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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it's about time. Speed technolgy surround cars as vastly surpassed the stupid 55 or 65mph mph speed limit.
Setting upper speed limits is fine... but we really need to start considering MINIMUM speed limits as well.
Everyone sees it all the time. You travel down a road with a 65MPH hour limit, and all of a sudden you quickly and unexpectedly catch up to a dude or girl with a cell phone going 40MPH. They will claim that they are going this slow because they are trying to be a better driver.
What the heck??! YOU are travelling 25MPH slower than everyone in the roadway... Just who do you think is the one that's being unsafe??
They have that is some states. Indiana is one of them that has posted minimums on some of the interstates and the Indiana Toll Road.
What people haven't learned yet is the higher speeds the more gas is consumed. Here we are already paying $4 per gallon and they want us to go faster-Can you say...>DUMB? We are just a society that has become INSTANT GRATIFICATION and get here NOW mentality. No wonder we all die young--haven't we learned anything from our ancestor's about living a simpler easier life?
What's more fuel efficient? Driving 85mph or sitting in stop and go traffic? If you're barely moving or not moving at all it's very fuel inefficient.
In Arizona that is the defacto speed limit all the way to California
Not really much in the way of problems.
It has not thing to do with gas, get into right lane then
There is an optimum point of efficiency, but I think is around 70 – 75 for passenger vehicles.
If you want the simple life, go back to driving a horse and buggy. And stay off the highways, because y'all don't belong there.
And some people spend three times what I do on housing. Those dummies, spending their money on what they want that isn't what I agree with....
It's not just a question of safety. Higher speeds mean less efficiency, more gas burned, and more CO2 emissions. Leave it to Texas to just the opposite of what they should have done.
Texas has never ever been about fuel efficiency, CO2 emissions, or safety. Our governor fought and won against EPA mandates for all the oil, coal, and factory pollution.
I live in progressive DC, and I get about 15 mpg in the lovely stop and go traffic going to and from work, mainly due to the hundreds of millions blown on HOV lanes, which contributes to the traffic jam with people merging on and off it. When I lived in texas, I averaged 80-90 on the interstate and got 29 mpg. Poorly timed lights and congestion in large cities cost more in CO2 emissions than raising the speed limit by 5 mph on a toll road on a 41 mile stretch ever will.
I'm so glad I sold my jeep and got a sportier gas efficient car....LOL. 85 is fine and dandy for cars/drivers that can go that fast....there will still be idiots who drive super slow in the fast lane who refuse to get over...or 18 wheelers who can't go that fast...or cars that somehow leave the factory without accelerators installed (I still haven't figured that one out...there are also cars that seem to be missing turn signals – go figure!). But I can't wait! Come on 85 mph – bring it!
to all naysayers: AUTOBAHN
JA!
Current limit on this highway (between Georgetown and Austin) is 80. Of course this means avg speed is 85-90 anyway. I think that 80 is fast enough though I have to admit this highway is beautiful, straight, and has ample exit and entrance lanes. Its not that busy due to it being a toll road. The very worst highway around here is 35W which paralells 130. Any body who drives on 35W knows what I mean.
35W only runs between Hillsboro and Denton. Its not anywhere near Austin and Georgetown.
He never said it was, BillieT...he just said it was the worst highway around there.
Ooops should be Interstate 35 and does indeed run between Georgetown and Austin.
I would not want 16yr olds driving 85 while texting.......scary.
Like a few have pointed out, speed differential and drivers going TOO SLOW are FAR MORE DANGEROUS than driving 85mph. As long as the car is in good mechanical shape, and good brakes, and the road is designed for it (like in this case) it's not really any different than going 65mph. If this bothers you then you need to get out of the left lane and stop holding everyone up behind you!
Outstanding
Minimum speed needs to be upped to 70.
“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.”
Uh, WRONG! 5 of the toll roads in Austin have to increase their fees by 55%. WHY? Because Austinites will not pay for toll roads after they already paid for them with bonds. It’s a racketeering scheme! And so the usual braindead republicans have decided to increase tolls because ridership on the tolls ways is down and not enough money is coming in. So, the problem is not enough people, so your solution is to... increase fees? Yeah, the cars will swamp there in no time.
And now, once again, TxDot thinks people are going to pay a ton of money to drive a speed (that most drive anyway between Austin and San Antonio) on a separate stretch of road that, ACK, does not even GO to a useful location. Seguin!?!? So I will then have to exit Seguin and rejoin all the other motorists who are going, ACK, 85 miles per hour or faster.
In Texas, one week its our idiot governor, the next our idiot board of education, the next its our idiot Department of Transportation.
Good use of "ACK". We have those sam stupid problems here in Indiana, too.
Hey, you can stop in Lockhart for BBQ, then speed on down to Seguin. Better idea, turn around at Lockhart after eating and head back home.
another way to commit suicide –
I would mention that Germany has 'unlimited' speed limits in some places, but... comparing us to them is ridiculous. They have well-maintained cars, and laws that are unflinching regrading drunk driving (a single offense, you never drive again). That said, myself and many motorists driving this stretch of highway are already going 85 or so...
interesting. i was already driving the same road at 90mph 10 years ago....
This is bad news. Fuel economy is reduced by about 10% for each 5 mph speed increase. Also, safety is greatly compromised because the impact energy of a moving vehicle increases with the square of the speed (so 85 mph has 28 % more impact energy than 75 mph).
sounds like the fast lane to heaven or hell