85 MPH speed limit coming

So now everybody will be going 100.

 

Didn't someone mention that a bunch of pick-em-ups are governed to about 90 mph? If so, then some big powerful trucks will be unable to keep up with some Prii.

 

What's old is new. (shaking head) We used to have NO speed limit on Montana open roads . . . in fact it wasn't too long ago that Montana introduced their 1st open container law. Prior to just a few years ago, you could tip your beer at the local constible ... no big deal. Winning combo, eh? High speed and booze. I'm SURE it was just a coincidence that Montana lead the nation in fatalities per capita. Oh well, I guess the makers of plastic flowers (there are TONS on the side of Flathead Lake) and caskets will see these kinds of speed laws as a boom.

 

I noticed on some of the 80 mph sections of Interstate in West Texas that the average speeds were closer to the speed limit than at, say 60.
Have others noticed this?

I'm wondering if 80-85 is a "real" speed limit for a lot of folks--i.e., we finally think we are going "fast enough"??

Of course, there are always a few folks who want to go as fast as they can.

 

This is a great way for lots of innocent people to die! World-wide, roughly 1 in every 100 hundred of us will die in a car accident, but with speed limits like this that number will for sure go way higher.

Most people don't have the competency to operate a vehicle at that speed. Then again, when it comes to death and pollution and no taxes for the ultra rich Texas has long been a world leader...

When W Bush was president he tried pushing this same kind of BS on a national level and the many speed limit signs out west that were raised to 70mph have, one death at a time, slowly been lowered back to more sensible speeds.

 

I think some speed limits are too low, but ready yesterday (?) that some state that raised its limits recently has seen a marked increase in accidents.

I still wait for a future of automated driving, which alone will affect efficient transportation more than an increase in speed limits.

 

If it is a toll road, they could issue the speeding ticket automatically upon exiting. Oklahoma did that on the Turner highway (and still does if nothing has changed since the last time I drove on it.)

Bob Wilson

 

Am I the only 1 who finds the high speed trend to be an irony? What's it been now 3 or 4 years since world wide oil production peaked? Oh well ... with higher speed limits we'll all be able to get to the back of the gas lines quicker - ah la 1970's. Like I said - what's old is new again.

SGH-I717R ? 2

 

Sustained 85-95mph in the Prius with 100mi each way (200mi round trip) nets about 42mpg. Windows up, AC on.

 

Yea if it it is truly sustained... But the difference between 90 and 95mph is 10mpg... A poster on here who said they regularly drove 90 to 95 mpg was getting 35mpg, so I'm thinking your MPG estimates are a bit high...

 

That is sustained. Believe me I drive it often. Usually once a week. There are 2 sections where it drops. One is where the interstate goes from 3 lanes to 2 lanes and everybody panics so it drops to 25-45mph for roughly 1 mile. The other is going over Monument Hill where there are generally semi's in the crawl lane, slow cars that can't take the incline in the middle lane, and sometimes a goof who's car can't make it but refuses to pull over so the speed drops and drops and drops until crested over the hill.

Other than that is is smooth sailing. Roughly 1000ft elevation drop on the way there, and same elevation gain on the way back.

At one point last year I was driving this every other day for a couple weeks.

 

It's Texas way of supporting the troops fighting oil wars in the Middle East for the last 20 years so they can use more gas, drive fast, pollute more, import more and not get anywhere any faster.

 

you forgot 1 thing. ... increase our 16,000,000,000,000 (trillion) dollar national debt.


SGH-I717R ? 2

 

Yep, some trucks are limited to much slower. I expect that cars will end up going the speed limit though, and not greatly exceeding it. You pay extra, and you don't need to go through spots where the speed limit drops.

I'm sure TEXDOT will be monitoring accidents. This is only a 40 mile stretch, traffic often goes 80 mph then drops bellow 55 mph in sections, on I35. There is a little bit of a hope by some that accidents go up, and we build fewer toll roads. This is more a you pay your money, you get less traffic and no speeding tickets.

 

Silly me, I like facts over truthiness. Reagan was the one with the experiment, and Clinton was the one that repealed the national maximum speed limit. Fatalities have steadily decreased in spite of the repeal.

This is on a toll road, and that is my main concern. We now are creating a two tiered system. If you pay more, you get to ride on better roads with less traffic and no speeding tickets, but we all pay for most of the roads with our tax dollars.

 

the reduction in fatalities has not been because of manipulations of the speed law. it is simply better cars, better technology, crackdowns on drunk driving, etc.

wondering where the money came from to build this road? and if left up to paying for these roads strictly by tolls, i bet the miles wont pile up very fast

 

Dave,
The texas legislature has refused to raise gas taxes, to pay for new roads for the the higher population we have since the original roads were built. Its a gutless stance, and analysis says it maybe cheaper in the long run to just raise the taxes and build public roads. Toll roads are better than no new roads, but this has been a failure of government.

The toll roads are a public/private partnership.
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Now bellow is a plan that would have made sense

The state would pay for the roads, and kick out the for profit companies. Then we would have nice new roads for people driving south to avoid austin traffic paid for by gas taxes., Instead, well, we will have an 85 mph stretch of toll road that may relieve a little congestion, but mostly for those that can afford to pay.