Speed Limit

Congressional negotiators have worked out a final agreement on a highway bill that would end the national speed limit and free more than $6 billion for state road programs, lawmakers said Wednesday. The bill also would repeal several other federal mandates and penalties involving motorcycle helmet laws, metric signs and use of recycled rubber crumbs in highways.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to seek a speed limit for skateboarders and penalize them for failing to follow a range of traffic rules, from stopping at stop signs to yielding to pedestrians. On a 12 to 0 vote, the council instructed City Atty. Carmen Trutanich to draft an ordinance that would prohibit "unsafe" skateboard activity and limit riders to a speed of 25 mph. The proposal was initiated by Councilman Joe Buscaino, who described it as a response to the death of two skateboarders over the last year.

With the speed limit now set at 65 on most California freeways, one thing is clear: We all have to slow down. J.V. ADAMS Whittier

The road through Hopewell, Va., isn't exactly paved with gold, but a mile-and-a-half stretch of interstate generated $2-million worth of speeding tickets for the town last year - and a fight between the AAA and the local sheriff.  AAA Mid-Atlantic, decrying "heavy-handed traffic enforcement tactics," said the 14,000 tickets written last year for a stretch of Interstate 295 through the town "appears to be about more than safety. " The speed limit is 70 mph. Sheriff Greg Anderson said officers won't write up tickets until a driver is going a minimum of 81 miles an hour.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to seek a speed limit for skateboarders and penalize them for failing to follow a range of traffic rules, from stopping at stop signs to yielding to pedestrians. On a 12 to 0 vote, the council instructed City Atty. Carmen Trutanich to draft an ordinance that would prohibit "unsafe" skateboard activity and limit riders to a speed of 25 mph. The proposal was initiated by Councilman Joe Buscaino, who described it as a response to the death of two skateboarders over the last year.

Stephen Owings, whose 22-year-old son died when his car was rear-ended, is fighting to have the federal government require the use of speed-limiting devices on all big rigs, saying: "We're not against truckers; we're pro-highway safety." Most often, citizen-crusaders find themselves in lonely, unequal struggles against industry groups and lobbyists. But this time, David and Goliath seem to be on the same side. Owings has drawn support from the American Trucking Assns.

In response to Kenneth Fink's opposition to the 65 m.p.h. speed limit, I say this: People who drive 65 m.p.h. now do so because that is the speed at which they feel comfortable driving, not because it is 10 m.p.h. above the speed limit. Saying that people will start driving 75 m.p.h. if the speed limit is raised to 65 m.p.h. because of the "human nature" of people to do such things is ridiculous. Most people would not feel comfortable driving at 75 m.p.h.; instead they will legally be allowed to drive at the speed at which they feel the most comfortable: 65 m.p.h.

Today I witnessed the aftermath of yet another automobile collision in front of Oxnard Shores caused by excessive speed on Harbor Boulevard. A car traveling 50 to 60 m.p.h. southbound on Harbor cut in front of another car too close and the driver of the slower car swerved to prevent a collision and hit a lamp pole head-on. The major reason for the accident was excessive speed caused by the city of Oxnard posting an unsafe legal speed limit on the portion of Harbor Boulevard that fronts Oxnard Shores.

Newport Beach is creating a special permitting process to allow sail and crew racers to exceed the harbor's 5-knot speed limit — a move that is likely to please participants in such local races as the Thursday night Beer Cans. After years of discussion, the Harbor Commission, Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol, boating groups and city officials are nearing agreement on a plan that would allow yacht clubs and collegiate associations to apply for a permit before a given regatta and legally exceed the speed limit during races and practice sessions.

I wasn't surprised Andrew Bynum was ticketed for speeding Wednesday. Obviously he had just heard he was the subject on Page 2 and was rushing to buy The Times. Nice to see one young person still reads the paper. I had written about the need for Bynum to report back to work as a grownup after his four-game suspension. Obviously I'm not clairvoyant. PHOTOS: Lakers vs. Knicks I was unaware he had been stopped by the police a day earlier as well and given a "fix-it" ticket for improperly functioning taillights and having no license plates.

An accident magnet Re " Crash death hits neighborhood hard ," Aug. 28 I have been commuting on L.A. freeways for 30 years, the last seven on the 110 between downtown and Pasadena, and it was no surprise to me to read of the tragic collision that took the life of a little girl. That stretch of the 110 is an accident magnet because of the high speeds of most drivers and the blind curves. And with only three lanes, even fender benders cause significant backups in traffic.

If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound? More to the point, if you roll past a stop sign in the woods and nobody is there to see it, do you get a ticket? You do if you're in one of the three Santa Monica Mountains parks overseen by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority where stop-sign scofflaws are on candid camera. The authority has set traps for unsuspecting motorists by installing video cameras at stop signs and mailing citations to those who fail to come to a complete halt.

Who would take a road trip when gasoline is hovering near $4 a gallon? Well, you might, especially if you're taking the family. Sometimes it's cheaper to drive. "Driving makes sense if you have three people traveling, heavy baggage or fragile sporting equipment," said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com , an airfare deals blog. Baggage fees, which put almost $3.4 billion into airlines' coffers last year, can cost as much as $35 a bag (Allegiant, paid at the airport)

A coalition of environmental groups is asking the federal government to require ships traveling through California's marine sanctuaries to slow down to avoid fatal collisions with whales, a problem they say has climbed to "unsustainable levels. " Four groups filed a petition Monday asking the U.S. Department of Commerce to establish a 10-knot limit for large commercial vessels traveling through California's four National Marine Sanctuaries in the Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank.

Newport Beach is creating a special permitting process to allow sail and crew racers to exceed the harbor's 5-knot speed limit — a move that is likely to please participants in such local races as the Thursday night Beer Cans. After years of discussion, the Harbor Commission, Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol, boating groups and city officials are nearing agreement on a plan that would allow yacht clubs and collegiate associations to apply for a permit before a given regatta and legally exceed the speed limit during races and practice sessions.

It's a rare car that can lose its top. Only the most iconic, and sporty, of vehicles are typically selected for the retractable roof treatment, such as Chevrolet's latest: the 2011 Camaro Convertible. Trotting outs its new pony car not only marks the kickoff to Chevy's centennial anniversary this year but also celebrates the Camaro's newfound success. Last year, it overtook the Ford Mustang as the sports car segment leader for the first time since 1985. The Camaro is one of Chevy's best-known models.

The newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau doesn't officially open for business until July 21. But the agency is already making its presence felt. The bureau has just debuted a new website, ConsumerFinance.gov, that features a getting-to-know-you video narrated by Ron Howard. Consumers are invited to post their concerns and offer suggestions for the bureau's priorities. And this week the agency sent a letter to leading bank executives urging them to provide more financial safeguards for military personnel and their families.