Slam on the brakes — there is a new contender for wackiest bill this legislative session. State Sen. David Haley (in photo), D-Kansas City, proposed that the Kansas Turnpike Authority be able to charge drivers extra if they speed, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. The charge would be calculated based on the time punched on the toll ticket when a driver entered the turnpike compared with the number of miles driven. But as Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Les Donovan, R-Wichita, noted, drivers could speed but stop for coffee at one of the service stations on the turnpike and not pay the extra toll.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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59 Comments
I was never sure if it was true but the rumor always that the NJ Turnpike did that. I always made it a point to stop to eat just in case …
I recall a rumor in the early days of the Turnpike that if you were exiting “too soon”, there would be a speeding ticket issued. Many folks used to “sit it out” at a rest area just to be sure.
At least someone is thinking about trying to reduce speed on that raceway. The last two times I was on it, I was being passed by people doing well over 90…flying past me like there is no such thing as a speed limit.
Why does the state feel the need to increase the fees? Are they just ‘tax happy’ or are the funds to be earmarked for something? The the linked story what we have here is a legislator out to make more money.
Look for spending restraint sir, before you seek to increase the cost of living in Kansas.
And it would require the toll booths to be staffed by law enforcement officers rather than toll attendants, as they always have been. Or I guess they could get “enforcement officers”, like Dennis Rader, or the public works twits that work for the City and hand out summons to environmental court … that’s really worked well, hasn’t it?
Ben, it’s been years, but when I was there the Garden State Turnpike had “quarter throws” every so many miles. Has that changed, or is the Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Turnpike two different things?
“Why does the state feel the need to increase the fees?”
Uh, because just like the republican controlled congress, they feel the need to spend like drunken sailors?
The party of small government and fiscal restraint indeed!
What is with all the wingnuttia coming out of the kc area this session? Are they trying to uphold the standards set by kay 0′connor?
This is just as stupid as all the wingnut garbage introduced this year by lance kinzer.
I’d say lancelot is pandering for the wingnut vote for the next governor’s race? Some say he wants to be ag to take up the slack from phillllllll’s unceremonious boot from office.
I guess he still thinks the wingnuts are in charge of the state. Oh. Wait. They are.
nevermind
It’s not like the ks legislature doesnt have REAL problems to work on. Like water issues. Dont hear a damn thing from the leggies on that, do we?
But turnpike tolls? You bet. THERE is a pressing problem!
rm – different roads and systems. Turnpike there like here.
Turnpike toll: $ signs to any and all politicians.
Water issues: Beyond the intellectual level of most politicians.
Yep, our KS Lege has the routine down pat.
Gays, spankings, gratuitous tolls, etc.
They sound like a bunch of perverts.
Wait! They are a bunch of perverts!
Nevermind.
…another taxing idea…how shocking.
Did everyone notice that Mr. Haley is a (gasp) Democrat?
heheheheh
I read in the lj world today that another wingnut wants to sell the KU hospital for $800 million and then use the proceeds to fix the university repair problems.
These nut jobs rival the guys in south dakota.
Kansas… as wingnuttia as you think!!!
well rm, it seems that you cant tell the dems from the repukes in ks.
He may have a “d” behind his name, but he is no more a proponent of democratic ideals than governor leadership.
Dems in ks are breaking their arms patting themselves on the back for re-electing sebelius and company.
I’m quite sure the traditional republican constituency is appropriately grateful…
Frmgrl: I’ll trade you Brownjerk for Haley and a draft choice to be named later. :)
Farm Grrl – Most Democrats in Kansas would be moderate Republicans in the Northeast. There are very few true Dems in Kansas. I would suggest that Dennis Moore (D – Lenexa) is one of the few, and even he would be considered a moderate.
Unfortunately, even “liberals” in Kansas are far from liberal in the rest of the world.
True, WSC; see, e.g., Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.
OMG raptor!!! That must have been awful! What ever did you do?
I would agree with this legislation. People who speed should get fined. Maybe they’ll pull their happy ass out of bed earlier instead.
Law enforcement would not have to issue a ticket as it wouldn’t be a legitimate ticket, just a fine by the state. It’s saying to the drivers, yeah you can speed, but you’re going to pay extra for it.But it won’t affect their driving record unless they get a real ticket.
Wonder if a little jail time, might slow the chronic speeders down????
Ooops, jails are already busting at the seams. Ha.
