State Safety Studies Delay Higher Speed Limits

The national 55-mph speed limit will be lifted throughout America today, but for California motorists higher limits are at least a week or so away, state officials said Thursday.

Required engineering and traffic safety studies of freeways and highways under consideration for 65- and 70-mph maximum speeds have not been completed but are expected to be finished soon, officials said.

“Conceivably before Christmas you are going to see higher speed limits on selected portions of the freeway system,” said Jim Drago, spokesman for the California Department of Transportation.

The federal 55-mph speed limit will be repealed effective today, freeing states to set their own limits or lift limits entirely. In California, state law requires that highway engineering and traffic safety studies be performed before a roadway is designated for a higher speed.

State transportation and California Highway Patrol officials had expected to announce this week which roadways had been selected, but the task of identifying them proved tougher than anticipated, Drago said.

Caltrans has said that potential candidates for higher speed limits in Southern California include sections of the Foothill Freeway, the San Bernardino Freeway and the San Gabriel River Freeway.

While Californians must await the arrival of higher speed limits, those heading for Las Vegas on Interstate 15 or Reno on Interstate 80 will spot new signs today in Nevada advising them of a 75-mph speed limit.

California officials said speed limits will be raised in several phases. First, appropriate sections of freeway now at 55 mph will be boosted to 65 mph this month under existing state law. Under legislation by state Sen. Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco), the state is empowered Jan. 1 to begin raising limits to 70 mph on other freeways and highways.

Under consideration for 65-mph speed limits are 2,000 to 2,800 miles of highway and 1,384 miles where the 70 mph may be appropriate, Drago said. Increasing the speed limits on city and county roadways will be up to local officials.

In an alert to traffic officers statewide, CHP commanders in Sacramento warned that as long as the posted limit is 55 mph, “drivers will be cited” for exceeding it.