Lawmaker proposes ‘No Speed Limit Lane’ on California highways

Holiday weekends in California bring traffic backups everywhere you turn. But Senator John Moorlach (R-Orange County) has a new bill on the table that could alleviate the problem, according to CBS 13.

“So why don’t we provide people with vehicles the opportunity just to drive at 100 miles an hour, get to San Francisco in a shorter period of time than the train would?” Moorlach said.

SB319 would require the Department of Transportation to build two additional traffic lanes on both sides of I-5 and Highway 99. The expansion would stretch from Bakersfield to Stockton. And no 65-mile-per-hour limit would apply.

“Uh, I don’t know, I haven’t considered how crazy a lane with no speed limit would be!” said Stephen McBride, who lives in Sacramento.

Would you support a ‘No Speed Limit Lane’ on I-75 in Florida?
Read more about a speed-free lane proposal in California. https://t.co/0qigt4dKrP

— WINK News (@winknews) February 19, 2019

Moorlach said his plan is more realistic than a high-speed rail still years away from being built. And it’s better for the environment.

“If you look at what’s happening in Germany, the freeway accidents on the Autobahn are a lot less than what’s happening on our road!” he told CBS13. “You’re burning the fuel efficiently, as opposed to just sitting in slow traffic waiting for one truck to pass another truck for 20 minutes.”

“How much is that going to cost to do?” McBride wondered.

Moorlach doesn’t have a price tag just yet.

ALSO: California May Do Away With Speed Limits For Certain Lanes Of I-5 And Hwy. 99

“We’ve already paid for the right of way, we don’t have to buy that,” he said. “So now it’s just how much per mile is the concrete going to cost?”

For now, it seems Moorlach needs to get drivers reeved up about the idea.

“That seems like it’s a little too sweet to be real!” said Konnor Leitzell. “Yeah no, too much for Californians to be able to handle.”

Moorlach said there are still several details to work out, including issues like whether to institute a minimum speed limit.