This is the same guy who told me that he “sang” and “read” to his unborn children because he thinks they can “learn in the womb”.
He then turned on his heel when I asked him why he was a pro-abort if it meant killing “learning” human beings.
He is a schizo limosine liberal and understandably wants more priviledge for the monied elites.
Yep!Found another way to ticket people, now we can do cut backs on the highway patrols.
You can tell who speeds on here by those who are opposed to it.
I think 85 mph is a good speed on the turnpike. Anything over that, and it’s ok by me to issue a ticket.
85 are you out of your mind?
Ok, fine, but if you wreck and kill someone, you should spend eternity in prison.
Do you trust other drivers (knowing how they drive) to travel at 85 mph?
If he/she isn’t able to drive 85 – no.
I am.
Of course! It’s always ok if you do it, and not someone else.
I don’t trust anyone driving that fast- tires blow, hydroplaning happens (and nobody slows for weather conditions). People look down to change the radio.
What happens with the Mexican trucks come in from the new NAFTA agreement?
I’m guessing they will get a pass for everything. Speeding, reckless driving, DUI, driving over hours, failed inspection or anything. Just my guess.
Here something I saw new on I-70 on Tuesday.
Español road signs along side English ones.
I’ve read that several cities are using spy cams at intersections to photgraph and issue by mail tickets to speeders / red light runners etc. Kansas and it’s larger cities should do the same. Courts have found it constitutional
They had those traffice cameras in Germany 30 years ago – much to the irritation of GIs who liked to speed and otherwise break traffic regs.
Re: The Turnpike and coffee. Seems like if you are speeding, you want to get someplace fast. So stopping for coffee sort of negates the whole idea.Hummm
Why does the KsFarm cow have to turn everything in to an attack on Republicans. what a cow.
enema, you really can’t hide under other names.
While we are at it why not make this a real cash cow for the state?
If a tour bus is speeding, charge EVERYONE on the bus! After all, they were all speeding. If an ambulance is making a run to KC, charge everyone in the ambulance. Surely the patient can charge it to his insurance. If a highway patrolman is in pursuit of somebody, charge both of them! After all, they were all speeding.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. But especially, charge the legislators that are in a hurry to get to Topeka to propose another cockamamie bill that will make Kansas the laughing stock of the rest of the country.
What a great way to lift the image of our great state. As it is now, the Turnpike and I-70 both represent the wide open, flat, nothing for miles reputation we have.
We use the turnpike BECAUSE IF IS FAST!!!
Those of you who feel the need to run 80-85 on the turnpike, just a warning. When you come upon me plugging along at 50-55, my tail end is going to approach your front bumper very quickly. Please miss me!
I’ll smile and wave… and then smile and wave again when I pass you at the next gas station… LOL!
ks-sam – why do you drive on the turnpike if you are not willing to drive at a reasonable speed? I think the speed limit is 70.
Are you one of those guys who parks in the left lane of Kellogg doing 40?
Jesus Christ doesn’t this public servant have something more tangible to consider than something as useless and unenforcable than this.My God Senator Haley quit wasting valubale legislative energy.
I don’t understand why one would drive 77 mph on the turnpike, then pull over for coffee just to even things out.
And,
“enema, you really can’t hide under other names.
Posted by: political_mom | March 01, 2007 at 10:01 PM ”
Where did that come from, pmom?
I’ve never done that and it doesn’t help your case to say that.
Excuse me Ben? Yes.. I drive a reasonable speed.. well over the 40 mph minimum.. and I drive in the right lane. Some of us just got more important things to spend our money on than subsidizing big oil profits. It just happens to be the shortest distance between home and work. Who’s in a big hurry to get to work anyway at 4am? Not me.
And no.. drive the speed limit on Kellogg… but I usually avoid it if at all possible!
ks-sam – most people, national Safety council included, believe that one should drive close to the speed limit under most circumstances. So, with a 70 limit it would seem that 60 makes sense. The idea is to minimize the spread of speeds on the highway.
JUST because you have a car and a road does not give you the right to drive irresponsibly. 70 is PLENTY fast enough, if you need more time, you didn’t get up early enough.
I will not let you speed becuase you think you are entitled. The NUMBER 1 factor for fatality accidents is SPEED. You might kill yourself in the process, but if you take my family with you I’ll go after everything you leave behind.
People who speed and care nothing about it are self centered jerks.
