Speed Limit on NW 178th/2nd Street

[d-usa]

What contributes to the decision on the speed limits on different streets? I'm always a bit annoyed at the variation on NW 178th/2nd Street when I'm driving home from Edmond. Going westbound from Santa Fe it is 45 until you hit the city limits, where it jumps up to 50 for half a mile. Then at Western it drops back down to 45 for a mile until you get to Penn, and then it jumps back up to 50.

Is there any particular reason for the switch back and forth? Is the mile section between Western and Penn 45 instead of 50 because there are two stoplights? If so it seems weird to have 50 for 0.5 mile of road, but only 45 for 0.33 mile sections of road. I don't even care about sections being "only" 45, it's just the weird switch back and forth that annoys me. I would rather just have it 45 all the way from Santa Fe to Penn rather than having that random half mile section of 50 stuck in there. Is there any place to contact to get a better explanation, or am I limited to rambling on here ?

[bucktalk]

I totally understand your frustration as I've experienced the same. I got a $235.00 ticket on Western between 15th & 33rd. I was going 52. I had no idea the speed limit was only 40 mph in that area. 40! Since I was going '10 over' it made the ticket pretty pricey. I was told that the randomness of the speed limits depend on whether or not a residential driveway is on a particular street. On that particular stretch of road there are 2-3 residential driveways - thus the 40 mph speed limit.

Yeah, its pretty insane.

[OKCisOK4me]

It's all about observation. Get used to the patterns and you'll be fine. From what I've noticed, for years west of Penn the speed limit was 55mph but has been lowered in several of the areas where neighborhood development has occured. Once it all fills in solid, you'll prob see it drop down to the standard 40mph.

[corwin1968]

It's all about observation. Get used to the patterns and you'll be fine. From what I've noticed, for years west of Penn the speed limit was 55mph but has been lowered in several of the areas where neighborhood development has occured. Once it all fills in solid, you'll prob see it drop down to the standard 40mph.

I live right next to 178th, between Penn & May and I think 50mph is too fast a speed limit for that section. It's being built up quickly and it's already difficult to enter 178th from the subdivisions. Hopefully they do lower it to 40mph but people are already in the habit of driving 50mph there so it will take awhile for the new speed limit to have an impact.

[rezman]

I live off of 178th & Western and also got a ticket between 150th & 164th by OKC officer. 54 in a 40, but he dropped it to 10 over and the fine was $168. I too believe that before to long, both 50mph zones on 178th will be dropped to 40.

[ou1987]

Does anyone know why on 178th street between macarthur and portland it goes from 55mph down to 35 mph and the speed limit sign says new, then a couple hundred yards further ahead its right back to 55. There is no school or anything there that I have noticed?

[rezman]

That was done because of all the wrecks at 178 & Meridian. There's been some nasty collisions there with all the growth in that area. So the speed reduction to 35 mph was installed to give folks on Meridian a break when pulling onto or crossing 178th.

[Buffalo Bill]

Does anyone know why on 178th street between macarthur and portland it goes from 55mph down to 35 mph and the speed limit sign says new, then a couple hundred yards further ahead its right back to 55. There is no school or anything there that I have noticed?

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=42028

Lots of accidents, maybe a precursor to the roundabout.