To all of you complaining about "slow speed limits..."

[toyota86]

I agree that the speed limit is too low for most of the roads here. However, I don't believe the majority of people in BC are ready for speed limit increases. I think in order for speed limits to be raised, many changes other than a higher number on the sign must be considered.

Areas I think need changing:
- make driver licenses more difficult and more costly to obtain. doesn't mean increase wait time with the L and N nonsense.
- include a section for driving etiquette in the driving test
- mandatory re-test every 5-10 years
- driving tests both written and road should be done in english or french only
- government to stop caving in and building bicycle lanes, random bus stops that block the slow lane and get rid of street parking on major corridors
- introduce more roundabouts and educate people how to use them
- emphasize ticketing bad drivers for reducing/negatively affecting traffic flow rather than speeding.
- start using digital speed limit signs on highways that change the limit according to driving conditions and congestion. ie. rainy 60, 2am clear, good visability 150.
- restrictions should be put on large trucks and semi to only use the slow lane and not allow them to enter city centers.
- have a transit system that works to decrease the need to drive. ie. more routes with mini buses, some 24hr routes.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

But the branch of government that decides speed limits have no connection to a private insurance company. Oh wait, this is BC.

A private insurance system would lead to the same results. I'm willing to bet that the majority of cars that are involved in high speed collisions are sports/performance-oriented cars with younger, male drivers behind the wheel, so guess what? Men under 30 driving "fast" cars would get the highest rates.

Areas I think need changing:
- make driver licenses more difficult and more costly to obtain. doesn't mean increase wait time with the L and N nonsense.
- include a section for driving etiquette in the driving test
- mandatory re-test every 5-10 years

Agree with the above. And every person should learn how to drive on a standard transmission. Seriously.

- government to stop caving in and building bicycle lanes, random bus stops that block the slow lane and get rid of street parking on major corridors

I'm not sure what to say about this. Driving in the city shouldn't be quick. Then you say this:

- have a transit system that works to decrease the need to drive. ie. more routes with mini buses, some 24hr routes.

Such a system would add more buses onto the road and congest the system further. What we need is more grade-separated transit, but that's expensive and the NIMBYs will have none of it.

- restrictions should be put on large trucks and semi to only use the slow lane and not allow them to enter city centers.

Umm, no. Not unless we move to a post-consumption economy.

[gars]

Originally Posted by toyota86

- government to stop caving in and building bicycle lanes, random bus stops that block the slow lane and get rid of street parking on major corridors.

if you build less bicycle lanes, more bikers will just bike in the regular lanes, thus clogging up traffic......

and the issue with street parking on major corridors, especially with commercial areas - is that you will have to place affordable parking there, or else the shops will just lose business - which in turn is bad for the city.

[Lomac]

Originally Posted by gars

if you build less bicycle lanes, more bikers will just bike in the regular lanes, thus clogging up traffic......

and the issue with street parking on major corridors, especially with commercial areas - is that you will have to place affordable parking there, or else the shops will just lose business - which in turn is bad for the city.

Tell that to Mayor Gregor about Hornby St...

[Lomac]

Figured I'd give this a bump. Just a reminder to everyone that while the government recognizes the fact that current posted speed limits are actually too slow, too many politics surrounds the prevention of correcting them.

I wonder how feasible it would be to have an independent MP reintroduce this issue. Once Clark is ousted, of course...

[belaud]

I'd like a bump to 60kph, seeing as how thats the speed at which 90% of the traffic flows at anyways.

^This is just an observation based on no facts or biasedness

[Phozy]

^+1, other than school zones, alleys, construction, and cramped roads.

Even when the limit says 50, the flow of traffic is usually at a 60, unless it is very jammed.

[MindBomber]

I drive 50 in the city.

I've learned the difference between driving 50 and 60 the vast majority of the time is nothing more than how long you sit at a light.

[z3german]

Since everyone is pretty much in agreement about the highway bump ill talk about raising the city limits.

I would love to have a bump to 60kmh instead of the 50 it is at now, but i can see why it will never or take at least half a decade to implement.

