DRIVETIME MAHATMA: Sources aid in tracking traffic jams

Dear Mahatma: Tuesday night, Oct. 29, there was a traffic jam on Cantrell Road at or near Hinson Road. It was much greater than the usual rush-hour tie-up and covered more side roads. I heard more than one explanation and sought the best one. The ADG had no report. The city and police websites had no news. Where can truth-seekers find the oracle? -- Need to Know

Dear Needy: There are several sources of information. Let us describe them. Not that any one of them would have had a definitive answer.

Try idrivearkansas.com, a service of the Arkansas Department of Transportation. It has maps that show road closures and construction zones. Since Cantrell Road is actually Arkansas 10, there might have been some information on the map. Or not. Remember Arkansas has about 17,000 miles of roads in the state system -- city and county roads not included.

Checking the city's website was a good idea. How about the city's social media? That is, Facebook and Twitter.

Regarding this newspaper, let us speak about it, secure in the knowledge we used to speak for it.

Arkansas annually records something fewer than 500 traffic fatalities. The number has been in gradual decline for some years. Thankfully. The newspaper concentrates its coverage on those, but also covers ArDot and other matters of highway planning, construction and repair.

Now consider there are multiple thousands of traffic accidents in the state every year. They happen every hour everywhere. A traffic jam in west Little Rock is routine stuff.

One more thought. Radio stations do traffic reports in the morning and afternoon. We like country, but also enjoy Top 40. We especially admire Ariana Grande, although at our age we struggle to remember exactly why.

Dear Mahatma: Learn what the white bar means at a traffic light. Drivers who go over the line put their vehicle out into the turn lane or have the front of their vehicle stuck out. The bar was put there for a reason. -- Seriously, Dudes

Dear Seriously: The white stop line means drivers should, duh, stop there. Because it's safe there. Stop lines are common at intersections controlled by either a traffic line or a stop sign.

Paraphrasing country singer Lorrie Morgan: "What part of stop here don't you understand."

Dear Mahatma: A couple of years ago the Arkansas Department of Transportation paved over some rough patches on Arkansas 89 about four miles south of Cabot. The repaving covered up the yellow centerline and the white fog lines. We really need these lines, especially in the dark when the pavement is wet. -- Geezer

Dear Young Feller: ArDot says this is the responsibility of the maintenance team at District 6 in Little Rock. This has been forwarded to that team, so the next time the striping crews are in Lonoke County this location can be added to the list.

Vanity plate seen around town: CRZYLFE

Fjfellone@gmail.com

Metro on 11/09/2019

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