The gas tax and bad speed limits
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John Rice
Published: June 29, 2008
Gas Tax — The GOP pledge of no taxes has just about destroyed Northern Virginia. In the USA we build roads with the motor fuel user fee (Gas Tax), not fines and sales taxes. Every day there
is money rolling down Interstates 81 and 95 that is NOT being collected. Make the motor vehicle pays its own way!
Speed Limits — Can someone in the city government figure out that the “natural” traffic speed on high-volume Sudley Road is 35 mph, not the city’s glorious 25. As a traffic engineer, I know that
most speed limits should be set at the 85th percentile of recorded speeds. The city’s own statistics prove that. Most “fiat” speed limits are too low and were established around 1930 or so.
Sure, I can drive 25, provided I drag a canoe filled with concrete. The radar speed signs are thus a total waste of money. And, yes, some punks will blow down the road at 50, but that is not typical
behavior. Have you wondered why Old Town stores are closing?
Could it be because Manassas is one big speed trap and people are just staying away?
The Chamber of Commerce needs to get involved. Wellington Road in the City has no curb cuts and has widely spaced intersections, yet it has a 35 mph speed limit.
When that road gets outside the city limits, it goes up to 45 and I don’t see any dead bodies. I also detest the city’s “speed control” stop signs that are totally unwarranted. They are as obnoxious as
speed bumps.
My wife was rear-ended at one of those on Liberia Avenue. It reduced her speed to zero for 45 minutes. Also, the Manassas Park 25 mph speed limit on Euclid Drive and Manassas Drive is just plain too
low. It is like there is a dead zone of zero common sense out there.
JOHN RICE
Manassas
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Godsaveus ) on June 30, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I have seen people driving 35 mph just because they think the speeds limit is too slow in residential area and cause accidents. You need to take some class for aggressive drivers
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Posted by ( T Dawg ) on June 30, 2008 at 8:03 am
Gee, perhaps Mr Rice should purchase another vehicle if he needs to drag a concrete filled canoe to slow down to the posted speed limit. That or invest in some driver lessons. I have no problems with the speed limits in PWC or Manassas and find them quite reasonable. Its not the speed limits Mr Rice, its the drivers ... many like you who feel speed limits are to be ignored by yourself but followed by everyone else. If the speed limit is 45, people drive 50-65mph. Drivers are in a hurry to go nowhere, cut off other drivers, tailgate, and/or sit in the left lane and clog traffic flow. As to the complaint that Mrs Rice was rear-ended because of a stop sign is ridiculous. She was rear-ended by a driver not paying attention. Mr Rice and I do agree on one thing however ... there is a dead zone of zero common sense out there.
Y’all drive safe now, y’hear ...
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