Friday, March 09, 2007
Speed Limit Bill Heads To Governor
A bill allowing the state to raise its speed limit to 70 mph on rural interstate highways and most parkways won Senate approval on a 35-2 vote Friday.
The measure, which earlier passed the House on a 69-27 vote, now heads to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who remained noncommittal about whether he'll sign it into law, though he supported a previous attempt to raise the speed limit from the current 65 mph. Truck driver Mike Tucker of Charlotte, N.C., who travels Interstate 75 as part of his route, thought the higher speed limit was a good idea.
In a phone interview while stopping for fuel in Williamsburg, Tucker told the Senate this morning "It would be better for getting up the hills, "You can drive 70 and still drive safe. You just have to watch what's going on." Before taking effect, the higher speed limit would need approval from the state transportation secretary following an engineering study looking at safety factors. That review would probably take one or two months for each eligible highway, said state Highways Commissioner Marc Williams. If the bill becomes law, it likely wouldn't be until late this year that the speed limit might go up on those highways, he said. Fletcher spokeswoman Jodi Whitaker said Friday that the governor would reserve comment until he reviews the bill with advisers.
The measure, which earlier passed the House on a 69-27 vote, now heads to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who remained noncommittal about whether he'll sign it into law, though he supported a previous attempt to raise the speed limit from the current 65 mph. Truck driver Mike Tucker of Charlotte, N.C., who travels Interstate 75 as part of his route, thought the higher speed limit was a good idea.
In a phone interview while stopping for fuel in Williamsburg, Tucker told the Senate this morning "It would be better for getting up the hills, "You can drive 70 and still drive safe. You just have to watch what's going on." Before taking effect, the higher speed limit would need approval from the state transportation secretary following an engineering study looking at safety factors. That review would probably take one or two months for each eligible highway, said state Highways Commissioner Marc Williams. If the bill becomes law, it likely wouldn't be until late this year that the speed limit might go up on those highways, he said. Fletcher spokeswoman Jodi Whitaker said Friday that the governor would reserve comment until he reviews the bill with advisers.
# posted by Justin Mullins @ 3:59 PM 
