Anti-55: A Throwback to the 1970s?

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55 MPH: The 1970s - A Throwback?

Houston: We've got a problem. The 1970s are back - only this time, the Arab Oil Embargo isn't the problem. It's a throwback to a side repercussion of the Arab Oil Embargo: the maximum speed limit of 55 mph. Look down below for the proof:

Look above at the abstract pic from the Houston Chronicle (12/7/00). Think that 1995 was gonna be the year for IM240 and California-esque I/M programs? Guess again. Harris County (along with Dallas/Tarrant and El Paso Counties) are known as 'emission counties', where tailpipe testing is mandated under the Texas Air Care program. The stay of execution will end in 2003, and suburban counties (Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, and Galveston) will have the same mandates as Harris County.

Houston might be the new Los Angeles; the 8-county region must meet the 2007 deadline as mandated by the EPA, under CAAA'90 criteria. A similar outcome will be felt like in Florida with voter recounts, where a 'too close to call' crisis yields a similar reaction with the TNRCC and the State being taken to civil court.

So much for the first half; here's the theodicy for the issue: a throwback to 55. Back in 1974, Congress passed a speed limit revision on all interstate highways, where 55 is the max speed, as a response to the October 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, after the Yom Kippur war in Israel. Arab nations imposed an embargo on petroleum shipments to Western nations that supported Israel (e.g. the U.S., U.K. (Great Britain), France), which led to the first energy crisis.

After both energy crises of 1973 and 1979, during a time when oil supplies and reserves were stable once again, Congress raised the speed limit on RURAL highways to 65 mph, while metropolitan areas retained 55 as the max. An organization known today as the NMA, was responsible for a historical landmark: repealing of the 1974 policy -- the federal-mandated speed limits at 55 mph. Thought the dilemma was over?

Consensus

Going back to 55 will NEVER change rush hour traffic and long commutes, along with the smog issue in the 8-county region. Here's an earlier article from the Houston Chronicle (11/26/00):

During the public hearings in September '00, the turnout for the throwback-era speed limits resulted in a 2:1 (138-66) margin. Gasoline-powered motor vehicles, the targeted culprit since the EPA's inception in 1970, have been a part of pop culture, where bureaucracy decides what should be marketed and regulated. It may sound arbitrary and capricious: the gasoline-powered motor vehicle has been targeted for decades, where the government sets forth the rules of what should be marketed, along with required mandates (e.g. emission controls, safety equipment, and instrument calibration). To this day since 1977, every motor vehicle has an 85 mph speedometer, instead of the 120 mph speedometer common in post-war automobiles, unless the motor vehicle is used for a specific purpose (e.g. sports car or law enforcement). Look inside an import, where the speedo is calibrated at 120, since they don't have to comply with federal mandates.

Texans rebelled against centralized vehicle emission testing in 1995 with civil suits; a lot more will be rampant in the next few years. Grievances should be sent ot the following organizations:

TNRCC
NMA

10/16/01 update: the TNRCC's 5-year plan has been approved by Governor Rick Perry, and as of this writing, 13 lawsuits have been filed against the State of Texas challenging several key elements, like the lowered speed limit. If the highway signs are switched on May 1, 2002, the 8-county region will return to a 1970s-era throwback since the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973. Anyone remember the 'Laid Back at 55' TV commercials during the late 1970s/early 1980s or Smokey and the Bandit? Resist now by filing a lawsuit against the state and TNRCC. Much like the Florida recounts during the presidential election, lowering the speed limit does not solve anything at all; it's flawed logic will lead to increased traffic congestion, especially on Houston-area highways built in their 1960s-era configuration (Katy Freeway and the West Loop).

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