Spectre
The Deported
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2007
- Messages
- 36,832
- Location
- Dallas, Texas
- Car(s)
- 00 4Runner | 02 919 | 87 XJ6 | 86 CB700SC
We do have a statutory 85mph top limit and some stretches of very rural highway where the limit is set to 80; however, most non-urban highways have a 70mph upper limit. We also had a lower nighttime speed limit due to lack of illumination as well as lack of performance of the general automotive population's lighting systems in the past. Trucks also were held to a lower speed limit due to older equipment's limitations in the past. However - as of September 1, all of that will begin going away (except for the 80/85 bit).
I am very happy about this. It will soon take less time to get to El Paso or Odessa at max legal speeds and fines for cruising in the 90s will be much reduced. On top of that, the damn semis won't have to be plugging along trying to pass each other with a maximum speed limit of less than the rest of the vehicle population. One more step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, in California, they're looking at lowering speed limits.
TxDOT Increases Speed Limit on Some Highways
New laws regulating speed limits on state highways in Texas are beginning to take effect. Some speed limits will increase.
Gov. Perry signed House Bill 1353, which takes effect today. This legislation allows the Texas Department of Transportation to create a 75-mph speed limit on any state highway found to be reasonable and safe through a speed study.
TxDOT will be reviewing existing 70-mph limits to determine where a 75-mph speed limit may be safely posted.
HB 1353 also eliminates the 65-mph nighttime speed limit and all truck speed limits. On Sept. 1, the existing nighttime and truck speed limits are repealed and no longer enforceable.
TxDOT awarded maintenance contracts in August to remove the nighttime and truck speed limit signs and is also in the process of hiring consultants to perform the required speed studies needed to implement the higher speed limits.
The state will be removing the existing nighttime speed limit signs, truck speed limit signs, and evaluating approximately 50,000 miles of state highway with a current 70-mph speed limit.
However, any increases in speed limits are not officially in effect until the physical signs are installed.
Speed limits in Texas are set by the 85th percentile method, which represents the speed the majority of drivers are traveling at or below. This is a sound engineering principle used to set speed limits on highways nationwide for the past 60 years, say state officials.
The existing 65-mph night and truck speed limit signs should be removed by the end of this year. The complete evaluation of the state highway system and posting of all new 75-mph speed limits should be complete by early 2013.
I am very happy about this. It will soon take less time to get to El Paso or Odessa at max legal speeds and fines for cruising in the 90s will be much reduced. On top of that, the damn semis won't have to be plugging along trying to pass each other with a maximum speed limit of less than the rest of the vehicle population. One more step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, in California, they're looking at lowering speed limits.
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