The saying goes that everything is bigger in Texas. This fall that will apply to speed, too.
The Texas Transportation Commission has approved an 85-mph speed limit for a new toll road between Austin and San Antonio. It will be the highest speed limit in the United States, according to local news reports.
The toll road is a 41-mile stretch of Texas State Highway 130 known as Segments 5 and 6, running from Mustang Ridge near Austin to Seguin outside of San Antonio. If motorists drive at the speed limit, they'll cover the 41 miles in less than a half hour.
The 85-mph limit surpasses the current high in the United States, set on portions of Interstate 15 in Utah and sections of I-10 and I-20 in west Texas, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
But are the higher speeds safe?
The Insurance Institute says the higher the speed, the more dangerous for the motorists. Higher speeds limit reaction times, increases braking distances and put stresses on safety equipment in cars and on roads, the institute says.
"There are limits to the amount of crash energy that can be managed by vehicles, restraint systems and roadway hardware such as barriers and crash cushions. The higher the speed, the higher the likelihood that these limits will be exceeded in crashes, limiting the protection available for vehicle occupants," according to the institute's website.
Texas officials say safety won't be compromised by the higher speeds.
"Safety is our top priority and tests have shown the designated speed is a safe one," Mark Cross, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation, is quoted as saying by the Texas Tribune.
The SH 130 Concession Co. which built and will operate the toll road, says motorists bear responsibility for safety.
"We are committed to operating a safe, reliable highway for our customers. On any road, drivers hold the key to safety based on traffic, travel conditions and the capabilities of their own vehicles," the company said in a statement, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Tolls have yet to be set, but whatever they are drivers won't have to slow down to pay them.
"There will be no toll plazas on segments 5 & 6 of SH 130. Tolls will be collected electronically at certain points along the roadway, meaning motorists will not have to slow down or stop. Traffic will be 100% free flowing," according to The SH 130 Concession Co., which was formed by the Spanish construction company Cintra and the Texas company Zachary American Infrastructure.
Officials hope drivers will use the highway to avoid and alleviate congestion on Interstate 35, which the toll road operators say is more congested in the area than at any part in its entire length, from Canada to Mexico.
"We look forward to opening this segment of SH 130, which will help reduce congestion for the Austin-San Antonio corridor by providing Texas drivers and others with an alternate route for traveling through our great state," Cross told the Texas Tribune.
The toll road is required to open by November 11 but may open sooner.
"We are confident we will be open ahead of schedule,” Chris Lippincott, spokesman for the SH 130 Concession Company, told Texas Weekly.
While the higher speed promises quicker trips for drivers, it also means more money into state coffers. The concession company will pay the Texas Department of Transportation a $100 million bonus for the 85-mph limits, the Texas Tribune reported. If the limit had been set at 80 mph, the bonus would have been only $67 million, according to the report.
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This highway is on the outskirts of town and will only be used by commuters. Everybody griping about being surrounded by crazy 18 year old drivers are off base. Understandable concern for sure, but won't be the case here.
You are absolutely right, I live in town myself. I use the 130 only when I am headed to San Antonio during traffic. I occasionally ride it when I am in Round Rock and need to got to the airport during the work week. Plus, 18 year olds don't have the luxury of paying the hefty toll.
A Texas rancher was driving through Mexico and stopped at the edge of the road to admire the scenery and a white beautiful horse caught his eye. The horse looked healthy well kept and was in a separate corral. Just for tries the Texan asked one of the workers if the horse was for sale. The worker trying to communicate said "No, no, he no look to good." The Texan was not satisfied with the answered because he saw that the animal looked great and insisted on buying it, after a few arguments the worker arranged for the sale and the Texan took the horse back to his ranch. He rode the horse through his ranch and galloped to the barn when suddenly the horse ran right into the barn wall. Frustrated the Texan takes the horse back to Mexico and talks to the worker that sold him the horse and explains what happened. The worker said, "I told you he no look to good"
LOVED IT !!! lol...
Is Texas still a GOP ruled state? Go figure- If its a danger to society-the GOP will go for it!
Why don't you stay in Crazifornia with all the rest of the liberals and "Rule" your state into extinction. You only got about 4 more years before it is totally destroyed.
High speeds are not dangerous the Autobahn is proof that isn't the case at all. Actually recent NTSB studies show that at higher speeds drivers are more alert and more focused on their driving than other distractions like texting, radios, conversations, and eating. Think about it.
Anon, maybe in Germany or elsewhere, but here in the States, I see plenty of inattentive drivers zipping by me.
I'm curious what the actual speed wil be – here in NY the 55 mph means you can do about 70-75 (and still be passed), which is about what the flow of traffice is. More and you run the risk of standing out & getting pulled over. Will 85 mean they will pull you over for 88? (...a flying Delorean...now where have I seen that before?)
