SH 74 Widening

[Plutonic Panda]

There is a ton of traffic on I44/Hefner parkway during rush hour. If I had to guess, it's be one of the most congested highways on the metro.

[TheTravellers]

There is a ton of traffic on I44/Hefner parkway during rush hour. If I had to guess, it's be one of the most congested highways on the metro.

That and Broadway/235 are definitely tied for worst congested (during rush hour, at least).

[turnpup]

Hope this wasn't you plupan.
Man cited going more than 100 mph on Hefner Parkway | NewsOK.com

In high-performance cars, out on the open road, you can *easily* hit 100 without even thinking about it. My work takes me to a lot of rural areas with two-lane highways. When passing another car on a two-lane highway, I frequently hit close to 110. It shocks me when I look down at the speedometer and see that because it doesn't feel like I'm going near that fast. I don't drive that fast in general, though.

On Hefner Parkway, at least most of the time, I can't see how anyone would be able to go over 100 for more than a few seconds. Too much traffic and/or people hogging the left lane going at or under the speed limit.

[rezman]

I've done 100+ on the Parkway numerous times. It's not hard. Especially on the bike. It may be difficult during peak rush times, but there are plenty of opportunities otherwise.

[Architect2010]

I've done 100+ on the Parkway numerous times. It's not hard. Especially on the bike. It may be difficult during peak rush times, but there are plenty of opportunities otherwise.

That's extremely dangerous. Especially on a bike. Good luck to you and may the odds be ever in your favor!

[Plutonic Panda]

That's extremely dangerous. Especially on a bike. Good luck to you and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Driving 100MPH is not dangerous. I do not, for the life of me, understand why people in this country always attribute higher speeds to being dangerous. You know why the Autobahn is one of the safest highways in the world? People pay attention. They don't text and drive. The move over for people driving faster than them(no road rage), they use their turn signals. Granted, the Autobahn has a recommended speed limit of 85 and there are occasionally posted speed limits in some parts, but it mainly has to do with the driver.

I'm not going to state how fast I have driven on the highway late at night, but I've extremely fast before and had no problems. I have a ton of tickets, but no accidents. My cousin who "drives safe" and never goes above the speed limit has been in 4 wrecks.

I have not had a bike and quite frankly, I'm waiting until I mature a bit more before I buy a road bike. I have been thinking of getting one next month, but I'm not sure.

PS, I'm not trying to direct anything at you, just to people in general who always point to speed as being the most dangerous thing out there. I've done things before that I've looked back and was thankful I didn't get in a wreck. I rarely speed through traffic anymore. I never speed through school zones or residential areas with children.

[Plutonic Panda]

This is interesting to.

Car Bibles: Fact vs. Fiction about speeding

[Plutonic Panda]

This too.

Speed Limits: Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How should speed limits be set?
A. Traffic engineers maintain that speed limits should be established according to the 85th percentile of free flowing traffic. This means the limit should be set at a level at or under which 85 percent of people are driving. Numerous studies have shown that the 85th percentile is the safest possible level at which to set a speed limit.

Q. What are "realistic" speed laws?
A. According to a pamphlet produced by the Washington State Department of Transportation relating to speed limits, "realistic" speed limits should invite public compliance by conforming to the behavior of the most drivers. This would allow the police to easily separate the serious violators from the reasonable majority.

Q. Isn't slower always safer?
A. No, federal and state studies have consistently shown that the drivers most likely to get into accidents in traffic are those traveling significantly below the average speed. According to research, those driving 10 mph slower than the prevailing speed are more likely to be involved in an accident. That means that if the average speed on an interstate is 70 mph, the person traveling at 60 mph is more likely to be involved in an accident than someone going 70 or even 80 mph.

Q. Wouldn't everyone drive faster if the speed limit was raised?
A. No, the majority of drivers will not go faster than what they feel is comfortable and safe regardless of the speed limit. For example, an 18-month study following an increase in the speed limit along the New York Thruway from 55 to 65 mph, determined that the average speed of traffic, 68 mph, remained the same. Even a national study conducted by Federal Highway Administration also concluded that raising or lowering the speed limit had practically no effect on actual travel speeds.

Q. Don't higher speed limits cause more accidents and traffic fatalities?
A. No, if a speed limit is raised to actually reflect real travel speeds, the new higher limit will make the roads safer. When the majority of traffic is traveling at the same speed, traffic flow improves, and there are fewer accidents. Speed alone is rarely the cause of accidents. Differences in speed are the main problem. Reasonable speed limits help traffic to flow at a safer, more uniform pace.

Q. Aren't most traffic accidents caused by speeding?
A. No, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims that 30 percent of all fatal accidents are "speed related," but even this is misleading. This means that in less than a third of the cases, one of the drivers involved in the accident was "assumed" to be exceeding the posted limit. It does not mean that speeding caused the accident. Research conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation showed that the percentage of accidents actually caused by speeding is very low, 2.2 percent.

Q. Aren't our roads more dangerous than ever before?
A. No, our nation's fatality rate (deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled) is the lowest it has ever been. The total number of fatalities has also stayed relatively stable for several years. They do occasionally increase, but given that our population and the distance the average person drives are also increasing, this is not surprising, nor is it cause for alarm.

Q. If nobody follows the speed limit, why does it matter that they are underposted?
A. According to a speed-limit brochure published in conjunction with the Michigan State Patrol, inappropriately established speed limits cause drivers to take all traffic signals less seriously. The brochure also points out that unrealistic speed limits create two groups of drivers. Those that try to obey the limit and those that drive at a speed they feel is safe and reasonable. This causes dangerous differences in speed.

