Who sets speed limits on State Highways?? (Seattle, Kirkland: home, gated)

[509]

Just came back from driving US2/97 between Wenatchee and Leavenworth.

A highway with stop lights, uncontrolled intersections, and a current speed limit of 60 MPH has people driving 70 to 75 MPH typically, with some folks pushing 80.

The highway was designed for traffic in the 1980's. Those days are long gone.

Time to drop the speed limit on US2/US97 to 45 MPH. From the Chelan County Park at Lincoln Rock all the way to the west end of Leavenworth. Too many fatalities. It is just unsafe.

Who do I contact for starting the process for dropping the speed limit on that stretch of highway? Anybody know??

[pnwguy2]

There is really no good answer to this question. Most limits are decided by local government, except state government when it comes to state highways and interstates. I find Washington to be neither aggressive or lenient with speed limits. For example, 70 is allowed on some state highways, a good example is hwy 395 between Pasco and Ritzville because it functions as a freeway in most of the route. That said, I-90 was at one time considering 75 in rural areas, but the legislature shot it down. Doesn’t really matter, as most drive 75-80 on that route with little enforcement.

[509]

It does matter.

People are being killed by drivers from western Washington driving WAY ABOVE the speed limit.

I understand that Inslee does not WANT to enforce speed limits in western Washington, but we really need a sign at ALL THE CASCADE PASSES stating that speed limits are enforced in eastern Washington.

We did it under Yasser Arafet when he was Governor. In fact, he got lots of speeding tickets in eastern Washington and paid them all!! I NEVER thought I would miss Lowry.

[pnwguy2]

No. When everyone is speeding it is actually safer to keep in the flow of traffic. This is not a hard concept to understand.
Yasser Arafet? What the hell are you talking about?

[509]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

No. When everyone is speeding it is actually safer to keep in the flow of traffic. This is not a hard concept to understand.
Yasser Arafet? What the hell are you talking about?

Did you move up to Washington from California?? Governor Lowry.

80 mph with stoplights and uncontrolled intersections is NOT SAFE.

[Hemlock140]

The speed limit makes absolutely no difference anymore in this state. The law RCW 10.116.060: "A peace officer may not engage in a vehicular pursuit...." with some extreme exceptions. On the two days I drive to work in Seattle, on I90 from Issaquah I have to go 70 or more to avoid being tailgated, and the speed limit is 60. Even at 70 people are passing me right and left. On the way home last Thursday I watched a motorcycle in the left carpool lane pass me at at least 90mph, and a state patrol car was sitting in the center divide, and just ignored it. Speed limits (and others laws) mean nothing if not enforced.



https://www.usnews.com/news/best-sta...20sex%20crime.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by 509

.....A highway with stop lights, uncontrolled intersections, and a current speed limit of 60 MPH has people driving 70 to 75 MPH typically, with some folks pushing 80..........

........Time to drop the speed limit on US2/US97 to 45 MPH..........

If they are driving 80 mph with a posted speed limit of 60 mph, they will still drive 80 mph with a posted speed limit of 45 mph.


What stops speeding is lots and lots of speeding tickets 24 hours a day and then finally, the drivers realize that it is an area with speed traps and they will slow down. Since the state of Washington doesn't want to pay for police officers, that isn't going to happen.


There is absolutely no reason to post an area that is safe to drive at 60 so that the speed limit is 45mph, and I suspect that the locals won't appreciate you coming in from out of the area and trying to dictate that they must live their lives to suit you.

[jertheber]

I drove that stretch of US 97 two weeks ago, early morning trip from Wenatchee to Ellensburg, and on south to the Columbia. It seemed to be about average for speed, and, as most of us know, the impatient, impetuous, and immature, are going to be out there, everywhere. As is expected, the OP finds politics at the bottom of his barrell of grief, not to mention the idea that eastern Wa drivers are being murdered by those oh so dangerous pilligers from the hated west side.

We have too many people who feel that their right to drive anyway they want is acceptable to the rest. I drive all over the state, most of the time I see a pretty civil population travelling in their cars, but the minority of fools and scofflaws know no boundaries, they are everywhere.

On a side note: my summer trips across the state have revealed a much larger WSP presence, their notable absence in past years has allowed a growth in bad driver habits, speeding being the worst. So yeah, any improvement in highway patrolling will be welcomed. In my youth, a sizable string of tickets curbed my penchant for speed, yes, tickets are instructive..

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by jertheber

On a side note: my summer trips across the state have revealed a much larger WSP presence, their notable absence in past years has allowed a growth in bad driver habits, speeding being the worst. So yeah, any improvement in highway patrolling will be welcomed. In my youth, a sizable string of tickets curbed my penchant for speed, yes, tickets are instructive..

LOL: I'm up early sometimes and couple weeks ago passed at c. 70 in a 35mph zone(!) once by a bad person on a double line in...uhm...downtown Kirkland. Or rather a mile or two south on LW Blvd, heading north to downtown. No lights, no nothing, maybe 4-5am. Criminals probably. Adios, criminals! Have a good day pillaging and plundering! Surprised me though. They always get their comeuppance, sooner or later, so while annoying...

"Stuff happens" and as you say, dirtbags are out there. Always. If there's enough outcry, various roads are patrolled by WSP. To the quoted paragraph: I don't get east of the mountains all that often, but when I do I just keep it at a reasonable pace in my LC500. Went to Walla Walla the other week just for giggles, WSP had various people pulled over in one stretch. 'Emphasis patrol' I'm guessing. Okay then.

The police have their methods to the madness, mostly around uncertainty and emphasizing certain stretches for various reasons. If OP feels strongly enough about it, s/he'll complain to the gov't and maybe things will change. For awhile.

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by 509

Just came back from driving US2/97 between Wenatchee and Leavenworth.

A highway with stop lights, uncontrolled intersections, and a current speed limit of 60 MPH has people driving 70 to 75 MPH typically, with some folks pushing 80.

The highway was designed for traffic in the 1980's. Those days are long gone.

Time to drop the speed limit on US2/US97 to 45 MPH. From the Chelan County Park at Lincoln Rock all the way to the west end of Leavenworth. Too many fatalities. It is just unsafe.

Who do I contact for starting the process for dropping the speed limit on that stretch of highway? Anybody know??

Highway patrol, though it's possible they've either been defunded, or just plain understaffed.