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57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 7, 2005 I-5 speed to hit 70? House revives attempt to increase limits for vehicles on rural interstate stretches By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — A bill to increase the speed limit to 70 mph on rural sections of the interstate roared back to life Friday after having been declared dead by the chairman of the House Transportation Committee. Headed by Rep. George Gilman, R-Medford, the committee approved the measure that also ups the speed limit for trucks to 65 mph. The main difference from Friday’s proposal and the earlier one that set the speed limit for rigs at 65 mph is that a low rate could be posted for trucks if safety conditions warrant it. "The Oregon Transportation Commission would have the option of setting a 65, 60 or 55 mph limit for trucks," Gilman said. "They did not have this flexibility in the first bill." The rural speed bill has been around for several sessions. In 2001, then-Gov. John Kitzhaber vetoed a bill for a 70/65 speed limit. It was re-introduced by former Rep. Randy Miller of Lake Oswego in 2003. Advertisement That measure passed and was signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. However, the Oregon Department of Transportation conducted a study and concluded it could support a 60 mph speed limit for trucks, but not 65. Because the two speeds were linked in the new law, the commission decided not to bump the limits. "The goal," said Gilman, "is to get a 70 mile speed limit on rural sections of the interstate. We’re just trying to find ways to do it." Legislative approval is required to up freeway speeds. Whether the commission will vote to adopt the new allowable speeds remains to be seen, as the legislation does not mandate that it do so. Currently, the maximum speed limit for cars is 65 mph and 55 mph for trucks. Posted limits are lower on Interstate 5 through urban areas such as Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford, and over the Siskiyous, Smith Hill Summit, and over Cabbage Hill and Ladd Canyon on I-84. ODOT’s study said average truck speeds range between 60 and 62 mph on nineteen sections of rural interstates clocked by the agency. Automobiles traveled an average of 71 mph. The vote to send the bill out was 6-1. However, two members reserved the right to vote no when it comes up on the floor. It must also be passed by the Senate and signed by the governor. Don Jepsen is a free-lance writer living in Salem. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s