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Old 09-13-2013, 02:54 PM
 
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram2 View Post
The speed limit in Ontario is still a laughable 100 km/hr.
I'd just drive a 100 mph. Then if I get stopped I'd plead that I'm just a dumb American who doesn't know what the metric system is.
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Old 09-13-2013, 03:03 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
Michigan now has 6 of the ten most populous counties with no four-lane access to the Interstate grid. (I've seen the list, but can't find it right now. I think, Lenawee, Marquette and Grand Traverse were the top three, followed by one of two in Maine and then some more in Michigan.)

Lenawee, Marquette, and Grand Traverse counties are lightly populated.
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Old 09-13-2013, 03:04 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KaaBoom View Post
I'd just drive a 100 mph. Then if I get stopped I'd plead that I'm just a dumb American who doesn't know what the metric system is.


The speed limit signs in Ontario have "km/hr" on them.
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Old 09-13-2013, 03:55 PM
 
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram2 View Post
Yes there were. The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940. The Ohio Turnpike and New York State Thruway opened in the 1950s, among others. Michigan implemented a 70mph freeway speed limit in 1956.
Don't think they were considered interstates. Might want to read this.

Three States Claim First Interstate Highway - Vol. 60· No. 1 - Public Roads
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Old 09-13-2013, 07:52 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by motormaker View Post
Don't think they were considered interstates. Might want to read this.

Three States Claim First Interstate Highway - Vol. 60· No. 1 - Public Roads

What does it matter what they were called? The speed limit on the Ohio Turnpike used to be 75mph. The PA Turnpike had no posted speed limit when it first opened. The Arroyo freeway in Los Angeles existed in the early 1950s.
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Old 09-13-2013, 09:06 PM
 
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Good points here on the danger of the speed differential. It would probably reduce accidents to enforce a minimum speed that is not less than 5 miles per hour below the posted speed, particularly during rush hours. Most of the accidents on the 2 lane highway I travel do involve a vehicle traveling abnormally slow. Often these are dump trucks, farm vehicles, or someone hauling something.

Another dangerous move I occasionally see is when someone passes on the interstate and crosses more than one lane during the process, or merges into traffic directly crossing to the inner lane (of 3 lanes). Moving traffic always has to compensate to avoid a collision with the vehicle crossing all lanes. Something else dangerous is a right shoulder passing lane on a 2 lane when the vehicle in front moves to the right suddenly without braking to go around a left turning stopped vehicle. The stopped vehicle is blinded from following traffic and there is not an expectation to stop. The second vehicle sees the turning left vehicle and shifts right suddenly and the following vehicle slams into the rear of the left turning vehicle. This happens occasionally and it is usually a hard hit.
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Old 09-13-2013, 09:40 PM
 
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
There weren't any interstates 60 years ago. There were a few four-lane undivided highways near big cities, but otherwise, nearly all driving was on two lane roads. Most states had 60 for a speed limit, a few 65, but there were some as low as 50.

By the way, 60 years ago, few people had liability insurance,either, and I don't think it was mandatory anywhere. If you had a decent car, or if it was financed, you had collision insurance on it, otherwise everyone just went bare until well into the 70s.
Insurance requirements differed by states in those days. But I would agree that not as many people had liability insurance, as do today.

The speed limits now are just starting to get back to where they were in 1973. But still no where near what they where 60 years ago. It's true that 60 years ago (1953) there were no interstates but there were lots of newly constructed four lane divided pre-interstate highways that had no speed limits what so ever. When they did finally get speed limits, the speed limits were generally higher then what they are today.

Here is a current list of speed limits, and what there were in 1973. Ten states today have lower speed limits then they did in 1973.

Alabama 70 was 70
Alaska 65 was 70
Arizona 75 was 75
Arkansas 70 was 75
California 70 was 70
Colorado 75 was 70
Connecticut 65 was 60
Delaware 65 was 60
Florida 70 was 70
Georgia 70 was 70
Hawaii 60 was 70
Idaho 75 was 70
Illinois 70 was 70
Indiana 70 was 70
Iowa 70 was 75
Kansas 75 was 75
Kentucky 70 was 70
Louisiana 75 was 70
Maine 75 was 70
Maryland 65 was 70
Massachusetts 65 was 65
Michigan 70 was 70
Minnesota 70 was 65
Mississippi 70 was 70
Missouri 70 was 70
Montana 75 was none
Nebraska 75 was 75
Nevada 75 was none
New Hampshire 70 was 70
New Jersey 65 was 60
New Mexico 75 was 70
New York 65 was 65
North Carolina 70 was 70
North Dakota 75 was 75
Ohio 70 was 70
Oklahoma 75 was 70
Oregon 65 was 75
Pennsylvania 65 was 65
Rhode Island 65 was 60
South Carolina 70 was 70
South Dakota 75 was 75
Tennessee 70 was 75
Texas 85 was 70
Utah 80 was 70
Vermont 65 was 65
Virginia 70 was 70
Washington 70 was 70
West Virginia 70 was 70
Wisconsin 65 was 70
Wyoming 75 was 75


States' Attitudes Towards Speed Limits: Original Summary Chart
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Old 09-13-2013, 09:59 PM
 
Location: Sarasota FL
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The day after congress abolished the 55 mph law, Florida changed the limit to 70 [average speed is 74-78] on interstates and 65 on secondary limited access highways.
There is a road in my county that goes from I-75 to U.S. 41 heavily travelled, 2 lanes separated by a grass median. Speed is 45 mph but for some unknown reason by anyone, it drops to 30 mph for about a mile. So many drivers, even 80 year old women driving their Buick Electra don't pay much attention to it that the county actually spent money to install a lighted radar sign that gives your speed if it's over 30. 'your speed is..' lights up. I'm surprised the bulbs haven't burned out because it flashes all day.
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Old 09-13-2013, 10:06 PM
 
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
7,138 posts, read 10,965,016 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram2 View Post
Yes there were. The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940. The Ohio Turnpike and New York State Thruway opened in the 1950s, among others. Michigan implemented a 70mph freeway speed limit in 1956.
This is true and here is a picture of one of the first 70 mph speed limit signs installed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1942. That is a higher speed limit then that highway has today. 70 years ago the speed limits were higher then they are today. I guess the states hadn't figured out yet, how much money they could make from fines if they lowered the speed limit.

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Old 09-13-2013, 10:37 PM
 
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by motormaker View Post
Don't think they were considered interstates. Might want to read this.
You might want to read this.

According to information liaison specialist Richard Weingroff, the Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways. On October 1, 1940, 162 miles (261 km) of the highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes.

Interstate Highway System - Construction
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