Pay a toll, drive faster

[InterstateNG]

On the other hand, sometimes they want you to pay a toll to drive slower.  On the Chisholm Trail Parkway project in Fort Worth, the proposed speed limit on the north end, between I-30 and I-20, is 50 mph.  The artificially low speed limit is intended to reduce noise impact in the surrounding residential area.  There's also discussion of charging a higher rate, I've heard 4 cents per mile extra, to pay for the extra aesthetics.  I haven't seen that in any of the documents, but it's been said at public meetings.  This portion of road is surrounded on all 4 sides by freeways, so it's the least competitive section, and they want to charge people an extra-high toll to drive slower than all of the surrounding freeways.

This ridiculous speed limit not only disincentivizes toll-paying, but is unsafe.  Rule followers, and people with warrants, will go 50, while people wanting to drive a reasonable speed (and get some value for their toll money) will probably be going 70-75.

It's the same thinking behind managed toll lanes.  I can pay a toll and be guaranteed to go 50-55 mph during peak periods and not have to deal with congestion.  That's the theory anyways, I'm not familiar enough with Ft Worth traffic patterns to know if that will work in practice for this road.