Q. Don't lower speed limits save gas?
A. No, research has shown that the 55-mph National Maximum Speed Limit, which was enacted specifically to save gas, had practically no impact on fuel consumption. This is partly because people do not obey artificially lower speed limits. It is also because the differences in travel speeds that result from unreasonable limits waste gas. Most fuel is used to accelerate to a given speed. Speed limits based on actual travel speeds promote better traffic flow, which reduces the amount of braking and accelerating on our roads. This has a positive effect on fuel consumption.
- Speed Limits: Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/26/2627.asp

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=26729407

[rezman]

That's extremely dangerous. Especially on a bike. Good luck to you and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Cars and trucks handle better and are safer than they've ever been. Tires, brakes, suspension .... are worlds better than they were even 10 years ago. What's dangerous is people. Knowing when and where to get that burst of speed is key. You don't do it with shoddy equipment and you don't do it in congested areas. In most cars today and on just about any bike, hitting 100 takes just a matter of a few seconds.

Isn't it interesting that even though we have maximum speed limits, automobiles continue to be built with the ability to to exceed and in many cases double the century mark?

[hfry]

Was at the meeting, not a whole lot of new info that isn't already known but the contractor wants to be done by feb 2016 which would be great in my opinion. Contract gives him a little longer with heavy incentives for done early or fines if they are not done on time. No scheduled lane closures but they will be switching all the traffic over to the southbound(west) service road mid-late summer. Speed is 35mph 24/7 because they will be working at least 5 days a week, early starts and late ends. There was a police officer with someone pulled over as we were leaving so everyone be warned.

[Plutonic Panda]

Was at the meeting, not a whole lot of new info that isn't already known but the contractor wants to be done by feb 2016 which would be great in my opinion. Contract gives him a little longer with heavy incentives for done early or fines if they are not done on time. No scheduled lane closures but they will be switching all the traffic over to the southbound(west) service road mid-late summer. Speed is 35mph 24/7 because they will be working at least 5 days a week, early starts and late ends. There was a police officer with someone pulled over as we were leaving so everyone be warned.

A year seems like a pretty fast timeline for this. Thanks for the info!

[hfry]

Of course! But I thought so as well seeing all the roads being 4 laned around it have been taking 9 months to a year depending on the weather and this is much more complicated, but most of it is all new and away from the existing roads so they can work freely I guess. The contractor did say they will have 9 or so crews working in different areas most everyday so it shows how quick they can work when it needs to be done fast and you pay for it.

[Stew]

I was cited once for doing 110 on the Kilpatrick late at night several years ago in this area. The police officer wrote me a ticket for doing 9 over so it wouldn't go on my record. That's crazy though this made the news. I'm friends with an OPH trooper and he tells me the OHP stops at least 3 people a day in Oklahoma County alone for doing more than 100mph.

That police officer should be fired.

[Plutonic Panda]

That police officer should be fired.

That's just like, your opinion dude. If it were me, I'd commend that officer and treat him to lunch.

[ljbab728]

From KFOR

?It?s definitely time and definitely overdue,? Oklahoma breaks ground on $34 million project | KFOR.com

[rezman]

That police officer should be fired.

Officer discretion.

[Plutonic Panda]

Maybe I missed it, but would 164th also be an interchange or an intersection?

[Architect2010]

100 MPH Crash | MythBusters | Discovery

Interesting video on the effects of a dead-on car wreck at 50 MPH vs 100 MPH.

Accidents are more likely to happen at a higher speed and thus any wreck at that speed would be pretty devastating. Double the 'dangerous'. I've seen enough dead motorcyclists on the road for a 22 years on this Earth.

But hey that's me. I don't really care for the moral or legal justifications of what the speed limit should be, because like most people, I don't exactly adhere to those little white signs either. Haha.

And apparently no one has watched the Hunger Games movies either. I thought some might catch the end of my post. Lol.

[C_M_25]

Back on topic. Who was the idiot that decided a 4-way stop was a good idea at 150th and 74? Why is that there? how long will it be there????

[jn1780]

Back on topic. Who was the idiot that decided a 4-way stop was a good idea at 150th and 74? Why is that there? how long will it be there????

No one was an idiot. It was a great idea 15 years ago before everyone decided they wanted a new house in Edmond and Deer Creek.

Only 1 and a half more years until the 4-way stop is gone and a full blown highway interchange takes its place.

Edit: Unless your talking about the signals being gone? I haven't been through this area in a week so I don't know what they have been doing.

[hfry]

I was at the meeting and while they didn't mention the 4 way stop they did say any traffic inconveniences would be reported on ODOTs web site or twitter account before hand(which it was) and everything would be done as quickly as possible. Not the best situation but if it means the difference between two years of slow construction vs a year with some things like this I would rather have the latter.

[C_M_25]

Traffic signals are turned off with stop signs in place. Seems unnecessary to me since the actual work is taking place just to the west of highway 74.

[hfry]

I dunno, I drove by about 30 minutes ago and they had 3 or 4 utility crews working on multiple sides of the intersection. The contractor did say they would begin the widening of 150th this week, so I assume this is related to the fact they are about the 4 lane everything there on both sides of Portland.

[rezman]

Any bets on which will get done first? ... The hwy 74 project or Western between 164th and 178h? ...

[bradh]

Any bets on which will get done first? ... The hwy 74 project or Western between 164th and 178h? ...

haha, I'm laughing but 74 isn't a bad bet