Mr. Mahatma: At the Vimy Ridge Road intersection with the north service road on Interstate 30, there is limited sight distance because of foliage and the curvature of the frontage road. Can the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department clear out all the trees and undergrowth to improve visibility at this much traveled intersection? -- Bobby
Dear Bobby: So many things to say ...
First, we have routed your concern to the proper authorities, who say thanks, dude. And that the folks in District Six will review and address this matter.
Second, anyone can pass along to the Highway Department a concern about overgrown foliage, or anything else perceived as a problem. Go to idrivearkansas.com, look for the contact icon, scroll down and report the problem.
Third, the Highway Department has something like 16,500 miles of highway to take care of. To our simple mind, that seems like a lot. Clearly, the Highway Department needs help keeping up.
Fourth, Vimy Ridge was a World War I battle in France in April 1917 in which Canadian forces captured a heavily defended high ground held by the German Sixth Army.
Dear Mahatma: When driving the speed limit on the inside lane of Chenal Parkway, a divided four-lane, should it be obligatory to default to the outside lane for those who must go faster during rush hour? By faster I mean there are many who weave lanes to get ahead. -- Gentleman J
Dear J: Arkansas Code Annotated 27-51-301 is titled "Vehicles to be driven on right side of roadways -- Exceptions." It says in the very last paragraph that motor vehicles "shall not be operated continuously in the left lane of a multilane roadway whenever it impedes the flow of traffic."
The very best legal minds in our newsroom conclude that this means get out of the way, J, even if you're doing the speed limit on Chenal or Interstate 30 or any other multilane highway. If drivers blaze by at a high rate of speed, it's the job of law enforcement to slow them down.
On the flip side, drivers who want to go fast in the left lane resent drivers who dawdle there. The question always comes up: Does anyone ever get such a dawdling ticket? The Department of Finance and Administration reports that in fiscal year 2015 there were 1,015 convictions for violating 27-51-301.
But were those convictions for this one particular violation of the act, or for some other failure to drive on the right side of the road? The data is indistinguishable.
You will note that Chenal Parkway has left turns that make it necessary to get into the inside lane well before making that turn. And the concern is about those who weave in and out to get ahead.
Our advice is to safely get in the inside lane to safely make those left turns. If weavers act like maniacs, call the Northwest Division of the Little Rock Police Department at 918-3500 and ask for enforcement.
Mahatma@arkansasonline.com
Metro on 12/17/2016