With all of that, I am not a speed demon truck driver. More often then not I travel well below the posted speed on upgrades and level ground to increase my fuel mileage, but on downhill stretches I try to gain as much speed as possible so that when I get to the bottom of the grade I can coast for as long as possible without putting fuel to the engine. I am highly motivated to get high mileage out of my truck because the higher the fuel mileage, the higher the profit margin.

With a 70 MPH speed limit I can allow my truck to coast further once I get to the bottom of the grade then I could when the speed limit is lower. I love it when I get into states where the speed limit is 75 MPH, I never have to worry about getting a ticket as I am coasting downhill trying to maximize my fuel mileage.

I especially hate it when I get to states (like California) where the speed limit for trucks is ALREADY 55 MPH and state troopers like to sit at the bottom of hills giving speeding tickets to any truck driver who dares to allow gravity to help him/her increase fuel economy.

The highway speed limit is already 65 MPH in most rural areas of Virginia and 70 MPH on one part of I-85. Raising the speed limit won’t solve anything, but it does cause additional problems.

Simply raising the gas tax would fund transportation improvements, encourage conservation, and capture user fees from out-of-state travelers, all without adding any new infrastructure costs for collection (unlike tolls). Of course, that will never happen under Gov. McDonnell and other Republicans in the General Assembly.

As I recall it was one study and it did not look at specific locations but tried to average all locations, creating a “one size fits all” approach.

In rural areas, increasing the speed limit is feasible, but we should examine each case independently, as has been done here in Virginia.

We could conserve a great deal of fuel if we all drove slow, or just stayed home, but our economy would quickly collapse. If we want to get America back on the road to prosperity, we need to find ways to physically move goods quickly and economically.

With the advent of fuel cell technology, and smart roads, we may soon find it quite ludicrous that we used to travel at a mere 70 mph, as we zip along at speeds in excess of 200 mph and getting the equivalent of 150 mpg. The technology exist right now, but our representatives seem to be fixated on health care rather than building our national infrastructure to support manufacturing and transportation.

Otherwise we only play politics and lip service to the issue that kils more Americans every year.

When President Bush regulated smog, he ignored the recommendations of his own EPA scientists, resulting in a lawsuit by the American Lung Association. The cost of implementing better smog controls will be paid many times over by the savings in health costs as well as saving thousands of lives.

From virginia.sierraclub.org:

On January 6, 2010, the EPA proposed to strengthen the national air quality standards for ozone. EPA proposed a range of 60-70 parts per billion (ppb), a much lower level than the current standard of 75 ppb.

“EPA is stepping up to protect Americans from one of the most persistent and widespread pollutants we face. Smog in the air we breathe poses a very serious health threat, especially to children and individuals suffering from asthma and lung disease. It dirties our air, clouds our cities, and drives up our health care costs across the country,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Using the best science to strengthen these standards is a long overdue action that will help millions of Americans breathe easier and live healthier.”

The EPA will be holding a public hearing in several places across the U.S. including Arlington, Virginia on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, Washington Room (located on the Ballroom Level), 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington. The hearing begins at 9:30am and continues all day, into the evening.

Sign up to speak by email to crabtree.tricia@epa.gov or by telephone: (919) 541-5688. You’ll be allotted 5 minutes to speak. You can also sign up to speak here and get talking points for your remarks at SierraClub.org/BigPicture.

If you are interested in joining carpools of Virginians leaving from various points across the Commonwealth, contact Kate Pollard at kate.pollard@sierraclub.org.

Yeah, that should cover everything.

<3 Love the new header image.