Posted on 07/20/2011 7:47:43 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
WOODSTOCK -- The last few days have been busy for Shenandoah County emergency personnel on Interstate 81.
Or, as some people may feel, it's been like old times.
Four notable crashes in a 10-mile stretch since Thursday afternoon -- there were two that day, one on Friday and a tractor-trailer overturned Tuesday morning -- may have been the most in such a short period of time since the Virginia Department of Transportation raised the posted speed limit throughout most of the jurisdiction to 70 mph last the fall. Official crash data, though, is not yet available for the past few months, although for all of 2010, there were 29 fewer crashes in the county than a year earlier, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
The DMV does not track road-specific crash data.
However, speed is not necessarily always the culprit. On Friday and Tuesday, for example, it appeared to be driver fatigue, said Sgt. F.L. "Les" Tyler, a state police spokesman. Felton L. Joseph, 59, of Pearland, Texas, was charged with reckless driving on Tuesday after overturning his tractor-trailer hauling tea on the right shoulder at southbound mile marker 284. There were no injuries.
Based on what local officials have observed, after roughly nine months with the new speed limit, nobody appears to have found a reason yet to change their original impression on 70 mph.
"I don't think there is any good evidence that the interstate is more dangerous now than it was before or even that actual speeds have increased at all," said Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, who favored the move. "VDOT made the determination about which areas could safely support the speed limit increase, and I think we should wait and see additional data from them before we jump to any conclusions."
Shenandoah County Fire Chief Gary Yew said he has always thought the increase was a mistake. He is concerned about public safety, particularly in peak travel times, such as the current summer vacation period.
"The more serious crashes over the years, they certainly have been attributed to speed," Yew said. "I can't help but think it compounds our problems."
VDOT spokeswoman Sandy Myers said her agency is waiting to collect data for a three-year period before reviewing the effectiveness of the speed limit change. She echoes Gilbert in stating that it's too early to make any conclusions.
The data, when available, may not matter for some people. William Pence, president of Appalachian Freight Carriers in Edinburg, said 65 mph is fast enough for truckers, so the hike to 70 mph did not sit well with him. Drivers in his company, though, are directed to set their speed at 67 mph, which conserves fuel.
"And that's fast enough for trucks," Pence said.
He said too many crashes involve truck drivers speeding and following too closely, and that was before they were granted the opportunity to travel faster.
"Any rear-end collision involving our drivers," Pence said, "they're outta here."
The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution opposing the increase last year. District 1 representative Dick Neese said his opinion hasn't changed and his concern for I-81 is so great that whenever he must make a Harrisonburg-to-Strasburg trip, he takes U.S. 11.
"I got stopped in [a crash backup] one time," Neese said. "I said there's no way I'm going to let this happen again."
This is an example of how things work:
Day One:
The Walmart distribution center in Casa Grande, AZ notifies ACME Food Products in Buena Park, CA that they require replacement of sauces sold in the area stores.
ACME Food Products picks the products from the racks in their warehouse and notifies Streetway Trucking in La Mirada, CA that they will require a pick up.
The Streetway dispatcher notifies the Pickup and Delivery driver in the Buena Park run of the pickup.
THE ACME warehouse men palletize and wrap the products onto six pallets.
The Streetway driver picks up the pallets on his way back to the terminal.
The Streetway dock workers unload the pallets and load them onto a trailer destined for their Phoenix terminal along with many other shipments from and to many other customers.
A Streetway line driver hauls the trailer to Desert Center, CA where he swaps the trailer with a trailer headed for la Mirada brought there by a Phoenix line driver.
The Phoenix Streeway driver hauls the trailer brought by the La Mirada driver to the Phoenix terminal.
***********************************************************
Day Two:
The trailer arrives at the Phoenix Streetway terminal.
A Phoenix dock worker unloads the pallets and loads them into the Casa Grande run trailer.
The Casa Grande run P&D driver hauls the trailer to the Casa Grande Walmart distribution center.
The P&D driver sorts and segregates the cases of sauce.
A Walmart distribution center receiver checks the products in.
