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The autobahn is paid for via fuel taxes. While the autobahn itself doesn't have speed cameras, some of the local roads leading off the autobahn into a city center could be full of speed cameras & have an abnormally low speed limit. I encountered such a road in Stuttgart driving into Stuttgart Zentrum & my German friend I was driving with said that everyone was going so slow because of the cameras.
Just try doing a bonzai run down the Autobahn any more and see if you can go more than 3 minutes without having to get on the brakes.
While true for a lot of of places there are also lots of places where the Autobahn is pretty wide open. Lots of the A9 from Munich to Berlin for example. I made Berlin - Frankfurt in under 4 hours late one night in my work Volvo V70 going 210-220kmh for long streches. I did get a bit lucky, once or twice I did not realize I was in a speed limit zone until I saw the end speed limit sign. It is freaky at first getting used to doing over 200kmh past a police car. I have never been more than 250 and that seemed pretty fast. I have been going like 220 and had cars come up flashing there lights and just had time to move over when they blew by me like I was standing still.
The autobahn is paid for via fuel taxes. While the autobahn itself doesn't have speed cameras, some of the local roads leading off the autobahn into a city center could be full of speed cameras & have an abnormally low speed limit. I encountered such a road in Stuttgart driving into Stuttgart Zentrum & my German friend I was driving with said that everyone was going so slow because of the cameras.
The Autobahns have plenty of speed cameras in the restricted areas.
Funny thing you mention this. Last summer I drove in Germany from Berlin to Frankfurt, to Munich, to Dresden, and back to Berlin and didn't hit a single toll.... or speed trap for all it matters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soviet
The autobahn is paid for via fuel taxes. While the autobahn itself doesn't have speed cameras, some of the local roads leading off the autobahn into a city center could be full of speed cameras & have an abnormally low speed limit. I encountered such a road in Stuttgart driving into Stuttgart Zentrum & my German friend I was driving with said that everyone was going so slow because of the cameras.
Yes, and how much are the fuel taxes here in the U.S., and how much are the fuel taxes in Germany? So let's say a politician calls for raising the fuel taxes here to German levels. I'm guessing you two are going to be the first ones to get on board with such a proposal, no?
Since we're clearly never going to raise our fuel taxes to European levels any time soon, the only way to feasibly fund the construction of autobahns and fastidious maintenance of their road surfaces is through tolls. End of story. Think of it as a "Lexus Lane", but for a whole highway.
Yes, and how much are the fuel taxes here in the U.S., and how much are the fuel taxes in Germany? So let's say a politician calls for raising the fuel taxes here to German levels. I'm guessing you two are going to be the first ones to get on board with such a proposal, no?
Since we're clearly never going to raise our fuel taxes to European levels any time soon, the only way to feasibly fund the construction of autobahns and fastidious maintenance of their road surfaces is through tolls. End of story. Think of it as a "Lexus Lane", but for a whole highway.
Perhaps we should also ask what it costs for Germans to get a drivers' license.
Yes, and how much are the fuel taxes here in the U.S., and how much are the fuel taxes in Germany? So let's say a politician calls for raising the fuel taxes here to German levels. I'm guessing you two are going to be the first ones to get on board with such a proposal, no?
Since we're clearly never going to raise our fuel taxes to European levels any time soon, the only way to feasibly fund the construction of autobahns and fastidious maintenance of their road surfaces is through tolls. End of story. Think of it as a "Lexus Lane", but for a whole highway.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has hefty tolls and generally poor road conditions. Paying tolls does not guarantee good roads.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has hefty tolls and generally poor road conditions. Paying tolls does not guarantee good roads.
I never said it did. I only said that the only politically feasible way to fund an autobahn and the good road conditions it requires is through tolling.
Last edited by urban analysis therapist; 11-19-2013 at 11:28 AM..
Much of the US infrastructure isn't in good enough shape to handle high speeds like in Germany. I just drove through Utah and where I70 has potholes driving into Utah it's not 80mph it's 70-75 tops. The parts that were 80 the road was in good shape.
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