Increase the speed limits on I-70 and I-35 to 75 mph? (Wichita: travel, cost)

[ajf131]

This summer I drove I-70 all the way from central Utah to St. Louis, and realized upon my drive throughout Kansas that the speed limit was only 70 mph on Interstate 70. This puzzled me greatly...I didn't understand why an interstate going through a mostly rural state needed to have a speed limit as low as its neighbor, Missouri, a state with major cities. So far, it appears as though Kansas is the only Great Plains state to have a speed limit lower than 75 mph. I also realized that many people are not using the I-70 corridor to get from Denver to Baltimore, but are using I-76 to I-80 in nebraska and going around Kansas and then getting on I-76 in ohio back onto I-70 in Pennsylvania. Kansas is effectively eliminating the whole purpose of the I-70 corridor ever being built IMO plus limiting its growth abilities by having such a low speed limit. I think that the speed limit needs to be raised to 75 mph, particularly because a lot of travelers don't want to spend much time in rural Kansas as it is already. What do you think, increase the speed limit? If it were increased, Kansas would experience likely more commercial growth and traffic.

[katie45]

Might as well increae the limit to 75, most are driving that speed, or even more, now.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by ajf131

This summer I drove I-70 all the way from central Utah to St. Louis, and realized upon my drive throughout Kansas that the speed limit was only 70 mph on Interstate 70. This puzzled me greatly...I didn't understand why an interstate going through a mostly rural state needed to have a speed limit as low as its neighbor, Missouri, a state with major cities. So far, it appears as though Kansas is the only Great Plains state to have a speed limit lower than 75 mph. I also realized that many people are not using the I-70 corridor to get from Denver to Baltimore, but are using I-76 to I-80 in nebraska and going around Kansas and then getting on I-76 in ohio back onto I-70 in Pennsylvania. Kansas is effectively eliminating the whole purpose of the I-70 corridor ever being built IMO plus limiting its growth abilities by having such a low speed limit. I think that the speed limit needs to be raised to 75 mph, particularly because a lot of travelers don't want to spend much time in rural Kansas as it is already. What do you think, increase the speed limit? If it were increased, Kansas would experience likely more commercial growth and traffic.

Hey- don't complain! It used to be 55 MPH so progress has been made!

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by KevK

Hey- don't complain! It used to be 55 MPH so progress has been made!

Yes, but in my opinion it's not enough. THe I-70 corridor is shorter in mileage from Denver to Baltimore than the I-76 to I-80 option. Nebraska has a speed limit of 75 mph. If Kansas had a speed limit of 75 mph, traffic on I-80 through Chicago would be effectively relieved. Kansas is a declining state. Were the speed limit increased back to 75 mph, Kansas could experience a lot of growth with the increase in traffic along the corridor. Kansas is the only Great Plains state, once again, to have a speed limit of 70 mph. Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota all have speed limits of 75 mph to my knowledge.

[northbayeric]

My recollection of the toll section of I-70 from Kansas City, KS to Topeka is that it has a narrow center divider, sort of like I-70 through much of Columbia, Missouri. Because of this, I would keep the speed limit at 70 along this segment. From Topeka west to the Colorado state line, there seems to be no good reason not to increase the speed limit to 75.

I've never driven I-35 in Kansas, but would venture to say that the speed limit from KCK to Emporia could probably be raised to 75. Interstate 135 from Salina douth to Wichita could likewise be increased to 75. Even though it connects with Wichita, it doesn't seem to me like it carries enough traffic to justify keeping the speed limit at 70.

I should add that I have driven Interstate 5 from east of Tracy, California south to Los Angeles and back. Most of it is only two lanes each way, and with the amount of 18-wheeler truck traffic along it, I-5 desperately needs to be widened to six lanes (3 each way) for the entire distance from the Interstate 580 merge near Tracy down to the Highway 99 northbound split between Bakersfield and L.A. Cars generally travel at about 80 to 85 in the left lane, and an endless caravan of trucks go between 60 and 65 in the right lane. The posted speed limit is 70 until you reach "the grapevine" where Highway 99 meets 5 south of Bakersfield, then it slows to 65 because you ascend very rapidly in elevation as you go south. The trouble occurs when an 18-wheeler gets in the left lane to pass another truck, and causes 85 mph cars to jam on their brakes to slow down by over 20 mph in a very short time and distance.