A Walmart fork lift driver puts the product up on the racks in their proper places where it is ready to be shipped to a Walmart store PERHAPS THAT SAME DAY.
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
Can rail freight respond like that?
>>Than I guess my headlights are full of hate. I rarely do that but it’s better than a friend of mine who once bumper tapped someone for holding up a few hundred cars.<<
What was the response from the bumper tap?
Your schedule looks to me as if everyone is working 12 hour days. I’ve seen all that take place in 36 hours or less.
Understood but these articles always imply that speed = unsafe driving which is obviously not the case.
Driving over minefield-type highways is much riskier than a few mph more on the speedo.
Sometimes. The trick to making this work is for nobody to let the grass grow under his feet.
Four years ago I got out of transportation after 30 years in. My web design business was too demanding.
Actually, the real problems are lane discipline, lack of situational awareness and lack of use of signals when changing lanes.
Slower traffic keep right.
Thank you for your service Joe!
I work at KSU and run into bunches of military guys coming and going through our city.
My speed on I70 is really dependent on what the flow of the traffic is. If several Johnson Co plates pass me (Kansas City), I will pick up my speed and let them “chum the waters” for the troopers up ahead.
On the other hand at night, with the damn deer population so high, I tend to keep my speed on the conservative side.
Take care,
MFO
If I were allowed to choose between (a) not having trucks clogging the interstates 24-7 and (b) having everything in my local stores available whenever I want it, it would be an interesting choice, and one which Americans should be allowed to contemplate. As it is, I think we are getting neither.
This system does not seem to be working for the Walmarts and Krogers in my town as you postulate it does. In the last year, far more than in the past, I am seeing some popular and high-demand products missing from the shelves for days on end.
I suspect that the concept of "just in time" is proving to be as dodgy for the retail business as it turned out to be for my healthcare company, where "just in time" has been replaced by "be mindful of a potential shortage".
If I were cop for a day, all I would do is write people like that tickets for obstructing traffic. Along with those with two brake lights (out of three) out. One brake light out gets you a warning.
That is my “rough” rule as well on an interstate. When I drive the “super” two lane highways with a 65 MPH limit, I keep my speed at 69.... tops...... It seems that you run into the county sheriffs who are interested in filling their respective county’s coffers.
My opinion.
MFO
Sorry about that... you're right that I should've explained it.
That sign is the symbol for "no maximum speed."
Interesting. Is Harry's Uptown still in business?
Hey Joe,
Yes, it is and doing fabulously well!! One of my buddy’s (he is a bartender at the So Long Saloon in Aggieville), fiancee is the manager of the wait staff there.
It is definitely a good place to eat! Pricey but well worth the money..
Awesome...I loved that place. When I felt like slumming it, I’d hang out at the Rockhouse in Ogden...they had some surprisingly good food. When I felt like splitting the difference I’d do the Little Apple Brewery, which actually opened while I was stationed there.
Sounds like you know your steaks Joe!
I am close friends with Galen and Lori Fink who own the LABC. BTW, they have one of the top Black Angus cattle registered operations in the US. My boss was an investor in that restaurant when they opened.
Moreso than the steaks, the thing I miss most about KS was the availability of inexpensive buffalo meat!
You missed my point. I meant that the transportation business goes on 24 hours a day. I have worked every hour of it at one time or another.
Sometimes people can be really hard-nosed about speeding.
I got a big speeding ticket in MO a few years back for 87 in a 70 and got it in my ‘06 Subaru WRX Turbo. They didn’t even let me plea bargain the ticket and to add insult to injury, since I had AFB sticker (DoD contractor), my employer was notified from the base who was notified by MO and they were not thrilled.
The only good thing was Colorado does not count out of state minor tickets against you - no points and no record that is.
>>I am seeing some popular and high-demand products missing from the shelves for days on end.<<
That is probably the result of the international economy. We have far less ships unloading from China today compared to 2007. Their problem these days is determining which ships to sell to the steel yards and where to anchor them while their waiting. All the while, they are ordering super carriers with delivery dates out in the future.
These are some of the more interesting websites, IMO
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/
http://www.crowley.com/News-and-Media/Press-Releases
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/
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