Across our nation, state and municipal budgets are drying up. Colorado transportation budget is getting slashed thirty percent.In my area, local newsletters are filling with complaints that police must be on funding drive because they are stepping up speed limit enforcement to a previously-unheard-of level. (Bully the complainers: I'll happily pay my once-every-three-years speeding ticket for all of my time saved: that's just economics for me.)
But maybe there's a real opportunity here. For those not in the know, E-ZPass is a must-have in the DC, NY, Boston corridor, and it goes all the way to Chicago. You get a thingy-bob that pays tolls for you while you're rolling 35 to 55 mph and it recharges itself from your credit card. It's great.
So here's what I propose:Offer a new system, I'll call it SpeedyPass, that can track you on the highway, and offer 2 lanes of traffic for SpeedyPass holders only. Then, make the speed limits digital to reflect how fast traffic can go (faster on nice days, slower on crappy days or at night) and automatically levy lots of really small speeding fines every five minutes or so and run up a tab for you. If you're really going so fast that you are a public menace, then "the man" can come and get you. Voila! More revenue, and the cop didn't even have to pull anyone over except people are actually putting others in danger.
Little factoids I just recently learned: When speed limits were first created, they were calculated by engineers as the highest speed for which 85% of travelers would remain safe. In other words, they weren't "limits" the way we think of them today, but actually reflected how fast you could safely go in good weather. The other factoid I've known for a while: during the oil crisis in the 70's, our government told all states to set their speed limits no higher than 55mph or the feds would withhold highway money. That went away some years ago, but a lot of speed limits are still set to 55mph on huge freeways. Why?!?!? Cars are safer now and are more fuel effecient now. Shouldn't speed limits reflect this?
So SpeedyPass. That's the un-ticket :-D
Images from:
Creative Commons: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/94411850_2ac5e973d8_m_d.jpg
EZ Pass website: http://www.e-zpassiag.com/IAG-E-ZPASS-MAP%20New.jpg
1 comment:
I support this whole-heartedly!!!
When we are cruising at a nominal speed of 65 down MD-270, we are practically a menace to the traffic going 75 or 85, such as the state troopers. Yet, there are a handful of obedient citizens out there, trying to stay near the 55 MPH speed limit and I cringe imagining I will see a crash at any moment as the traffic swerve around them. If only people realize that raising the speed limit to something reasonable would actually INCREASE safety!!
When I relocated to CO, I was comfortably driving down C-470, feeling like a responsible driver, when I looked down at my speedometer and my heart jumped. I was going 75 MPH. There was very little traffic around me, but everyone else was going the same speed I was. Imagine my surprise when I saw the speed limit sign a minute late, stating 75 MPH. That's right, EVERYONE was traveling this speed or slightly under, safely navigating the roads at a practical speed that felt comfortable. Doesn't that sound safer?
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