Portions of Texas Interstate Highways to see Speed Limit Increase

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN -- Miles and miles of Texas highway will soon see speed limit increases following Thursday’s [Jan. 26] Texas Transportation Commission action approving 75 mph designations for close to 1,500 miles of interstate.

The speed limit changes span 60 Texas counties making it the largest conversion since a new law was passed last year. The 82nd Texas Legislature passed and the Governor signed House Bill 1353 which allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to establish 75 mph speed limits on Texas highways providing speed studies show it can be done safely.

Since September, the agency has been reviewing existing 70 mph speed limits across the state to determine where a 75 mph limit may be safely posted. Four Central Texas highways were the first to see higher speeds after the new law took effect. Thursday’s Commission action brings the number of miles now zoned at 75 mph as a result of House Bill (HB) 1353 to 1,618.

Posting new speed limits on 1,500 miles of interstate highway is a major milestone in implementing the new law, said Carol Rawson, TxDOT Traffic Operations Division director.

"Texas’ economic strength depends on the efficient and safe movement of people and goods," Rawson explained. "These new speed limits increase highway efficiency while maintaining the safety of the transportation system."

TxDOT recommended to the Commission that speed limits be raised on segments of I-10, I-20, I-27, I-30, I-35, I-37, I-40, I-44 and I-45 after engineering studies showed that higher speeds could be posted safely.

Motorists must continue to travel at the posted speed until new signs are installed, said Rawson.

"The new speed limit is not official until the signs go up," she added.

TxDOT studies of speeds on U.S. highways, state highways, farm-to-market and ranch-to-market roads are still under way.

Prior to HB 1353, Texas had 1,445 miles of 75 mph speed limits and 521 miles of 80 mph speed limits on certain state highways. These speed limits were previously restricted to specific rural counties and highways located mostly in West Texas. Texas now has almost 3,600 miles zoned at 75 mph or higher.

New 75 mph speed limits approved Thursday are located on:

I-10 -- 289 miles across El Paso, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Bexar, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Gonzales, Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Jefferson and Orange counties
I-20 -- 423 miles across Crane, Ector, Midland, Martin, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Erath, Palo Pinto, Van Zandt, Smith, Gregg and Harrison counties
I-27 -- 109 miles across Lubbock, Hale, Swisher and Randall counties
I-30 -- 139 miles across Hunt, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Morris and Bowie counties
I-35 -- 106 miles across Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke counties
I-37 -- 130 miles across Nueces, San Patricio, Live Oak, Atascosa and Bexar counties
I-40 -- 166 miles across Deaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Donley and Wheeler counties
I-44 -- 11 miles across Wichita County
I-45 -- 143 miles across Walker, Madison, Leon, Freestone and Navarro counties

http://www.txdot.gov/safety/speed_limit/75mph.htm

As the song from Sammy Hagar states, "I can't drive 55."

[MADem]

1. I was up in northern Maine a while back, and to my surprise, there is a big chunk of I-95

north of Bangor to the Canadian border that is now 75 MPH.

Depending on time of day, you can tool along that road and not see another soul for miles. You can see the occasional deer or moose, though.

[TexasTowelie]

3. There are areas in West Texas where the speed limit is 80 mph.

The bill that was passed means that the number of miles set with a speed limit greater at 70 mph will nearly double.

[MADem]

4. Wow! Well, it's a big state, eh? nt

[liberal_biker]

5. Isnt like...

...most of us aren't cruising at 80mph anyway...

Now i just don't have to keep as close an eye out for DPS...

[sonias]

6. true

You're absolutely right. I guess they aren't seeing enough revenue collection on tickets to justify more DPS out there.

These are not the speeders you seek. Move along ....

[TexasTowelie]

7. I'm with you in spirit.

However, I drove enough clunkers that would have fallen apart if they got above 70 mph on a downhill.

I have some concerns about the limit being that high if there are no access roads on the interstates for slower traffic. As I'm getting older, I realize that the thought processes aren't as responsive (that may be connected to my username) and therefore it creates a safety issue. In my youth, I went past the speedometer gauge in a 1974 Monte Carlo at about 130, but 80 would seem very fast now and I would definitely want to be alert at that speed. When you're cruising past me in the fast lane, please be patient with me--I want for both of us to get to our destinations alive!

