Friday, June 11, 2010

Virginia Considers Raising Speed Limit -- What Do You Think?

Did you see/hear the media reports earlier this week about the possibility of raising the speed limit from 65 to 70 miles per hour on some Virginia highways?

According to the Washington Post:
"Safety studies are under way to determine whether the speed limit on s. A bill approved earlier this year by the General Assembly allows the new speed limit on certain interstates, multilane divided highways and high-occupancy lanes that are separated from regular travel lanes. The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to evaluate 741 miles of Interstates 64, 66, 77, 81, 95, 295 and 395 during the first round of studies. A list of areas being studied was posted Monday on VDOT's website. They include I-64 from Clifton Forge to the West Virginia border, I-81 in Botetourt County between mile markers 151 and 179, and I-95 from Ashland to Kings Dominion."

WTOP Radio reported that "the Virginia Department of Transportation says the first of the changes will be seen July 1, but every area that is studied won't necessarily see an increase in its speed limit."

What are your thoughts on the subject? Should the speed limit on Commonwealth highways be increased? Or are they high enough already?

Let us know. Comment below.

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4 comments:

  1. Yeah! At last! Try driving 65 and you get mowed down by the all the traffic driving 75, and 85. Raise the speed level and perhaps they can enforce 75.

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  2. OMG PLEASE!!! People drive like complete idiots around here, making their own speed limits (normally under the posted) and create traffic. I will never understand it, my time is important to me and is valuable some act like they have no place to go in the world. Raise the limits and keep widening the roads!!!

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  3. Speed limits on every road and in every area should reflect the logical speeds that the population generally can drive. We can go on and on about people that can't even drive 55 without making it a mockery, but the truth is many Virginia roads are posted 10-15 MPH below their logical safe speeds, not just for drivers but surroundings. It's bad enough going 25 MPH on four lane roads just because some town administrator loves ticket revenue in the guise of "public safety".

    TWO things we need to do now: (1.) raise the speed limit in areas where it's obvious pretty much everyone is driving well above the current limit without any challenge whatsoever, and (2.) start ticketing people for not keeping to the right of all highways and interstates when they are not directly passing someone driving slower. These two things go together; one will not make much difference at all without the other, and frankly we won't have to widen several of our roads if the police enforce the keep right laws already on the books and open things up for those of us who see driving in traffic as a "point A to point B" exercise rather than an extended term event that could go on conceivably forever.

    Do both of these, Virginia, and you'll increase productivity, increase safety, eliminate the need for new lanes in some cases, and deliver far more aware and courteous drivers.

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  4. agreed with above. too bad its gonna be a bear to make that ever happen because of all the knee jerk 'safety' tards

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