So awhile back, the Maine Legislature decided to raise the speed limit on I-95 on a 110 mile stretch that runs from Just north of Bangor until the Canadian border. The speed limit is now 75MPH, which means most of us set the cruise between 78 and 82 and try not to fall asleep. They are now debating doing the same on I 295 From Falmouth to Gardiner; which I think is foolish, traffic is much heavier in that area.
But I digress...
I never really subscribed to the whole "going 55 saves a ton of gas" theory, I figured the increase in fuel consumption would be offset by the reduction in time the engine is running. I got my Scangauge a couple months ago and was looking at the average while I was on the road this morning. My average MPG for the 50 mile highway trip (cruise set at 81) was 20.1MPG. The average for the return trip on old U.S. 2 (speed varied between 45 and 60) was 25.8. I got better mileage off the highway than on.
Back in February I had a job interview in Freeport (near Portland) and on the trip down I rode the Interstate, at 72MPH I averaged 22.3MPG. On the return trip I took U.S. 1 which works out to 5 miles longer, I averaged 27.1MPG. On a trip from Bangor ME to Conway NH and back, I got a whopping 29.5MPG, on winter blend gasoline, on studded snow tires.
I am now a believer in the 55 rule, which ties into the Shunpiking thing in my signature. The Shunpiking philosophy is simple;"Shun" the Turn"pike" If you are not in a particular rush to get anywhere, the back roads are the best way to go. Not only do you save on tolls, but you save on gas, if the old roads are not too far off the beaten path. You also get to see things you don't see on the Interstates. All the old hokey Americana, the guy whose had the '86 Monte Carlo up for sale since Clinton was in the White House, the old gas stations, the old signage etc. (New England is cool like that)
Before the Interstates were built, the U.S. Routes were the defacto highways. They are highways right through our nation's history. Last summer, I took a trip to Boston. I went down by I 95 because I had a schedule to keep, but to come home I took U.S. 1 the whole way. The traffic was horrendous, it took 45 minutes to get through Kennebunk ME, the trip was 7 hours and it was 95* out, and my water pump was failing, so no AC for me, but I would not have traded that trip for anything.
Ok, so I guess I did a little preaching, a little Shunpiking Evangelism if you will. I hope it was worth the read.
