Speed limits on Trans-Canada

[bornagainbiking]

Should we have a new maximum of 120kph on the open sections and 100 in populated areas?
NS and NB are 110 and doesn't seem to be an issue.

[Aylmer]

Posted speed is arbitrary - the unit thing that matters is what speed we design for. That's the speed people will go at.

So yes, either we should fully own the fact that our highways are designed for 120km/h, or we should stop designing them for a speed 20% over the intended limit in the name of the perverted pseudoscience of North American road design and its claims of 'safety' which are unsubstantiated at best and empiric failures the rest of the time. /rant

Sorry to any road engineers on the forum.

[FrAnKs]

I was in NB & NS , 2 weeks ago, and 110 km/h was very alright ! ... I don't know what we're waiting for in QC & ON ...

[Chadillaccc]

Alberta is 110 km/h already.

[MonctonRad]

The speed limit in NB may be 110 km/hr, but I can guarantee you the average road speed on the freeway system here is 120-124 km/hr.

And yes, that's perfectly fine here. Our highway network is new and traffic volumes are relatively low, so 120 km/hr is perfectly safe with good weather conditions.

[1overcosc]

My one issue with raising speed limits is what happens to those who like to drive slower. I don't drive much but when I do drive on the 400-series I always go at 100-105 because it's way more fuel efficient than driving at 120.

Personally I like the idea of having a speed limit of 100 in the rightmost lane and 120 in the others.

[esquire]

MB is only 110 in the westernmost parts where the traffic counts are quite light. Once you get east of Brandon, the infrastructure is not really up to par in relation to the traffic counts... with all of the at-grade intersections and other infrastructure deficiencies I'm not sure that boosting the limit beyond 100 is really a wise idea (given that most people are going 5-20 km/h over the limit anyway).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

My one issue with raising speed limits is what happens to those who like to drive slower. I don't drive much but when I do drive on the 400-series I always go at 100-105 because it's way more fuel efficient than driving at 120.

Personally I like the idea of having a speed limit of 100 in the rightmost lane and 120 in the others.

Well, on German autobahns you often have three lanes, and the right-hand lane often has people pulling trailers and campers and going 90, the centre lane goes about 140-150 and the left lane has the speedsters going 180 or at lot more.

FYI people going too slow on divided highways can be dangerous. Though I don't think 100-105 is too slow, in good weather anything below 80-90 definitely is. In Quebec as some know the freeways have a posted 60 kmh minimum speed as well.

Moral of the story is if you aren't going to be driving reasonably fast you should stay off the freeways and take the secondary highways.

[SignalHillHiker]

We still have quite a few sections of the TCH that are 60 km/hr through and near communities. And we have several very long stretches that are 90 km/hr - such as the entire route through Terra Nova National Park.

The rest, though, is 100 km/hr. But people drive faster. I averaged 120-130 km/hr and I was very much near the slower end of average speed.

[wacko]

The speed limit of the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan is generally 110 kph. I'm one of those people who like to play it safe and drive at only about 3 kph above the posted limit. The highway is twinned throughout its entire length in Saskatchewan, so people are free to pass me by if they want. The same is also true of the Yellowhead Highway west of Saskatoon. (East of there, it becomes an undivided two-lane highway, but I've never driven that stretch.)

I'm not sure there's a rationale for increasing speed limits on the major highways. Higher speed limits require a longer stopping distance, aren't very fuel-efficient, and only cut off a few minutes per hour of driving. Actually, I've sometimes wondered why governments don't simply mandate car manufacturers to limit the top speed of their vehicles. I mean who other than law enforcement would need to go at 180 kph or whatever? I'm sure physically limiting cars to 130 kph would be just fine.

[Boris2k7]

Driving the QE2...

Limit 110
Pulling 120
Getting passed by people doing 140

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Yep.

I always remember the stretch between Ottawa and Montreal being stupid fast as well. Anything less than 120 and you felt like a road hazard because the semi-trailers were mostly doing 130.

I don't think we really need to raise the speed anymore. A standard 110 across Canada would be nice and a little more enforcement of lower speeds. maybe raising the minimum speed to 70 would be a good idea. The rate at which you catch a car doing 60 is unbelievable when you're doing 120.

[kwoldtimer]

[QUOTE=1overcosc;6695433]My one issue with raising speed limits is what happens to those who like to drive slower. I don't drive much but when I do drive on the 400-series I always go at 100-105 because it's way more fuel efficient than driving at 120.

Personally I like the idea of having a speed limit of 100 in the rightmost lane and 120 in the others.[/QUOTE]

I'd be happy to try anything that would get the slowest traffic out of the middle lane(s)!

[DizzyEdge]

[QUOTE=kwoldtimer;6695955]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

My one issue with raising speed limits is what happens to those who like to drive slower. I don't drive much but when I do drive on the 400-series I always go at 100-105 because it's way more fuel efficient than driving at 120.

Personally I like the idea of having a speed limit of 100 in the rightmost lane and 120 in the others.[/QUOTE]

I'd be happy to try anything that would get the slowest traffic out of the middle lane(s)!

I like that idea too.

[bornagainbiking]

I've driven the Autobahn and they are very strict on slower traffic keep right.
The left lane can be wide open and poof a streak of colour passes you.
I too did the GTA to Hfx run.
NB was a dream.
I truly believe before anything you need a intense educational TV blitz to educate the masses to proper rules and practices.
On the 407 it was empty and the only guy out there in the left lane (5 lanes). doing about 110. Forcing people to pass on the inside lanes.

[Denscity]

BC is the first and only province to have 120km/h speed limits. However not sure how much of our TCH is now rated at 120. They're mostly on the Coquihalla and Island Highway.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Still only 100 km/h for most parts in NL, which is okay considering large portions of the highway are only 2 lanes total. The portion near Corner Brook, and from Whitbourne on to St. John's where the highway is divided could be bumped higher; I usually drive 120 on that stretch and it's safe on a good day.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Alberta is 110 km/h already.

Except for that terrible, terrible stretch through Calgary.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by VIce

Except for that terrible, terrible stretch through Calgary.

Actually it is 100 now (Ring Road). And to be truly accurate the same applies to the TCH through Edmonton. Lower speed limit on the 'old' original road but 100 on the Ring Road bypass.

[MonkeyRonin]

There's been some talk lately of increasing the limits on Ontario's 400-series highways as well (though, it seems there's been "some talk" of it forever). All's I know is the existing posted speed limits are completely meaningless. As it stands, the 100 km/h "limit" is the defacto minimum, while 120 is the norm for most and up to 140 in the left lane is acceptable (traffic permitting). I don't see why we even bother with these speed limits when they don't actually reflect the reality of what the roads were designed for, how people drive, and how the rules are enforced.