So long as these occurrences wouldn't take place on Kansas freeways (and I'm confident they wouldn't), I'm in ajf131's corner on this issue. If Nebraska can have 75 mph speed limits, so can Kansas.

[darstar]

Originally Posted by ajf131

This summer I drove I-70 all the way from central Utah to St. Louis, and realized upon my drive throughout Kansas that the speed limit was only 70 mph on Interstate 70. This puzzled me greatly...I didn't understand why an interstate going through a mostly rural state needed to have a speed limit as low as its neighbor, Missouri, a state with major cities. So far, it appears as though Kansas is the only Great Plains state to have a speed limit lower than 75 mph. I also realized that many people are not using the I-70 corridor to get from Denver to Baltimore, but are using I-76 to I-80 in nebraska and going around Kansas and then getting on I-76 in ohio back onto I-70 in Pennsylvania. Kansas is effectively eliminating the whole purpose of the I-70 corridor ever being built IMO plus limiting its growth abilities by having such a low speed limit. I think that the speed limit needs to be raised to 75 mph, particularly because a lot of travelers don't want to spend much time in rural Kansas as it is already. What do you think, increase the speed limit? If it were increased, Kansas would experience likely more commercial growth and traffic.

Nothing new , we've been going around Kansas for years.Mo. gets all the traffic driving thru from the Midwest . Unless you live in NE. and are going south , most , just divert around Toto land.

[fishbowl]

I always wonder what the hurry is. I'm in the minority I know, but I think Kansas is worth going even slower to experience. If people want to go all the way around Kansas, let 'em, keeps the roads clearer for people like me who actually enjoy every square inch of this state.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by ajf131

Yes, but in my opinion it's not enough. THe I-70 corridor is shorter in mileage from Denver to Baltimore than the I-76 to I-80 option. Nebraska has a speed limit of 75 mph. If Kansas had a speed limit of 75 mph, traffic on I-80 through Chicago would be effectively relieved. Kansas is a declining state. Were the speed limit increased back to 75 mph, Kansas could experience a lot of growth with the increase in traffic along the corridor. Kansas is the only Great Plains state, once again, to have a speed limit of 70 mph. Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota all have speed limits of 75 mph to my knowledge.

Only turnpikes in Oklahoma are 75, other interstates are 70. I-44 (a turnpike) is the one highway in our state that should be 70, due to high traffic. All other interstates should be 75. We're just too stupid to mark the right ones 75 here. I-40 through (essentially) no-man's land in western OK is 70. It feels like a real drag.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by Nameless

Only turnpikes in Oklahoma are 75, other interstates are 70. I-44 (a turnpike) is the one highway in our state that should be 70, due to high traffic. All other interstates should be 75. We're just too stupid to mark the right ones 75 here. I-40 through (essentially) no-man's land in western OK is 70. It feels like a real drag.

Guess I should pay attention....I drove through Oklahoma along the old Route 66 path starting from St. Louis (I-44W to I-40W)...I-44 was definitely 75 mph....I thought I-40 west of OKC was 75 mph too, but I guess maybe I wasn't paying attention enough. If that's the case, why the hell don't they increase it? IMO, all of the Great Plains states need to have a 75 mph speed limit. I also think that more states in the Midwest need to increase their speed limits to 70 mph. Currently, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan all have 70 mph speed limits in rural areas. I've never understood why Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois don't raise their speed limits to 70 mph...I guess for Ohio it's because of all the major cities they have and all the traffic there, and for Illinois I guess it is because of Chicago...and Wisconsin I guess it's also because of Chicago.

[northbayeric]

I don't know about I-55 in Illinois, since it goes through Joliet, Bloomington and Springfield, but I'd bet they could make it 75 along most of I-57 from Kankakee down to, I don't know, I-64 and maybe a little south of that. Ditto for I-72, especially in western Illinois toward Hannibal, MO.

Gasoline is expensive in Illinois; going that fast though would cost you a pretty penny in lower fuel economy. In terms of safety, I know I-57 on the way to Chicago is really flat, so driving 65 would feel like you're not getting anywhere. Unlike in Kansas! The drive from St. Joe, MO to Hiawatha, KS was fun when I drove along Hwy. 36 back in September!