2016.04.04 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minnesota Speed Limit Study For several years, the Minnesota Legislature has been exploring the potential of increasing speed limits on existing rural highways that currently have 55 mph speed limits. Currently, state law sets statutory speed limits on all public roads. Videos Newsletter Search As recently as 2013, legislation has been introduced that would have changed the statutory speed limit in statute 169.14, Subd. 2(3) from 55 mph to 60 mph. This would have applied to all roads, including county roads, city streets, township roads, and any other roads that don't fall into one of the other speed limit categories in statute 169.14 and don't have a different speed limit that was set by the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation as a result of a traffic engineering study. Ironically, the trunk highway system, which has been the primary focus of legislative interest relative to speed limits, is entirely comprised of sections that have speed limits authorized as a result of engineering studies and therefor would not be directly affected. Fortunately, MnDOT and local representatives have been able to make the case that a blanket increase in speed limit would not be safe. In 2013, as a result of legislative interest and after performing engineering studies, MnDOT increased the speed limits from 55 to 60 mph on some 700+ miles of two-lane, rural trunk highways, primarily in western Minnesota. Legislative interest in speed limits remained strong. 2014 Regular Session Laws, Chapter 312, Article 11, Section 36 was enacted, which required MnDOT to perform engineering and traffic investigations on trunk highway segments that are two-lane, two-way roadways with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Speed limits are expected to be increased on those roadway segments where studies find that the speed limit can be reasonably and safely increased. The statewide review must be completed by 2019, with approximately 20% of the roadway miles studied each year. This includes over 7,000 miles of trunk highway. Stonebrooke Engineering was selected to assist MnDOT in performing studies and writing select speed limit authorizations on more than 5,000 miles of trunk highway in five MnDOT Districts. The consultant contract was executed in late October 2014, and data collection efforts began two weeks later in mid-November. 18 study segments were selected for 2014, and as a result of these studies and others performed by MnDOT personnel in three other MnDOT districts, about 340 miles of highways in northern and western Minnesota were authorized for 60 mph speed limits in early 2015. The process for determining whether a roadway can safety support an increased speed limit from 55 mph to 60 mph is made up of three components: spot speed samples, field investigations, and analysis and reporting. If the result is that the highway can safely support a 60 mph speed limit, the final steps include writing speed limit authorizations and coordinating swapping out existing 55 mph speed limit signs with new 60 mph speed limit signs. Spot Speed Study Spot speed studies will be performed for each of more than 350 study segments, Spot speed studies measure point travel speeds of a representative sample of vehicles in the population. Speed studies will be performed using either pneumatic tubes or radar units. Tubes will be used for all segments with ADT values of less than 1,000 vehicles per day, while radar units will be used for segments with ADTs in excess