Right Lane Only
 

As most of us are painfully away, there is no longer a national speed limit of 55. New Jersey recently set their limit back to 65, and this is sad, as we're approaching another, if not the, oil crisis to come.

My proposal is that I will draft an open letter that can be addressed to whomever you please urging the consideration of another national speed limit, or at the very least, a land such as the carpool lane with a strict 55mph speed limit, which will be open to those seeking better fuel economy.

In california alternate fuel vehicles are granted use of the carpool lane, and for some reason I believe insight drivers are also.

Would anyone be interested in a tossing a strongly worded letter at their senator/congressperson/DoT official if I were to go to task on it?

Don't worry, I know this will not change the world, but the first step to change is to make it known change is wanted.

you're asking a lot. I was driving 75 in the carpool lane yesterday and there was a pack of cars stretching behind me trying to get around me. People want to drive 80+ in the carpool lane. I think the california rule is if a car gets 45mpg then it can get the sticker for the driver to be alone in the car.

I would be more than happy to help with this. As a general rule people are going to go about 10mph above the speed limit. If you lower it to 55mph then people will go 65.

Here's a site you might want to look at :

https://www.drive55.org/pn/index.php

They've actually dropped a lot of the speed limits around here BACK to 55 mph.

But aren't people going 75 in GA???? Like most of the traffic

Yeah, most people FLY in Atlanta. :)

I heard the potholes are so big that you have to literally fly over there not to mess up the rim.

In chicago 75-80 seemed to be the norm.

That is way too fast.

In cali 75-80 is the norm here. The people that stay in the farthest right lane go about 55-65mph. The problem with that lane is the traffic coming on the freeway and coming off which kills the mpg.

Yeah in CT they have a strict pass on the left law so I get lots of drivers passing me at high speed only to brake in front of me to take an exit. Although yesterday coming back from the Cape I had a long line of cars behind me keeping pace and a few super big SUVs blowing past me at 70mph in a 65. Had some killer head and cross winds coming back so it killed my mileage plus 4 adults in the xB.

I see Compaq888 has been upgraded to "Super Jerk"! LOL

Texas is leading the way in fuel and life consevation:rolleyes: they just passed a bill through 2 committees the full house and senate(186-0) to raise the speed limit on two highways to 80 MPH which means everyone will be driving 100+. Shoot in a couple more years yall can come to Texas to drive without speed restriction on our version of the Autobon.:eek:

yea i think ive heard something like that. i thought the carpool lane was actually more permissive in terms of speeding than the other lanes. i could be wrong though.

either way, if they drop the maximum speed to 55 i will leave the state or get a radar detector. the only thing lowering the limit will do is increase the internal revenues of the police and state trooper departments.

zpiloto, which highways are they? i think some roads should be limitless, they are safe enough. i mean should we force everyone to have nothing faster than a cable internet connection?

I can see it now... billboards that say...

Sections of I-10 and I-20 yes they are flat and straight. Why do you think we should have no speed limit even if it is only on some roads? High speed internet does not use as much oil as a car. There is only so much oil and China going to start using more and more. Gas prices have slumped for now but schools are soon to be out so the price is just going to keep increasing. Increasing the speed limit is not going to reduce consumption or save lives. Faster speed limits will make the car manufactors build more powerful and although more efficient cars but with a next decrease in overall MPG. Look at cars for the last few years they are bigger and more powerful but the gas mileage really has not improved nor has our dependence on oil.
LOL:D In my younger days I did my best.

Seriously, I-20 sucks, and the two right lanes of I-85 on the south side of town are horrible. Most of the other interstates are fine though. We have a pretty good state DOT. Alabama roads SUCK.

I understand your point and I agree to some extent, however i feel reducing the depency on oil lies not in slowing ourselves down, but in look for an alternate source in energy.

Lowering the speedlimit will not help our economy. All of the shipping will take longer and will about the same if not more.

we probably should specify why we would do this. is it to not waste energy or to be independent of oil? the servers that run the internet would be soooo much more affordable and consume a great deal less electricity if everyones internet speeds were capped.

I'm tired, so I won't say much now, but I think the idea is to reduce the use of energy, not just oil. Personally, I think closing a lane on the interstates would be more fun, increase congestion and all that...

A story: My friend (who is japanese, whom I became friends with while she was exchanging at my school) got rediculously drunk the other night and road the subway around tokyo not knowing what she was doing. My co worker gets wicked drunk every night and drive around through the woods in his truck not know what he is doing.

Public transportation saves lives?

Yeah SVO a good Public transit system is definatly a positive.

This seems like something that would be on www.urbanplanet.org/

^
I am a urban planner at heart :)

I don't have enough time to indulge in interesting things like that. I wish I didn't have 100 pound chunks of metal to haul so I could bike to work, :(

ROFLMFAO, operantly somebody got very heated about it. I can't explain it here but it was hilarious.:D

i agree with increasing public transportation. the states have a horrible system though japan and europe are AMAZING with trains and everything. that is a very good point ben.

however slowing down highways or pulling off lanes causing congestion are not going to work. causing congestion will increase the amount of fuel wasted.

the only way to really shepard people into using public transportation is to increase the cost of gas to the public, but give some subsidy to public transportation. now i think we are getting somewhere with this topic.

lets push for a gas tax, which will pay for properly maintained highways and public transportation.

ill pay 20 cents more per tank if all the highways were butter smooth and we have traffic signs with leds that change according to traffic conditions and warn of upcoming traffic conditions. and having trains go everywhere from in the suburban areas of baltimore, dc, philly, ny, and boston. man i love germany...
this gave me a good idea for a suggestion for the site.