Subject: Re: 55 mph

From: [email-masked] (Barry Fowler)
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 15:56:12 GMT

Tim Shoppa ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>,
: Tom McGlashen  <[email-masked]> wrote:
: >
: >Are there any areas in California where the posted speed is 65mph?
: 
: Yes.  You have to be "n" miles from any towns or cities, where "n"
: is, I think, of order 10, for 65 to be allowed.  And then the state/local
: government has to have decided to allow it; they may have decided
: to still keep you to 55.  Because many of the freeways in urban
: areas are *always* near towns or cities, you may never see the
: 65 zones.  Many parts of Interstate 5 (at least the last time I drove it)
: were 65 (except trucks, autos with trailers 55).
: 
This used to be the case but recently, the Feds have allowed the states
to determine their own speed limits (and Feinstein and Boxer thought this
was a bad idea and opposed it).  Hwy 5, South of Elk Grove has a 65 MPH 
speed limit, as does Hwy. 99, So. of Sacto.  I'm sure there are others
but I've driven them recently and know from experience.

There has been much discussion on this topic in this group and it is
likely that the 55 MPH limit will be kept in CA because it generates
significant revenue in giving speeding tickets to otherwise, law-abiding
citizens.  Additionally, a bill that became law, written by Phil Isenberg
(D-Sacto.) requires at least the same amount of fines to be received 
from counties, else they are fined the difference, which perpetuates
writing of citations for income purposes.  

Don't you remember voting for this one?

:-)