When I am just driving from point A to point B I always use cruise control, just a force of habit now. I found that days that are anything but super beautiful like today I can set my cruise control to 60kmh and pretty much keep up with flow of traffic without ever having to tap my brakes. But days like this I am amazed at how much of a psychological difference it makes from sunny, to just a bit of cloud (no rain or anything. temp could be the same but just glum). I set it at 70kmh, and people still pass me constantly, its absolutely ludacris that they all get away with it. This very reason alone is why I get upset when I get speeding tickets, its so backwards thinking. Ive been pulled over doing 70 on two occasions, clear roads, very good conditions, just simply not sunny, and I feel its a load of horse shit. Days like this people are passing me when cruise control sets it at 70 and its like wtf, enforce limits everyday not only on glum days.

Anyways to conclude. I say keep the limits at 50kmh, cops should be more critical when pulling over speeders. There should be some sort of agreed maximum everyday that is only known to police and is based on road conditions, whether, etc, that is above 50 if it is even above 50. This puts out guess work and bullshit "quota pullovers" for pulling over a guy doing 60kmh following flow of traffic. If police can enforce speed consistently and people realize that cops have a no horse shit standard formula for pulling over speeders, then maybe we are ready for a bump up to 60kmh.

P.s. just came up with that on the top of my head, im sure there are a million other ways and possibly better ways to do things, just an idea

[AstulzerRZD]

Originally Posted by toyota86

I agree that the speed limit is too low for most of the roads here. However, I don't believe the majority of people in BC are ready for speed limit increases. I think in order for speed limits to be raised, many changes other than a higher number on the sign must be considered.

Areas I think need changing:
- make driver licenses more difficult and more costly to obtain. doesn't mean increase wait time with the L and N nonsense.
- include a section for driving etiquette in the driving test
- mandatory re-test every 5-10 years
- driving tests both written and road should be done in english or french only
- government to stop caving in and building bicycle lanes, random bus stops that block the slow lane and get rid of street parking on major corridors
- introduce more roundabouts and educate people how to use them
- emphasize ticketing bad drivers for reducing/negatively affecting traffic flow rather than speeding.
- start using digital speed limit signs on highways that change the limit according to driving conditions and congestion. ie. rainy 60, 2am clear, good visability 150.
- restrictions should be put on large trucks and semi to only use the slow lane and not allow them to enter city centers.
- have a transit system that works to decrease the need to drive. ie. more routes with mini buses, some 24hr routes.

Most of the above sounds like what Germany is already doing

I totally agree with the abolishment of bike lanes, random bus stops right at the intersection, street parking, etc. - City planners need to completely revise the traffic planning, along with the whole transit system which was planned in '94 and has only been updated to integrate the Canada line

[320icar]

i mainly drive in richmond. and almost all of the time i putter around at 55-60km/h. i WOULD go 50 buts its more comfortable in the gear i sit in to go 55 (rpm wise).

although to 95% of the rest of richmond drivers, this is faaaaar too slow. everywhere i go have people passing me and swerving around me just to meet me at the next red light.

i can understand adjusting some of the highway speedlimits. but in the city it wouldn't make any sense to raise it. what we do need is more red light cameras

[rice cooker]

im pretty sure most good drivers can judge what a safe speed limit is. if they post 100km/hr on any small street u think ppl are just gonna blast by at that speed? theres no way

[vafanculo]

Originally Posted by rice cooker

im pretty sure most good drivers can judge what a safe speed limit is. if they post 100km/hr on any small street u think ppl are just gonna blast by at that speed? theres no way

Problrm is, what qualifies you as a 'good driver'. Everybody thinks they are a good driver.

I think city limits are fine at 50, but highways should be increased, and start pulling over the slow people hogging up the left lane.

[Yodamaster]

Originally Posted by rice cooker

im pretty sure most good drivers can judge what a safe speed limit is. if they post 100km/hr on any small street u think ppl are just gonna blast by at that speed? theres no way

Lots of roads are fit for higher speed limits, it's a matter of public opinion, it's just that there has been no consultation regarding any opinions held by road users.

I would like to see some roads and highways get a boost, such as the strip of highway leading up to the Ironworker's, it is easily capable of 100-120kph, yet the speed limits is... 70

[Lomac]

Originally Posted by z3german

Since everyone is pretty much in agreement about the highway bump ill talk about raising the city limits.

I would love to have a bump to 60kmh instead of the 50 it is at now, but i can see why it will never or take at least half a decade to implement.