I don’t have to worry about their ‘clock-timing’ for two reasons: I find the 70 mph limit to be sufficient for me and I generally have to stop anyway. Too much coffee starting at QT here in town. ;^)
“The NUMBER 1 factor for fatality accidents is SPEED.”
More correctly, it would be the speed differential. NASCAR goes around the track at 180 mph, they have wrecks when somebody, for one reason or another, goes 175 mph.
If you are on the turnpike and are not driving 70, you are the problem.
Liberals – worried about what everyone else makes.
Liberals – now also worried about how fast everyone else drives.
golf – how do you reconcile that with the fact that I am on your side here? And I don’t recall ks-sam being particularly ‘liberal’
I thought ALL conservatives were about the rule of law – as in – don’t do it if it is illegal. Speeding, I seem to recall, is illegal.
I am pretty sure that my memory is correct. In fact, I remember being criticized because I used marijuana which is illegal.
So, if you are against using marijuana which is illegal, then you also have to be against speeding, which is equally illegal.
Of course, that would be the case unless you were a HYPOCRITE.
Good point there WS.
Republicons always think it’s ok for THEM to break the rules.
ws-
That is only your deluded stereotype. The true conservative believes in less law, not more. The smart conservative believes that driving 7 miles over the limit is good. The true conservative/Libertarian believes that the drug laws (like prohibition; didn’t we learn a damn thing?) need to be changed.
BTW, you weren’t being hammered for smoking, just for being an idiot.
And, smoking reefer is not the same as speeding. Yet. See above sentence.
Jeez, Fleet, you are in rare form today. I used to think that you were just a moron, but now I know that you are a moronic asshole.
So, you are telling me that the smart CONservative is allowed to decide which laws they will obey? So, if they decide that, say, murder of liberals is not a law they want to obey, then they can use the “smart conservative” defense in court?
And since we are discussing it, explain to me why alcohol is a better choice than marijuana.
And don’t pretend that you have not tried BOTH substances.
ws- Now, you are just being silly. I have tried both substances, and many more.In the Law, speeding is different than possession of the bud. I thought you knew that.
So, as I said, the Repulicons get to choose which laws they are going to obey?
ws- the answer is yes. We chose which laws to obey. If you would come over to our side, you could do it too.
So that “rule of law” crap that all the ‘Pukes were screaming about when Clinton was impeached was just more Republican hypocrisy?
Jeez, have YOU PEOPLE no shame?
BDP fleet,
“More correctly, it would be the speed differential.”
BS! Dissipation of kinetic energy (KE) is what kills.
KE = 1/2 times mass times (velocity)squared
That (velocity)squared is very nasty. A crash into an immovable object at 40 mph has FOUR times the KE of at 20 mph.
An increase of speed from 50 mph to 70 mph roughly doubles the KE.
Driving only 7 mph over the 70 limit increases the KE by about 20% re 70 mph — that’s a significant amount, if you crash.
cosmos – you make a good point abou KE; however fleet also does. One major cause of accidents IS speed differential; that is why overly slow drivers are a hazard. Traffic tends to be safer if everyone is traveling at the same rate of speed. That is also reason that it is recommended that speed limits be set to encourage that. On the turnpike you tend to see a fairly narrow range – as fleet notes 77 down to 67. I find that I can get on the pike and set my cruise and neither pass not get passed much. Most cops I see are going the other direction; the reason is that if they are going my way we are again just paralleling each other.
Kellogg is made more dangerous because you have people doing everything from 40 to 80. I fault both ends – 80 is clearly too fast and 40 clearly oo slow. This disparity of speeds increases lane changes and weaving.
Ben,
fleet said that political_mom’s claim, “The NUMBER 1 factor for fatality accidents is SPEED” was wrong.
I’d argue that the higher KE from excessive speed increases the # of fatalities — and also causes more severe injuries.
It’s a simple consequence of KE.For example, the extra 20% of KE at 77 mph (vs 70) could break your neck.
Yes, speed differential can CAUSE accidents — and fleet has LESS time to REACT when driving at 77 instead of the posted 70 mph.
Speed differentials happen, and are not a problem, if drivers don’t speed, don’t follow too closely, are attentive, and patient.
Compare a few extra seconds travel time to a death, or a permanent disability.
Some cities use helicoptors to spot speeders on freeways, and then send police cars in ahead of the speeder to catch them.