Drivetime Mahatma

Left turners to welcome traffic circle

Dear Mahatma: I work in a very busy area and use Fair Park and Zoo Drive in Little Rock. Traffic is awful in the afternoon and turning left onto Fair Park to get to Interstate 630 is very dangerous. Why can't they install four-way stop signs here? -- Thanks for Listening

Dear Listening: When presented with a traffic conundrum in Little Rock, the best place to start is the city's chief traffic engineer, Bill Henry. Is this a good place for a four-way stop, Mr. Henry?

Nope. Too much traffic, he said. But there is a project in the works "to construct a roundabout at that location that should address the left turning issues and make the intersection much safer without increasing delays for the motoring public."

A roundabout, or traffic circle? To find out more, we asked the city's spokesman, Jennifer Godwin.

Turns out that way back in 2013, the Board of Directors approved a roundabout as part of a citywide capital improvement program.

The board then approved a resolution June 21 that authorized the city manager to execute a deal with Burkhalter Technologies of no more than $1,037,041.20. Really, 20 cents. It's in a document.

Ms. Godwin said construction would start next week and last about four months. Traffic will be maintained through the area during the project, but a detour may be needed at some times. Through traffic will be maintained for events at War Memorial Stadium and for events at the zoo.

We looked up the football schedule for the University of Arkansas. (Official motto: Root Hog or Die.) The Hogs take on the mighty Braves of Alcorn State, Mississippi, on Saturday, Oct. 1, time to be announced.

Dear Mahatma: This morning about 6:45 I was walking east toward the Capitol on West Third Street. I looked back and saw this small drone/robot-looking thing coming down the street in the right lane at the same speed as traffic. A few minutes later I turned around, and this same drone/robot thing comes up and is now traveling west in the left lane. As a truck came up behind it, the thing moved to the right lane and sped off. I am not making this up. Are people running their robots on the street these days? -- Flabbergasted

Dear Flabber: No clue. So let's ask. People -- what's up with this? Inquiring minds, don't you know?

Dear Mahatma: Is it true AHTD stands for Arkansans Have to Drive? -- Economist

Dear Economist: Econ dudes are so funny. To extend the fun, we looked up U.S. Census Bureau data on commute times. Arkansans have a mean travel time to work of 21.3 minutes. Mean equals average. As an economist, you knew that.

For the United States as a whole, the mean commute is 25.5 minutes. More populous states tend to have longer commute times.

Back in Arkansas, Madison and Perry counties have the longest commute times, in the 34-38 minute category. Pulaski County is right on the state mean.

Mahatma@arkansasonline.com

Metro on 07/23/2016

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