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Speed Limits

Speed Limit Regulations

Except when conditions or other regulations require a lower speed, the following are maximum rates of speed in Maine, especially if signs are not posted:

• 15 mph in a school zone at specific times of the day, (Do NOT mark these school zone SLs on the Waze map.)
• 25 mph in a business or residential area or built up portion, unless otherwise posted.
• 45 mph on all other public ways, unless otherwise posted.

Other speed limits are common, both higher and lower than the 25/45 defaults:

• 50 or 55 mph is common on numbered routes that are well engineered, carry substantial traffic, or are remote.
• 60, 65, 70 and 75 mph are found only on Maine's Freeway segments
• 35 mph is common on smaller rural roads
• 30 and 35 mph are often found on main commercial roads even in built-up portions

Speed Limit Resources

The Maine DOT GIS Public Map Viewer is an excellent starting point. Every segment has a speed limit, visible by clicking the segment, which brings up the Road Information panel. In that panel, the Speed Limit Source will either be "Posted" or "Default." Do NOT use any Default values; speed limits for segments with only a Default value must be verified from a primary source (e.g. StreetView or reliable SL UR). Speed limits with a "Posted" source are generally accurate; wherever possible, validate the speed limit with Street View. In particular, please use SV to validate the precise location of SL transitions, as the DOT map is often off by a hundred yards or more.

When StreetView and the Maine DOT map disagree, editors must make a judgment call. Take into account the age of the StreetView imagery.

Speed Limit User Reports (SL URs)

With their introduction in Summer 2016, SL URs became the most common UR in Maine. Here are some guidelines to responding:

1. For a SL UR on a road with no marked SL, do the research (with the Maine DOT map and StreetView) to properly set the SL on the road, using the UR information if sources are unclear. If the SL you researched matches the SL UR, thank the reporter and close the UR as Solved. If the reported SL is inconsistent with your research, ask the reporter to clarify.
2. It is acceptable to close a SL UR immediately (with an explanatory note) when the report SL:
   1. Matches the marked SL (with an allowance for lags in the app)
   2. Is inconsistent with your personal knowledge
   3. Is grossly inconsistent with any plausible SL (e.g. reporting 65 mph in a town center)
   4. Is on a Freeway with well-known SLs (FW speed limits do not change often, and then very publicly)
3. In other situations, check SV and/or the Maine DOT map to see if the report is credible. If so, make the appropriate changes, thank the reporter, and close the UR as Solved. Otherwise, ask the reporter to clarify.