Urban freeway speed limits

[ethanman62187]

I do not know why in NYC it is as slow as 35 mph on such freeways. Is there a plan to raise those limits?  Don't know why the limit on such freeways does not go anywhere above 50. What is the highest limit on urban freeways?

[realjd]

I do not know why in NYC it is as slow as 35 mph on such freeways. Is there a plan to raise those limits?  Don't know why the limit on such freeways does not go anywhere above 50. What is the highest limit on urban freeways?

55-65 is pretty much standard for urban freeways in my experience. The problem with NYC freeways is that many are old and not up to current design standards. That and the fact that the entire northeast has weird hangups about high speed limits.

[myosh_tino]

Most San Francisco Bay Area freeways have a speed limit of 65 MPH although there are some freeways with 55 MPH limits.  The lowest freeway speed limit that I know of is US 101 as it enters downtown San Francisco.  It has a 50 MPH limit.

[formulanone]

I caught a 40 mph speed limit sign on I-585 in Spartanburg, SC. But 585 was due to end in about a mile, anyhow.

It's definitely a interstate in name only, certainly not by current design standards. But the button copy makes up for it.

[hbelkins]

Don't know how tightly you are defining "urban" but I-64/I-75 through Lexington, Ky., is 70 mph. Of course it doesn't enter the downtown area but it passes through the Urban Service Area of the merged city-county government.

[agentsteel53]

I seem to remember a surprising amount of I-84 is 75mph near Boise.  It drops to 65 at the real heart of things, but a lot of it, with densely packed interchanges, noise-proofing walls, and a center barrier, is 75 if I recall correctly.

[1995hoo]

I-395 in DC varies between 35 mph, 40 mph, and 45 mph. Nobody obeys any of those except going past the speed cameras, and if you try to obey the limit you may cause a pileup.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

That and the fact that the entire northeast has weird hangups about high speed limits.

That might be the understatement of the century.

[xcellntbuy]

I do not know why in NYC it is as slow as 35 mph on such freeways. Is there a plan to raise those limits?  Don't know why the limit on such freeways does not go anywhere above 50. What is the highest limit on urban freeways?

The standard speed limit within the City of New York is 50 mph for almost all expressways and parkways.  There are lower limits in places such as at or over bridges and in tunnels.  The limits used to drop in 5 mph increments as you approach the Queens-Midtown Tunnel westbound--one of the best views of Manhattan day or night before you.

[Revive 755]

Missouri - Seems to be a lot of variation among the MoDOT districts for urban speed limits:

* St. Louis -  55 near downtown, generally 60 outside of downtown to varying distances west of I-270, then 65 for a while, then up to 70

* Columbia - 60 through town on I-70, while the US 63 freeway was recently lowered to 65 from 70

* Springfield - 60 through town on I-44, US 65 and the US 60/MO 360 corridor

* Kansas City - 65 for I-70 east of I-435, then 55 between I-435 and the downtown loop where the limit goes down to 45.  I recall I-29 having a long 65 mph section that drops to 55 south of US 169; haven't been on I-35 enough to remember

* St. Joesph - I-29 drops to 65 through town, while I-229 drops to 55 through downtown, but is 70 on either side of downtown, with the drop on the south side barely outside of downtown.  I think US 36 was 55 through town

* Hannibal - I-72 is a lousy 55 through town

Nebraska

* Lincoln - I-80 drops from 75 to 65 through the area.  I-180 is mostly 60, but with a 45 mph section transitioning to 25 mph at the southern end in downtown

* Omaha - 60 mph in Douglas County (thanks to defective legislation) for I-80 and I-680; 65 dropping to 55 for US 6; and 60 for the north-south section of I-480, but a lousy 50 for the east-west section

[ftballfan]

Grand Rapids/Muskegon

* I-96 - 70 mph
* I-196 - 70 mph, 65 mph between Market Ave and Fuller Ave
* US-31 in Muskegon - 70 mph
* US-31 in Ferrysburg - 70 mph, drops to 50 just before the drawbridge
* US-131 - 70 mph, 55 mph between Wealthy St and I-196
* M-6 - 70 mph

[roadfro]

In Nevada, urban freeway speed limits are always 65mph. I-80 where it passes through smaller cities/towns tends to remain 70mph, even though NDOT considers it passing through "small urban" areas.

[JREwing78]

Michigan has pretty much standardized on 70mph limits on freeways, unless the roadway is dangerously substandard, as in the case with 131 and certain inner-city Detroit freeways.

There's been a recent push by State Police officials to post limits at the 85th percentile speed, which lead to stretches like US-127 and I-496 in Lansing updated to 70 from 55. Even the horribly substandard I-94 in Jackson got booted to 70 in recent years.

That push has spread to some lower-class roadways. US-127 on the Ithaca-to-St. Johns stretch, which has driveways, a railroad crossing, and cross-traffic, got moved up to 65mph recently, as did the short stretch of M-14 near Barton Dr.

[codyg1985]

Huntsville, AL I-565 is 70 mph through most of Huntsville until you get to the viaduct close to downtown where it drops to 65 mph.

