Is the era of speed limit increases over?

[kphoger]

It would really be nice if Oklahoma could raise it speed limit limits to 80 or 85 miles an hour outside of the tollway system.

Only if they fix their pavement first...

[Plutonic Panda]

It would really be nice if Oklahoma could raise it speed limit limits to 80 or 85 miles an hour outside of the tollway system.

Only if they fix their pavement first...

You know it's weird. I found some potholes and speed bumps are better going over faster than slower. It just depends. I cruise on interstate 40 it wasn't that bad. I did about 80 to 90 from Amarillo to Oklahoma City. It was around 3 AM of course I think the biggest risk are the left exits which I slowed down pretty significantly at and of course there's the threat of hitting a deer which would be pretty fucked up at that speed and it almost happened to me too outside of Amarillo.

[JREwing78]

Michigan has been a bit schizophrenic in regards to how and where the 65 mph non-freeway speed limits are deployed. At the time, the idea was that this was an experiment to see how the change affected safety and travel times. But at this point, at least in the region north of the US-10 corridor, 65 mph should be the default on state trunklines.

In effect, about half the highways in the U.P. are posted for 65. The others are still posted for 55, with almost no logic in why the roads are different. US-41 and US-141, in particular, should've been 65 from the outset. M-26 and M-38 should also have the higher limits. M-95? Definitely. 

M-123 north of M-28, however, has no business being posted for 65. It's too narrow. 

South of US-10, a lot of state trunklines are either too narrow, have too many residences/businesses connecting to them, or don't have the clear right-of-way one would want to support a higher speed limit. Or, they're too congested. Unlike up north, there's few places where staying on a 2-lane saves time over seeking out the nearest freeway. We also, frankly, don't have a lot of 2-lane mileage built to modern standards downstate (12' lanes w/ 10' shoulders on 100' ROW), and the portions that are to modern standards are congested enough that they should be 4-laned instead.

Would Michigan consider 75 mph on more freeway mileage? I-69 and US-127 south of I-96 could support it. I-196, at least south of Holland, could support it. US-31 between the border and Benton Harbor? Yes.

More congested roadways like I-94, I-96, and I-75? I can understand the reluctance to bump speed limits up further, at least until widened to improve level-of-service ratings. In urban areas? Yeah, they don't need to go beyond 70.