Gridlock Guru

Rob Smith -- Gridlock GuruThe Gridlock Guru answers traffic questions in each Friday edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition. He's an advocate for the frustrated driver and a guardian of driving civility. Motorists should obey traffic laws, be courteous, and expect good driving behavior from the motorists near them.

S GRIDLOCK GURU: Traffic halt for funeral a bad idea

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Brake lights on Interstate 540/U.S. 71 on a busy weekday mean traffic is about to slow way down or stop. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted March 12, 2010 at 3:52 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: Flier fee hike called necessary

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is a shopping mall void of namebrand clothing, Sbarro pizza and Dippin’ Dots. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted March 8, 2010 at 3:27 a.m.

S GRIDLOCK GURU State likes big icons over words

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — A fatal crash in Bella Vista last month had Jack Fellenzer thinking about making a left turn safer. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted March 5, 2010 at 5 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: States see little help from grant

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Dick Trammel could find the good in heartburn, potholes and Charlie Sheen. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted March 1, 2010 at 3:22 a.m.

S GRIDLOCK GURU Snow glint fed signal false data

Traffic signals act wacky for all sorts of reasons, but Rick McCullough of Fayetteville found no logical explanation for a recent incident. Read More »

By ROBERT J. SMITH posted February 26, 2010 at 3:37 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: City flags lead way at a cost

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — One of the neatest aspects of the Olympics comes when the athletes carry their nation’s flags during the opening ceremonies. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 22, 2010 at 3:47 a.m.

S GRIDLOCK GURU Cars blow through crosswalk

PRAIRIE GROVE — When it isn’t cold, the trails at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park often see more than 100 people a day. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 19, 2010 at 5:12 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: Regional pilots bear heavy load

SPRINGDALE — Regional airline bosses howled last week after the television news show Frontline aired a one-hour investigative report on a turboprop’s fatal crash a year ago near Buffalo, N.Y. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 15, 2010 at 2:41 a.m.

GRIDLOCK GURU Icy temps put freeze on projects

Winter is a public-relations nightmare for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department and cities with idled road construction. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 12, 2010 at 12:21 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: Oversupply of rooms hits region

Statistics kept by Smith Travel Research show just how bad last year was for hotels. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 8, 2010 at 1:45 a.m.

S Turn lane not on any project list

Drivers look out for themselves, and they suggest changes and ask questions of The Guru based on what they experience. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 5, 2010 at 5:08 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: Do-gooder puts driver in bad spot

ROGERS — People should do at least one nice thing for another person every day, but the good deed shouldn’t be staying back to allow another driver to turn left across a congested street. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted February 1, 2010 at 1:31 a.m.

S GRIDLOCK GURU Flashing yellows head north

Flashing yellow left-turn arrows went into use in Fort Smith three years ago. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted January 29, 2010 at 8 a.m.

S TRAVELERS’ CHECK: Road salt in state has small harm

SPRINGDALE — Humans often face decisions about whether a short-term gain is worth the long-term consequence. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted January 25, 2010 at 2:36 a.m.

S GRIDLOCK GURU Misplaced police are drug team

William Cullen found it weird to see a Springdale police officer monitoring traffic on Interstate 540, about 20 miles south of his town. Read More »

By Robert J. Smith posted January 22, 2010 at 6:35 a.m.