Oppo, what is a speed study?

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
04/10/2015 at 08:45 • Filed to: Michigan

My wife sent me this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! yesterday, where they said they were conducting a speed study on a portion of road near my house. What does that even mean?

It sounds like the are going to literally study the average speed, which doesn't make much sense. If there is a speed limit, enforce it, especially since there is a school nearby, and houses. If they are worried about kids getting hit, then drop the speed in that area. It's m59, a highway.

Also, a friend of the family got a $150 ticket from speeding in that area. So it's a speed trap now? I'm confused oppo.

DISCUSSION (21)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 08:50

Yeah, it's basically a speed trap. Someone complained about too many speeders in the area, so now the local authorities are checking up on it.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 08:51

I actually do these so basically what happened is the city wants to know what's going on in that particular area. So of the dozens of types of traffic monitoring systems they'll deploy their method of choice and conduct a survey for a set amount of time. This will generate info based on how much traffic is moving through at different times in the day, what the average moving speed is, etc. All sorts of cool data.

This could mean a bunch of different things. The city could be planning on changing the speed limit, ramping up enforcement, making physical changes to the road, comparing it to past data to give them an idea of usage changes, etc.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 08:54

I don't know if it's this way in your area, but a number of states have laws pertaining to the way speed limits are set. Usually it's the average speed of 90% of traffic, so be sure to speed through there many times that day unless you want the speed limit to be lowered.

KyleA > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 09:00

A few years back the Federal Highway Administration set a new requirement for States to evaluate speed limits on all roads and highways every few years. States that do not comply are subject to having their Federal funding formula changed and or reduced.

zeontestpilot > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
04/10/2015 at 09:01

Ha, thanks! Very informative, :D

zeontestpilot > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/10/2015 at 09:05

Well, at the intersection they are referring to, it's a school area, so I naturally keep the limit. I asked the friend how much he was over, so I can get a better idea of what the cops think is unsafe.

Plus, I can't get a third ticket. My wife wouldn't let me forget the last one, :/.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 09:11

anytime. They're a big pain in the ass to do. Each "plate" has to get programmed the day before with all of the study parameters then I get to go out to whatever intersection at 430 in the morning to stick one down in each lane in a specific spot while trying not to get run over by drivers who are about as tired as myself given that they're up at 430 in the morning.

Even worse is playing frogger when the survey is done, trying to dodge traffic and rip the plates off the ground. The sticky pads we use are pretty intense too. If it's hot enough the adhesive will stretch like 4 lanes and be this big nasty stringy goop. If a cold day they'll tear asphalt right off the road.

McMike > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 09:11

They usually leave the monitor equipment up for a week or so.

If the time of day is right, and the placement of the equipment is right, I like to try to give them a piece of data they'd notice.

For example: A straight piece of 35mph two lane road with no homes, no intersections, etc.. Something you can easily accelerate to 80 or so and get slowed back down in.

I know one 80 mixed in with thousands of 35-45 figures won't alter their data, but I wonder if they ever notice.

zeontestpilot > KyleA
04/10/2015 at 09:12

Huh, makes sense.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 09:21

They usually set up sensors on the road for this, so once you spot where they are, you only need to speed over that part. When you see two black hose looking things going across the road a foot or two from each other, that's it.

jariten1781 > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 09:29

Every time they do them around me they put out these cables (hoses?) that go to some block with equipment in it. I suppose it counts the number of cars that pass and their speed. Afterwards (usually years) they'll do something like stripe the road differently, install a light, add more signage, adjust the speed limit, whatever. You won't notice much unless you're actually looking out for it.

zeontestpilot > McMike
04/10/2015 at 09:41

The limit is 55 mph, which is decent, but that's the speed for 10 miles I think. The first half is housing, second half is farmland. Farmland is free game in my opinion, :).

thebigbossyboss > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/10/2015 at 09:49

Yup exactly. Whenever they have these I go out of my way to run them over as many times as possible so that they think there is a lot of cars and the traffic impacts of any changes would be high lol.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 10:09

Can't reply to the main post, so...

It's that situation where they lay wires across the road to get the average speed of traffic. Usually means they are thinking of adjusting the limit. Now... you said it was in a school zone, so don't do this, but it a situation where the limit is too low, you should go over it faster than normal to try and skew the data. Obviously you alone can't do much, but pass the info around and you never know. You can be 95% sure there won't be cops—they tell them to stay away so people don't slow down and mess up the test.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 10:11

Didn't even read the original comment by SidewaysOnDirt. Sorry, now you've been told twice.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/10/2015 at 10:11

Best part is it's normally pretty safe to do this because the cops are told to stay out of those areas. :)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
04/10/2015 at 10:12

Or vice versa.

zeontestpilot > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/10/2015 at 10:41

I've been told twice, so it must be true, right? :)

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 11:17

Here are some links from Michigan and the MSP. They do a speed study to establish the 85th percentile speed. IIRC this method for setting speed limits has actually been made into law in Michigan and they are required to set the speed limits on roads using the 85th percentile speed based on a speed study. The limit has to be set based on free flowing traffic, so the results have to come from a clear day without traffic backups and no speeding enforcement on that section of road.

http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,4643,7-1…
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Esta…
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/…

zeontestpilot > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
04/10/2015 at 11:30

So what I'm hearing is, I should go at it above the speed limit, and never below, right?

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > zeontestpilot
04/10/2015 at 15:50

Yep, when they are doing a speed study you should help them out by speeding. Or you could drive at a reasonable and prudent speed.

Basically it has been shown that traffic flow and road safety are better when the speed limit is set at the 85th percentile speed. If the speed limit is artifically low you get people driving at a reasonable speed above the speed limit and you get people driving at the speed limit which leads to problems and congestion.