🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <919264686.8209.0.nnrp-12.c2deef40@news.demon.co.uk>, Mike
Blanche <mike@no.spam.digiserve.com> writes
>
>Douglas A. Willinger wrote in message <7acreh$qpf@nnrp1.farm.idt.net>...
>>> But I'm not sure how
>>>feasible a time-based speed limit system would be.
>>
>>Possibly no less feasible than time based HOV restrictions- especially
>>considering they would apply to the entire roadway (insofar as a comparison
>>with nonbarriar separated HOV from a standpoint of enforcement).
>
>
>They already have different speed limits on the M25 (London's "Beltway")
>depending on how busy it is, the thinking being that the lower the speed
>limit, the more cars can be packed onto the road (as distances between cars
>are lower at lower speeds). This is controlled by electronic speed limit
>signs on overhead gantries, with police monitoring the traffic cameras to
>judge traffic density and adjusting the speed limit.
>
Actually, I think it has more to do with slowing the flow of traffic
down so that less of it arrives at a bottleneck at the same time.
Something to do with queue theory, I'm told.

>It works reasonably well - the standard speed limit is 70 (although everyone
>does 80+), lowered to 60, 50 or even 40 depending on traffic volumes. Of
>course, the M25 often hits a point where your effective speed becomes zero
>because of the volume of traffic. :)
>
My personal observation is that the idea seems to work, as you say, but
I read an article a week or so ago which stated that the variable speed
limits had been judged unsuccessful by whoever it was who dreamed them
up (the TRRL?)
-- 
Regards

 Leroy Curtis           

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