivers don't see speed limits as the maximum safe speech.

my fault lol

[vdeane]

40 mph is the maximum safe speed. If it were posted at 30, you would likely get a number of drivers going 35 - 40. With a 40 mph limit, you are setting that as the maximum safe speed, and few people would likely exceed it.

Most drivers don't see speed limits as the maximum safe speed.

Honestly, that's on aspect of American driving culture I don't like, especially as now as speed limits are often set lower with that in mind.  It's frustrating as someone who is a rule follower to get stuck with the choice of either follow the rule and go artificially slow, or break the rule and go a more reasonable speed.

[Roadgeekteen]

I think that every speed limit should be safe at least 5 mph over.

[sprjus4]

40 mph is the maximum safe speed. If it were posted at 30, you would likely get a number of drivers going 35 - 40. With a 40 mph limit, you are setting that as the maximum safe speed, and few people would likely exceed it.

Most drivers don't see speed limits as the maximum safe speed.

Honestly, that's on aspect of American driving culture I don't like, especially as now as speed limits are often set lower with that in mind.  It's frustrating as someone who is a rule follower to get stuck with the choice of either follow the rule and go artificially slow, or break the rule and go a more reasonable speed.

Agreed, and I often find myself in situations where I can easily be going 15 or even 20 mph over the posted limit simply to keep up with the flow of traffic. I'd rather be moving the same speed as opposed to being the "slow" one that is holding up traffic or creating dangerous situations between faster drivers, especially if I'm going to use the left lane to pass.

Urban areas with 55 mph or 60 mph limits around here often see 70-75 mph actual speeds, and rural 65 mph or 70 mph limits see often 80-85 mph actual speeds (except I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond which sees 60-65 mph actual speeds in a 70 mph zone)

Ideally, urban area speed limits should be 65 or 70 mph, with 55 mph or 60 mph limited to the most urban, heavily congested, substandard portions, and rural speed limits either 75 mph or 80 mph.

[Angelo71]

VA-116 east of Roanoke's speed limit is 55. VA-116 is windy and should not be 55 mph.

[sprjus4]

VA-116 east of Roanoke's speed limit is 55. VA-116 is windy and should not be 55 mph.

That's why there's advisory speeds for curves where the speed limit can not be safely handled.

How about here? Why shouldn't I be able drive 55 mph here between curves?

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.1997681,-79.8839063,3a,75y,200.01h,87t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY-eOJDpqDd-YM915hRf13Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

[Angelo71]

VA-116 east of Roanoke's speed limit is 55. VA-116 is windy and should not be 55 mph.

That's why there's advisory speeds for curves where the speed limit can not be safely handled.

How about here? Why shouldn't I be able drive 55 mph here between curves?

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.1997681,-79.8839063,3a,75y,200.01h,87t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY-eOJDpqDd-YM915hRf13Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

You should, but in windy areas it should be 45 mph.

[kphoger]

VA-116 east of Roanoke's speed limit is 55. VA-116 is windy and should not be 55 mph.

You should, but in windy areas it should be 45 mph.

Do you mean winding instead?  Windy means "marked by or exposed to strong winds".

[Angelo71]

VA-116 east of Roanoke's speed limit is 55. VA-116 is windy and should not be 55 mph.

You should, but in windy areas it should be 45 mph.

Do you mean winding instead?  Windy means "marked by or exposed to strong winds".

Yes, I mean winding.

[Ricw24]

https://goo.gl/maps/qx5Bic7CDeRBXTQy7

The speed limit here was 50. After the death of a toddler, Andrew Cuomo lowered it to 30.

[sprjus4]

https://goo.gl/maps/qx5Bic7CDeRBXTQy7

The speed limit here was 50. After the death of a toddler, Andrew Cuomo lowered it to 30.

How many people has it actually slowed down? If an engineering study actually indicated a need for a lower limit, which it doesn't appear did, I'd imagine 45 mph would've been appropriate for that type of road. 30 mph seems well artificially low.

What was the cause of the accident?

[Ricw24]

How many people has it actually slowed down? If an engineering study actually indicated a need for a lower limit, which it doesn't appear did, I'd imagine 45 mph would've been appropriate for that type of road. 30 mph seems well artificially low.

What was the cause of the accident?

A driver fell asleep behind the wheel & veered off the road. There were no guard rail in place as seen here https://goo.gl/maps/v3cp8QKpdBHwNWjE9

There's also long opposition to the expressway as it runs right thru an Olmsted Park, so with some advocacy Andrew Cuomo wrote an executive order lowering the speed limit to 30 mph.

[kphoger]

How many people has it actually slowed down? If an engineering study actually indicated a need for a lower limit, which it doesn't appear did, I'd imagine 45 mph would've been appropriate for that type of road. 30 mph seems well artificially low.

What was the cause of the accident?

A driver fell asleep behind the wheel & veered off the road. There were no guard rail in place as seen here https://goo.gl/maps/v3cp8QKpdBHwNWjE9

There's also long opposition to the expressway as it runs right thru an Olmsted Park, so with some advocacy Andrew Cuomo wrote an executive order lowering the speed limit to 30 mph.

Sounds a bit like Route 53 in & around Glen Ellyn, IL.  Except that highway manages to do OK with a 40-45mph speed limit.

[Ketchup99]

https://goo.gl/maps/qx5Bic7CDeRBXTQy7

The speed limit here was 50. After the death of a toddler, Andrew Cuomo lowered it to 30.

How... how? 30? That might be the dumbest speed limit I've seen in my life. And why governors are setting speed limits by decree, I don't understand...

[Roadgeekteen]

https://goo.gl/maps/qx5Bic7CDeRBXTQy7

The speed limit here was 50. After the death of a toddler, Andrew Cuomo lowered it to 30.

How... how? 30? That might be the dumbest speed limit I've seen in my life. And why governors are setting speed limits by decree, I don't understand...

Engineers should set speed limits, not politicians.

[Ricw24]

How... how? 30? That might be the dumbest speed limit I've seen in my life. And why governors are setting speed limits by decree, I don't understand...

Here's the letter from Cuomo to the DOT:


It's clearly a political move from the governor to gain support of progressive voters. He also promised a complete redesign of the expressway to convert it into a boulevard, but that never materialize. So Buffalonians are now stuck with a useless "expressway".