Document text
--> --> Speed limit heading up SALEM (AP) - Oregon's current 65 mph speed limit on rural interstates is being ignored by most motorists and should be replaced with a more realistic 70 mph limit, members of a legislative panel agreed Friday as they approved a new speed limit bill. If the bill becomes law, Oregon will lose its status as the only Western state with a speed limit under 70 mph. Speed limit increase measures such as SB502 haven't gotten far in recent legislative sessions. But this year, Gov. John Kitzhaber and lawmakers are working on a compromise bill to allow the Oregon Department of Transportation to boost the limit to 70 mph on uncongested stretches of Interstates 5 and 84. The measure was endorsed Friday by a Joint Ways and Means subcommittee, and now goes to the full committee for more work. Later, Kitzhaber told reporters be believes he and lawmakers will be able to resolve the remaining issues surrounding SB502 and raise the speed limit. "I do believe it makes some good faith movement," the Democratic governor said of the measure. Kitzhaber's office has been negotiating with Republican Sen. Randy Miller of Lake Oswego, who for years has been advocating for higher allowable speeds on Oregon's highways and freeways. Miller's bill initially would have boosted the speed limit to 75 mph, but as a compromise with Kitzhaber he agreed to 70 mph. There's little doubt that 70 mph is a prudent speed for relatively straight and uncongested stretches of freeway, Miller said. "If we thought 70 was unsafe, no one here would support it," he said. In his negotiations with Kitzhaber's office, Miller has been pushing to have the higher speed limit accompanied by a "basic rule" provision. That would give motorists who are ticketed for exceeding the posted limit a chance to at least go into court to argue that they were driving prudently given the road and weather conditions. Kitzhaber, meanwhile, is tying any increase in the speed limit to the hiring of more state troopers to patrol Oregon's highways. "We want to have strict enforcement," said Kitzhaber spokesman Steve Marks. "Our concern is that we not have continuing creep-ups in speeds traveled" if the state goes to a 70 mph limit on freeways. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing