You’ll be able to put the pedal to the metal a little harder (legally) on some stretches of Michigan’s freeways in time for tourism season if a pair of bills makes it (as expected as it has bi-partisan support) through the State legislature.
Tuesday morning, state lawmakers on the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee passed a plan and the bill now moves to the full House for a roll-call vote. Initially, the thought was to move the limit up to 80 mph, but safety and perception concerns brought it back down to 75, which is still 20 miles and hour faster than the speed limit of 55 in the 1970s.
“We have determined that 75 would be more palatable for people to accept,” state House Transportation Committee Chair Peter Pettalia, R-Presque Isle told Michigan Radio. “When you look at roads like I-75, that are going to be raised to 75 miles-an-hour in some sections, it makes perfect sense. It helps keep traffic moving. And we believe it’s the place to go right now.”
In some ways, these changes are coming to bring the law closer to reality. Recent studies show that the speeds people were already driving that fast on highways.