[newfie11]

2. SD and NE have been 75 for at least 10 years.

[kentauros]

8. It's probably too late to amend the law,

but what I'd really like to see them do is for every new speed limit sign that goes up, for them to attach to the same pole a sign stating "Slower Traffic Keep Right". Of course, it would be even better to see every single speed limit sign across the state with a companion sign like that, but it would cost too much.

I am happy to see that the law does not include SH-290, as that's my only route to and from Austin. 70mph is plenty for that road, and it's a speed with which I am most comfortable. Anything higher than that and you better have a road surface in almost perfect condition, or it's going to make handling the vehicle tougher. Oh yeah, the state will need to make sure all those roads remain free of debris and that everyone driving with an unsecured load is pulled over and not allowed back on the road until it is properly secured. Yeah, like that will happen!

Oh, how I long for the day when the auto manufacturers allow us to have cars that drive us!

[TexasTowelie]

9. I agree with you regarding US 290 between Austin and Houston.

I used to commute between Brenham and Austin in 1999 and 2000 (drive in Monday morning and return on Thursday evening). There is too much ag-related traffic and undivided highway to increase the speed limit on that route.

I just moved back to Brenham so if you want to see the sights send me a DU mail.

[kentauros]

10. They're doing a bunch of roadwork on 290 through Brenham

right now, aren't they? Or is it somewhere around there? I drive to Dripping Springs a few times a year to visit family, and take the 290 route. I don't see much of Brenham, or any other town, until I get to Dripping. I wouldn't mind meeting another TX-DUer sometime on the way to or from

[liberal_biker]

12. Meh - its not too bad.

I find it easier to take 10 out to La Grange and then cut over there. Gets around all the Brenham traffic and keeps you on superslab for a healthy portion of the trip. Adds a little time, but not too much.

[TexasTowelie]

15. I use to take that route frequently in the 1990's when travelling between Austin and Houston.

The nice part about that route is going through the Lost Pines forest around Bastrop. The only thing I don't like about the route is if you have to drive west on I-10 when leaving Houston in the afternoon because the sun is directly in front of you.

[liberal_biker]

16. I hear ya there

Went out that way a couple weeks back right after work with a few friends to ride the Three Sisters. Straight into the sunset for about 90 minutes....

[TexasTowelie]

14. Yes, there is some construction going on.

The frontage roads on US 290 are being converted from two-way traffic to one-way, I read that the main lanes of 290 will be routed off to the frontage roads during the construction process.

Let me know when you're next trip to Dripping Springs through DU mail--I haven't been throught there in about 15 years. If you have a chance to stop in Brenham, maybe we can head over to the Blue Bell creamery since I've never taken the tour.

[liberal_biker]

11. I agree with you on one thing...

...the slower traffic keep right bit. However, a sign for that is no more necessary than a sign telling you to wear your seatbelt. It is a base part of Texas driving laws.

What would be better is if people actually DID it. If I had a nickel for every driver in the passing lane going the speed limit or below who refused to move until he was damn good and ready (let alone speed up), I would be an incredibly wealthy man.

Don't take this the wrong way, but just because you have a problem with anything over 70 on 290, don't think others of us do. 80mph is perfectly comfortable for me in the car and 90-95 on the bike seems fine as well.

Remember, most of these roads were designed to safely carry cars of 1950s technology (or older) safely at 75mph or so. A modern family car is far more competent than many "high performance" cars of that time.

[kentauros]

13. One reason I object to speeds above 70mph

is due to the very unpredictability of driving at higher speeds. That is, you never know what the other driver will do (especially if they're on their phone!), you don't know what the road surface is going to be like at any given moment, you never know when an animal is going to dart out, not to mention how other drivers handle that around you, and there is always debris of some kind of the roads due to stupid people thinking they can carry more than physically possible or not understanding basic physics.

Our roads are not built like the Autobahn, nor are our drivers anywhere near as skilled at driving at higher speeds. If a deer runs across the road in front of me while I'm going 70, I have a lot more time to react than you do on your bike going 90. That's a simple fact of distance over time. Also, a deer is more likely to wipe you out on your bike than kill me in my car. However, my car will be totaled at that speed, too. I may walk away from it, but I've just lost my only vehicle.

Two other things to remember about higher speed driving: Gas mileage goes down, and the accident rate goes up. You can't legislate against stupidity, but giving people another means of showing how stupid they can be isn't that smart.

[TexasTowelie]

17. Had to check in on this thread

because it was view #420!