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Speeding vs.
Savings
One of the most common questions I
am asked about being a state representative is how it feels to be able to
drive as fast as I want with my special “state representative license
plates.” Many assume that I have a carte blanche to speed. For
me, just the opposite is true. I feel like I must set an example of
driving safely and courteously. But beyond that, one of the
greatest bonuses I receive from driving at or below the speed limit is
that I save gas. Back when gas was around a dollar a gallon, this
may not have seemed like such a big deal, but now that we are paying over
$3.59 per gallon, it is huge.
Several constituents have asked me
if I want to lower the speed limit on interstate traffic to reduce gas
consumption. Consider this: You can reduce your personal speed
limit any time you want to do so. This will reduce consumption and
will be faster and easier to implement than trying to pass a state
law. When traveling to and from Jefferson City, I usually set the cruise
control around 55 mph. The trip takes a little longer, but it is
worth it for my safety and my savings.
If you are planning a summer
vacation that will involve a lot of driving, you may be surprised at how
much longer a tank will last if you just slow down. This will also
increase your likelihood of surviving a
crash.
The U. S. Department of Energy and
the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency have the following information
on fuel economy and its relationship to speed
limit.
 As you can see from this graph, most cars reach their
maximum fuel efficiency at around 50 miles per hour. While each
vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed, gas mileage
usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
As a rule of thumb,
you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an
additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.
So here’s my
advice:
Make
your own law on how fast you want to drive. So long as it is over 40
and under 70 mph (in most places), it’s okay to stop speeding and start
saving. The speed limit is
not a “suggested speed.” It is truly a maximum of
what is permissible under state law. Do you feel uncomfortable with
all the other cars zinging around you? The more drivers slow down,
the sooner we will all feel better.
Regardless of how carefully we drive, we still may
face paying the highest price we have ever paid for gas. Most of my
constituents must drive to work every week. I also must drive
to and from the Capitol in Jefferson City every week. Filling
my tank is not a choice. For the last few weeks, I have found gas in
Jefferson
City to be about a dime less per gallon than in
O’Fallon. This surprises me! I would have guessed that
transportation costs to the middle of the state would make prices higher,
not lower. Sometimes the dynamics of supply and demand cause
anomalies in the prices. Before you fill up next, you can check gas
prices at the following web sites:
www.gasbuddy.com
www.autos.msn.com
http://gasprices.mapquest.com/
Your
thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about
this issue. You can send me your opinion by clicking
here:
Cynthia Davis.
New
License Plates
My office has received a number of questions about
the new Missouri license plate. According
to the Department of Revenue (DOR), one of the reasons the license plates need
to be changed every five years is that only so many configurations of
license numbers can be used in one design, and, as population and number
of motor vehicles increase, these configurations get used
up.
In deciding on a new plate, DOR
allowed the citizens of Missouri to vote on three designs.
Citizens chose the design with the bluebird on a hawthorn limb by a
three-to-one margin.
The Highway Patrol also played a big
role in the design. The Patrol wanted the first letter in the plate
to identify the month in which the license was issued. This will
enable them to see from a greater distance if the plate is expired or
not. In addition, in the first year, the color of the
tab in the middle of plate will indicate in what year the license expires,
again so that the police can tell immediately. In subsequent years,
the new tabs will also have the license plate number on it. This
enables the police to know if the tab is stolen or not. If someone
has stolen the tab from another plate, the number on the tab will not
match the number on the plate.
Current stock
plates are good until the next scheduled renewal on or after June 16,
2008, at which time you will receive the redesigned plates. At that
time, DOR will charge an additional fee of $2.78 per set.
Every Time a Bell
Rings…
Another Forever Stamp Is Sold
Postal Service
Customers Prepare for New Prices on May 12
Demand for the Forever Stamp continues to increase
as the May 12 stamp price change approaches. In the past several weeks,
Postal Service customers have been buying Forever Stamps at a rate of
about 30 million per day, bringing the amount sold to more than 6 billion
since they were first offered in April 2007.
"We
knew the Forever Stamp would be a big hit with our customers and we
continue to replenish our stock to meet demand," said Postal Service
Consumer Advocate Delores Killette. "We introduced these stamps as a
customer convenience to ease the transition during price changes, and they
also deliver economic value."
The
Forever Stamp, as the name suggests, can be used to mail a one-ounce
First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional
postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter
how prices may change. Customers who buy Forever Stamps now at the current
First-Class Mail stamp price of 41 cents will save a penny when the price
of stamps — including the Forever Stamp — increases to 42 cents on May
12.
MoDOT to
Implement
Variable
Speed Limits on I-270
Congestion is a significant issue on Interstate
270. During peak traffic hours, there are regular, almost
predictable areas of congestion along the
interstate.
Nearly 200,000 vehicles daily drive on sections of
I-270. Since the closure of I-64, 5 to 20 percent more vehicles
travel along the stretch of I-270 from I-70 to I-64, depending on
the time of day.
In May, the Missouri Department of Transportation
(MoDOT) is implementing a change along I-270 to help keep traffic flowing
better during periods of peak congestion – variable speed
limits.
Variable speed limits are used in Europe and on
roads in New Jersey, Tennessee, Delaware
and Washington State. MoDOT will raise or
lower the speed limits along I-270 based on travel times. If times
are longer because of congestion, or because vehicles are traveling
slowly, MoDOT will lower the speed limit. If travel times are
shorter, MoDOT will raise the speed limit. The speed limits will not
change significantly and could go as low as 40 mph during congestion and
will remain at 60 mph during normal traffic flow.
Varying the speed limit will help control the flow
of traffic into and through congested areas. A variable speed limit
will help slow traffic approaching the congestion, which will reduce the
effect of congestion. Traffic studies show that if traffic moves at
a slow and steady pace, more people can travel through the congested area
quicker.
The variable speed limit signs will be monitored
and controlled by traffic operations experts in the MoDOT Transportation Management Center in Chesterfield. MoDOT’s current
traffic control network of cameras and sensors will monitor the flow of
traffic on I-270 and will notify operators when traffic speeds achieve
certain conditions to raise or lower the speed limits. The operator
will make the determination and then approve an increase or decrease in
speed limits along the route.
Variable speed limits can work along I-270, if the
driving public obeys the changing limits.
(Excerpted from MoDOT Legislative Update, April,
2008)
A Little
Bit of Humor…
Heard
on a Public Bus:
"When you exit the bus, please be sure to lower
your head and watch your step."
"If you miss your step and hit your
head, please lower your voice and watch your language. Thank
you."
This Capitol Report is a weekly
newsletter by Representative Cynthia
Davis, from the 19th
District, covering events in the Missouri Legislature and district-wide
issues.
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