Don't know why this is news today, the existing parts of 130 have had the 85 MPH speed limit for months. No major wrecks, the road is out in the middle of nowhere and has little traffic. I drove 90 down it headed to the beach this summer, but most drivers seem content at 80-85. It is a beautiful piece of roadway, engineered for higher speeds. Most yankees don't understand you can drive for 10 hours in a straight line and never leave the state of Texas. We measure distance in hours driven, not miles.
@Chris, don't ever try that in Texas. Haven't you heard of the slogan, "Don't mess with Texas".
We mean what we say. If the speed limit is 85, you better stay within 85, or else be ready to face the consequences.
BS. It all depends on which highway you're on and when you're on it. Embarrassingly enough I was pulled over on the 55mph Northern State Parkway for going around 70. When there's no traffic (I was driving on the highway on a sunny, Saturday afternoon) that's when the highway cops are most likely to pull you over for going even a modest speed of 70. They have to meet their quota to account for their $150k base salaries.
@JonFromLI 150k base salaries?? Most cops don't even make 60k. Where do you live?
Is that Long Island? They don't make 150 thou base pay. Get real.
Hmm, the "Don't mess with Texas" slogan is actually a clever and effective campaign here in Texas against littering. It has become a cheesy slogan that gives Texas a bad name, people have taken the slogan and slapped it on everything. Wasn't the intention, stop it. It's embarrassing.
I like the concerns and doomsday predictions about something that already exists successfully in other places.
I certainly understand physics and realize that a crash at a speed of 2X will be four times as violent as a crash at a speed of X, but in terms of safety I think the *differential* of speeds on the road is more dangerous than the speed itself, as that tends to produce more unsafe lane changes. My fear isn't that people will drive 85, but that some will want to drive 65 to 70 and it will create a significant speed differential that leads to more lane changes and accidents.
A valid concern indeed. Now, please take into consideration that this tollway has multiple lanes and the basic rule to follow is, slower traffic moves over to right lanes. Do you see the speed differential still be an issue ?
Exactly, I knew it wouldn't be too hard for you to follow
Now if we could just get 10% of the people to follow that Slower Traffic Keep Right rule.. think how much safer any highway would be...
We will arrive several minutes earlier if no crashy.
Troll is obvious troll.
This will be a welcome addition to the roads in Texas. Might be a good place to test out some strict "No Cell Phone Use" laws, given the heightened speed and need for attentive driving.
If someone wants to speed, they are going to do so regardless of what the speed limit sign says. Limiting speed only restricts responsible drivers. If speeding is outlawed, only outlaws will speed. The road would be a much safer place, with fewer car accidents and highway deaths, if driving was deregulated and all speed limits & traffic laws were repealed.
Nonsense. So we should make murder legal, too?
That's AWESOME! Let's here if for Natural Selection! And LESS Texans!
Dude, where did you learn English ?
Natural selection?? Obviously it failed to eliminate you from the human race.
Stupidity knows no limits, and you just proved it! Welcome to Texas. Now, GO HOME!
Finally, a highway in America that has a similar, normal speed limit to those in Europe. Almost anywhere you go in western Europe, the standard limit is 130kph (82mph). Our limits of 60 to 70mph are ridiculous! Remember the Alamo!
I'd never make it past Lockhart, best BBQ joints in the state.
Ha, I think you mean in the country.
JCK:
I miss it! HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM BBQ
i know it's a different stretch of road but in coming back from vegas heading east on I-40.. i cruised thru Texas at 90MPH in my 05 Odyssey..loved it.
Oh come on! Someone give me a break here. Most people commenting on this board have no idea how the Texas Highway system works! If you don't like the posted speed limit, then guess what? Take a different road. No one is holding a gun to your head! Texas is a booming, fast paced economy with real issues to worry about. You don't see Texans on here blasting other roadways, you see Texans solving problems and creating a great state that continues to lead the NATION.
I think most of the USA doesn't understand how WONDERFUL Texas highways are. They are the best built and best maintained roads in the country. Everyone I know who comes here is shocked by the excellent conditions of our roads.
What's even better is that most of the highways have an access road on both sides.
I drove in Texas years ago with my family, and I loved how people moved onto the shoulder to make room for a vehicle passing them. Easy to learn and do. In Minnesota, we have drivers who never move over; it's their "right" to block the fast lane.
Road system is well designed in Texas, but man a lot of highways are in serious disrepair at least that was my observation in the Houston area. I didn't think my poor beater mobile could take much more driving on the warn out concrete roads. Then again, I can't think of a state with as many miles of roads to maintain.
85 or 90 miles an hour is not a safe speed to be driving for any length of time. If a tire blows out your car may flip over and die.
You could also slip on a bar of soap in the shower, hit your head and drown. So I guess we should all stop taking showers.....
Actually you can easily flip a car at 60 too!
Yeah, my car died a lot too when I started driving a clutch.
I'm sure that whatever speed you drive is just perfect