Raise speed limits

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by Blitz

Maybe that's a reason why they're reluctant to raise them to 110, even in rural areas. The weather can change so quickly especially in the southwest with the snowsqualls.

I have NO clue why having electronically adjusted variable speed limits haven't been done yet in some segments in Ontario.

401 through Toronto would be great, in order to reduce the stop, go, stop, go, traffic over and over.

Also some spots through the Snow belt would be good too.

was on I-80 in Wyoming state 2 months ago, hit some 50+ MPH snowstorms with heavy drifting snow. The state enacted variable speed limits that dropped the normal 75 MPH speed limit (Western US State) down to 45 MPH.

[Wharn]

Drove from London to Toronto on the 401 today. Until we hit heavy traffic around Milton, pretty much everyone was doing 130 km/h. And even though the motorcade was comprised mostly of newer cars, my decade-old, plastic-clad GM product had no trouble keeping up, nor did it have any stability issues whatsoever. It all came down to having properly balanced tires and a clean spring inspection.

Now, if everyone were required to make sure their cars were roadworthy, what exactly would be so unsafe about a 130 km/h limit?

[Wharn]

Of course, no matter how asinine a proposal is, the Globe and Mail will always find a reason to support it:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2417436/

[vid]

What I find most interesting is that Toronto is looking at it before kids are being run down and killed in front of schools. It took several incidences involving children and cars ending in death before Thunder Bay implemented reduced speed limits near schools.

We do have community safety zones where fines are increased but personally, if someone is speeding in a residential area and kills someone because of it, they should simply lose the privilege of driving. For ever.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by vid

What I find most interesting is that Toronto is looking at it before kids are being run down and killed in front of schools. It took several incidences involving children and cars ending in death before Thunder Bay implemented reduced speed limits near schools.

The thing is this isn't just reduced speed limits around schools, if it was I wouldn't even care. It's a universal reduction that will see a limit of 40 km/h assigned to all arterial roads. Just an FYI, that's the current side street limit. For a city that already has woefully inadequate transportation, setting the limit that low is not going to entice more people onto bikes, it'll only frustrate existing commuters. The problem is bicycles and cars need separation on main arterials. London's got the right idea:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=adelaid...,183.9,,0,9.31

A paved bicycle path between the sidewalk and the roadway. Cheap and effective. And Adelaide Street still moves at 60 km/h.

Originally Posted by vid

We do have community safety zones where fines are increased but personally, if someone is speeding in a residential area and kills someone because of it, they should simply lose the privilege of driving. For ever.

I think that would constitute cruel and unusual punishment. It would also ignore any fault committed by the pedestrian. I've had numerous close calls with jaywalkers at night, and I don't feel like permanently losing my license just because some bloody idiot was too lazy to walk to the nearest crosswalk.

[flar]

Originally Posted by Wharn

Of course, no matter how asinine a proposal is, the Globe and Mail will always find a reason to support it:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2417436/

Huh? How is the G&M supporting this? It's just an article.

It is a dumb idea though. 40 is fine on residential streets, but it would be absolutely and completely maddening to have to drive 40 on arterial roads. It already takes forever to get around in Toronto.

There's a long stretch near my place that's got a 40 kph limit, often enforced, and 40 is really, really slow. It's like you're barely moving. It's actually difficult to drive that slow.

[eternallyme]

Oops, posted wrong place.