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Maryland spends $2.5 billion, builds beautiful ICC highway with 75mph design speed, posts it for 55mph (IDIOCY)
Only politicians could be so stupid. They build a beautiful new highway with $2.5 billion.
The Inter County Connector, Maryland State Highway 200, MD200.
It has a design speed of 75mph, but they post it with signs for 55mph!
And 50mph in places. (see below)
Insanity.
Driving at the posted speed limits you're an obstacle on the road.
Asking to be rear-ended. No one is as stupid as the politicians fortunately. And there is sensibly no police enforcement.
The traffic flow is at 75mph.
Now what do the feebleminds, the limpwrists, the antidriving rail-religious nuts with no business here propose?
You guessed it: 65mph.
Still too low.
The regular driver knows what's safe, and he is saying 75mph.
The road is equipped with lots of variable message signs. If there's a weather problem or an incident they can always post a lower speed on the signs, along with the warning - editor.
COMMENT BY Cheryl Sparks/MdTA: You say that ICC is designed for 75mph. Not the case.
Based on initial studies, SHA and MDTA set the speed limit for the ICC at 55 mph. MDTA is considering further study on the speed limit, but there is no specific time frame for completing an engineering study. The ICC/MD 200 has only been open a short time, and crews are still completing punch-list items that continue to change the existing roadway condition, so it is still a bit early to change the speed limit based on the short operational time that the roadway has been open.
It is important to note that the ICC is a Maryland route and was not constructed to Interstate standards like I-95 for example. As such, an engineering study following State and federal guidelines would need to be completed that examines the geometric design, actual operations and safety history of the roadway. At this point, safety history would be limited due to the fact that the road has not been open a full year.
In addition, the ICC was designed to meet 60 mph standards. The significant travel-time savings from using the ICC are based on speeds of 55 mph, while raising the speed limit from 55 mph to 60 mph saves less than 1.5 minutes if traveling the full 16 mile length of the ICC.
COMMENT ON COMMENT: when we drive the ICC in normal free flow, good weather conditions we drive at 70mph to 75pmh and so in our observation do most other drivers. Sorry, nothing you say here alters our view that 55mph is so low it is unsafe, unrealistic, annoying, unnecessary... in short: idiotic. Also what gives you people at MdTA and SHA the idea that you know so much better than the motorists driving the road, what is safe? - editor.
TOLLROADSnews 2012-02-15
