June 27, 2005

Speed Limit Lowered

Due to complaints about noise by residents along I-440 here in Nashville, TDOT has lowered the speed limit from 65 to 55.

The change took effect Monday morning. All vehicles using the road must drive at the new limit.

“It is hoped that the reduction in speed will reduce noise along the corridor and improve safety,” said TDOT commissioner Gerald Nicely in a statement.

TDOT lowered the speed limit in response to a recommendation from the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) — a regional, governmental planning organization — which, in turn, had studied the matter after a group of Nashville residents, concerned about noise and safety, had requested TDOT lower the limit.

Of course, I-440 was meant to be a bypass, and when this issue was first discussed, the residents along 440 wanted the traffic to go elsewhere. Again...440 was built as a bypass so that traffic would use it instead of other roads.

So, in response to this, I say that everyone who travels along 440 should drive at 55mph, but honk your horns the entire time.

(ht: Nashville Is Talking)

Comments:

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This is just the kind of passive agressive civic protest I can get behind. Besides, Tennesseans are good at horn-honking.

Actually, I remember when they RAISED the speed limit to more reflect the true nature of the traffic on 440.

Posted by: Tim Morgan at June 27, 2005 03:24 PM

The nanny statists are all behind this. Over at PITW, the geographically identified "blairblvd" contends that 440 was originally supposed to be closed to truck drivers yet then tangents to "it'll just take you an extra 45 seconds". I don't quite catch how that stops noisy truck drivers. Or that an 18 wheeler is so demonstrably quieter at 55 than 65. Maybe to make up for the decrease, TDOT can use eminent domain to widen the interstate.

The real issue, the unspoken issue, is that Serpas just received another stretch of interstate with an absurdly low speed limit to overtax Nashville drivers. The thought that a four lane interstate has a speed limit 10 miles faster than Hwy 70, Charlotte or Murfreesboro Rd.

Posted by: smantix at June 28, 2005 08:05 AM

I have a better idea than horn honking. If everyone who uses 440 would, for one week NOT use 440 and instead use the neighborhood roads I bet the locals would be begging drivers to drive 440 at ANY speed.

Posted by: sbk at June 28, 2005 09:58 AM

Heeeyyy...your chocolate's in my peanut butter. Why can't we have both? Everyone can flood the side streets with their horns. Nice save, sbk.

Posted by: smantix at June 28, 2005 11:59 AM

This is crap. They raised it years ago and then lowered it again, and we got a big fat ticket for it, like, the day it got lowered. Now they're doing it again? As if going ten miles slower is going to reduce noise. We're supposed to be moving forward, not back. Aaarrgh!

Posted by: Jill at June 29, 2005 09:42 AM