Here’s your sign

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006, 13:25:56 +0600, I wrote the following email to the Minnesota Department of Transportation about the chunk of I-35E shown in this Google map:

Regarding the signage in this part of the highway system.

The last speed limit sign for this stretch of road is just before the Grand Avenue exit which indicates the 45 MPH limit, and the next sign on this stretch of road is the one on I-94 which indicates the 55 MPH limit after I-35E parallels that road for some time before it begins again northward towards Pennsylvania Avenue.  There is no real indication where the limit changes as one travels northbound.

Would it be possible to have a sign posted on this road where the limit changes?  I have a tendency to keep to the 45 MPH limit around that corner when I should be increasing my speed to match the traffic which is merging from the right onto I-35E North.  There is a limit change sign going in the southerly direction, why not when travelling northbound?

I thought that it would just go off into the bit bucket, but on 24 Jan, I got the following response:

Hi Jonathon,

I was forwarded your email because I’m the Metro Signing and Striping Engineer with MnDOT.  After reading through your email we’ll have to do a couple things to investigate the reason for their not being another speed limit sign.  We’ll need to pull the last speed study and find out where the speed limit zones begin and end.  I’ll also have to look and see if it is due to sign spacing requirements mandated from the Federal Highway Administration that there may not be another speed limit sign.

Due to the large volume of requests we get a month it may be some time before we can investigate, but be assured it’s on our list and as soon as we have information on it we’ll make sure to let you know.

Thank you for brining this to our attention.

Sincerely,
Heather L___, P.E.
MnDOT – Metro Traffic Signing & Striping

I thought, Oh, this will never happen, but on 21 Feb I got the following:

Hi Jonathon,

I wanted to follow up with you.  We will be installing an additional Speed Limit sign just before the commons area.  It may not be installed for a month or so, depending on weather conditions.

Thank you,
Heather

And shortly after I got that mail, when I went through that section of roadway, there was a brand spankin’ new 55 MPH road sign, right about where the I-94 sign is on the map.  Who say’s that asking government for things doesn’t work.  It does seem however that they do have about a seven day cycle timer that goes off several times before anything happens.  Definitely not Internet time.