Drivetime Mahatma

I-430/630 grass fix taking root

Dear Mahatma: I am pleased most roadways in and around Little Rock are so green despite the heat. An exception is the hill surrounding the Big Rock near the wonderful new Interstate 430/630 interchange. I hope plans are being made to sow new grass this fall or otherwise remedy that unsightly fire hazard. -- Jody

Dear Jody: In related news, The Mahatma's lawn is hanging in there. But the fig tree has taken it upside the head.

On to the Big Rock grass.

Our information comes from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department and its spokesman, the indefatigable Danny Straessle. By indefatigable, we mean he and his colleagues have passed the million mark in questions from our readers. Roughly.

The remedy to the brown grass is already in place, Straessle said. In fact, the brown grass is MaxQ Jesup Fescue, a cool-season grass dormant in the summer, in which we remain for 37 more days. Groan. When cooler weather comes along, so will the fescue.

Underneath the fescue -- Straessle sent photos -- is plenty of green in the form of Bermuda and Bahia summer grasses, which have good root systems and thus are desirable to prevent erosion.

All is transient; pines at the site will take over in 10 to 15 years.

Dear Mahatma: During a recent driver safety class, we were told state law requires motorists to stop at pedestrian crosswalks even when there are no pedestrians. We all immediately envisioned the rear-enders that would occur at the between-intersection crosswalks on Conway's Donaghey Avenue adjacent to the University of Central Arkansas. Is there such a law? -- Renee

Dear Renee: In all the questions, and answers, posed here over the years about pedestrians, never has it been suggested that drivers stop all the time at crosswalks.

Arkansas Code Annotated 27-51-1202, "Pedestrians' right-of-way in crosswalks," says in part:

"Where traffic control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway withing any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection."

Italics added. On the flip side, logic says, don't stop or slow if there is no need. Meaning, surely, no pedestrians.

Dear Readers: State revenue folks have news of a pilot program to encourage people to renew their car tags online, and thus avoid a trip to the revenue office, which often means holding a ticket that says "76" while a clerk yells out "14."

Automated kiosks in some revenue offices will familiarize residents with online renewal. It's easy and fun, and once people learn how it's done via the kiosks they'll renew online from then on. That's the hope.

Kiosks are in revenue offices in Benton, Bentonville, Bryant, Conway, Fayetteville, Fort Smith East, Jonesboro, Little Rock Central, Little Rock West, Russellville, Sherwood and Springdale.

Mahatma@arkansasonline.com

Metro on 08/15/2015

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