Birmingham, AL Most urban freeways with the exception of I-459 is 60 mph (I-459 is 70 mph). Around the I-20/59/65 junction, however, the speed limit drops to 50 mph. I can't remember if US 31/280 (Red Mtn. Expressway) is 50 mph or 60 mph. I want to say 50 mph.

[agentsteel53]

There's been a recent push by State Police officials to post limits at the 85th percentile speed,

wow!  can other jurisdictions learn from this example, please?

[agentsteel53]

In Nevada, urban freeway speed limits are always 65mph. I-80 where it passes through smaller cities/towns tends to remain 70mph, even though NDOT considers it passing through "small urban" areas.

do you mean 75 in this case?  I don't remember 75-70 drops on I-80 or I-15, just 75-65 in the obvious urban areas.

[1995hoo]

Michigan has pretty much standardized on 70mph limits on freeways, unless the roadway is dangerously substandard, as in the case with 131 and certain inner-city Detroit freeways.

....

I think the text in boldface answers the OP's query about why NYC Interstates have low speed limits.

[froggie]

I-395 in DC varies between 35 mph, 40 mph, and 45 mph. Nobody obeys any of those except going past the speed cameras, and if you try to obey the limit you may cause a pileup.

Where is it 35?  3rd St Tunnel is 45, SW Freeway is 40.

You might be thinking of the 11th St Bridge (hidden I-695), which due to the construction is signed at 30 MPH.

I can't remember if US 31/280 (Red Mtn. Expressway) is 50 mph or 60 mph. I want to say 50 mph.

Used to be 55.  Not sure if it still is.

[1995hoo]

I-395 in DC varies between 35 mph, 40 mph, and 45 mph. Nobody obeys any of those except going past the speed cameras, and if you try to obey the limit you may cause a pileup.

Where is it 35?  3rd St Tunnel is 45, SW Freeway is 40.

....

I thought I recalled a 35 sign on the northbound ramp leading to the tunnel, and the ramp is part of the mainline.


Edited to add: Found it on Street View. (Couldn't check that when I replied earlier.)

[hm insulators]

Phoenix has 55 on I-17 from Dunlap Avenue south around the bend to where it meets I-10 for the second time near Sky Harbor. Arizona 51 has 55 from the Glendale Avenue exit down to the Mini-Stack. Loop 202 east from the Mini-Stack is 55 but I forget for how far. Arizona 143 is 55 except for a short portion near I-10 where it's 45. On the outskirts, the new Loop 303 between Grand Avenue (US 60) and I-17 has a 55 mph speed limit for some silly reason, although the section skirting Sun City West does have a few at-grade intersections, such as at El Mirage Road.

As far as I know, all the other Phoenix-area freeways are 65.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Many expressways in Montreal are 70 km/h (a little under 45 mph); notably, Décarie Expy (A-15), Bonaventure Expy (A-10) and Autoroute du Souvenir (A-20).

[roadfro]

In Nevada, urban freeway speed limits are always 65mph. I-80 where it passes through smaller cities/towns tends to remain 70mph, even though NDOT considers it passing through "small urban" areas.

do you mean 75 in this case?  I don't remember 75-70 drops on I-80 or I-15, just 75-65 in the obvious urban areas.

Should've said "70 or 75mph". The immediate example that came to mind when typing that was Fernley--I-80 is signed at 70 mph east of Reno/Sparks through Fernley, but bumps up to 75 mph somewhere east of there.

[ftballfan]

Michigan has pretty much standardized on 70mph limits on freeways, unless the roadway is dangerously substandard, as in the case with 131 and certain inner-city Detroit freeways.

There's been a recent push by State Police officials to post limits at the 85th percentile speed, which lead to stretches like US-127 and I-496 in Lansing updated to 70 from 55. Even the horribly substandard I-94 in Jackson got booted to 70 in recent years.

That push has spread to some lower-class roadways. US-127 on the Ithaca-to-St. Johns stretch, which has driveways, a railroad crossing, and cross-traffic, got moved up to 65mph recently, as did the short stretch of M-14 near Barton Dr.

I-196 is somewhat substandard in Grand Rapids, especially from M-45 to US-131 (that may explain the 65 mph limit there).

If US-127 between Ithaca and St. Johns was upped to 65 mph, I would not be surprised if US-31 from Grand Haven to Holland or the divided section of M-45 just east of GVSU get upped to 65 in the near future.

[yanksfan6129]

I do not know why in NYC it is as slow as 35 mph on such freeways. Is there a plan to raise those limits?  Don't know why the limit on such freeways does not go anywhere above 50. What is the highest limit on urban freeways?

Remind me which road in NYC is 35 mph...of the top of my head, I know the expressways are 50, parkways can go down to 45, the Triborough Bridge is 40, and I'm pretty sure part of the FDR drive is 40...but I can't recall where 35 is.

[ethanman62187]

Many expressways in Montreal are 70 km/h (a little under 45 mph); notably, Décarie Expy (A-15), Bonaventure Expy (A-10) and Autoroute du Souvenir (A-20).

Traffic that is not in rush hour go above that.