When I am just driving from point A to point B I always use cruise control, just a force of habit now. I found that days that are anything but super beautiful like today I can set my cruise control to 60kmh and pretty much keep up with flow of traffic without ever having to tap my brakes. But days like this I am amazed at how much of a psychological difference it makes from sunny, to just a bit of cloud (no rain or anything. temp could be the same but just glum). I set it at 70kmh, and people still pass me constantly, its absolutely ludacris that they all get away with it. This very reason alone is why I get upset when I get speeding tickets, its so backwards thinking. Ive been pulled over doing 70 on two occasions, clear roads, very good conditions, just simply not sunny, and I feel its a load of horse shit. Days like this people are passing me when cruise control sets it at 70 and its like wtf, enforce limits everyday not only on glum days.

Anyways to conclude. I say keep the limits at 50kmh, cops should be more critical when pulling over speeders. There should be some sort of agreed maximum everyday that is only known to police and is based on road conditions, whether, etc, that is above 50 if it is even above 50. This puts out guess work and bullshit "quota pullovers" for pulling over a guy doing 60kmh following flow of traffic. If police can enforce speed consistently and people realize that cops have a no horse shit standard formula for pulling over speeders, then maybe we are ready for a bump up to 60kmh.

P.s. just came up with that on the top of my head, im sure there are a million other ways and possibly better ways to do things, just an idea

While I think many other roads should have a limit increase, I feel that the current 50km/hr speed limit within city, er, limits, is fine how they are. As I believe I've mentioned in a previous post, there are too many other factors involved to justify upping the limit.

Police also don't have a quota for how many people they pull over. Sure, they may be encouraged by their supervisors if their numbers are low, but there's no official number they're required to hit. I've been hit with a speeding ticket for going 5km/hr over the speed limit at the bottom of a hill before, so I know how much it sucks when it happens. But on the flip side, I've been given a brief flash of the cherries by cops before to warn me I'm going to fast (most recently 15km/hr over the limit on Hwy 97a outside of Salmon Arm and 20km/hr over the limit outside of Whistler on the S2S). I think it genuinely depends on the officer and if they choose to either be nice or simply have more important things to do, or decide to enforce the law 100% because, technically, yes, going 5 over the limit is breaking the law.

Originally Posted by toyota86

I agree that the speed limit is too low for most of the roads here. However, I don't believe the majority of people in BC are ready for speed limit increases. I think in order for speed limits to be raised, many changes other than a higher number on the sign must be considered.

Areas I think need changing:
- make driver licenses more difficult and more costly to obtain. doesn't mean increase wait time with the L and N nonsense.
- include a section for driving etiquette in the driving test
- mandatory re-test every 5-10 years
- driving tests both written and road should be done in english or french only
- government to stop caving in and building bicycle lanes, random bus stops that block the slow lane and get rid of street parking on major corridors
- introduce more roundabouts and educate people how to use them
- emphasize ticketing bad drivers for reducing/negatively affecting traffic flow rather than speeding.
- start using digital speed limit signs on highways that change the limit according to driving conditions and congestion. ie. rainy 60, 2am clear, good visability 150.
- restrictions should be put on large trucks and semi to only use the slow lane and not allow them to enter city centers.
- have a transit system that works to decrease the need to drive. ie. more routes with mini buses, some 24hr routes.

While I agree with the majority of the ideas you put forth, restricting truck traffic into city cores will hinder the movement of goods by a large amount. Sure, many shipments can get through on a 1-5ton truck, but many stores (my own included) often require a full 53' trailer to deliver everything. And if those detached trailer trucks are forced out of the city and delivery companies are made to use 5 ton trucks, you can guarantee the price of goods will increase due to the amount of multiple deliveries required to just one store.

[MindBomber]

Originally Posted by toyota86

- restrictions should be put on large trucks and semi to only use the slow lane and not allow them to enter city centers.

Commercial vehicles above 8000kg are restricted to designated routes in every city to minimize impact on traffic flow, they may only deviate from those set routes to reach a destination not directly accessible by them and the most expedient route possible must be taken. The only reason a commercial vehicle would be in the city is to reach a point of business, such as a store receiving a shipment of merchandise. I'd like to hear your suggestions on how one might transport goods to businesses in the city if trucks were not able to access them.

Trucks are completely entitled to use the fast or slow lane. Speed determines what lane you should travel in, not weight of vehicle.