Dear Mahatma: You have written about how the Arkansas Department of Transportation uses a Google service to track the speed of vehicles via cellphones in those vehicles, and then uses the data to tell users of the iDrive website when highways are in slowdown mode. Does the Arkansas State Police use the same or similar program for speed enforcement? -- Cynical Guy
Dear Cynic: We love to say that a cynic is someone who sees the world as it really is. But in this case, your cynicism is unrewarded.
But first, some background. Users of iDrivearkansas.com, ArDot's website of multitudes of information, know it has maps that show how major highways are doing. If that road is red, traffic is backed up something ugly. Speed data comes from cellphones; that data is transmitted by magic to ArDot, which pays for it.
This information, we've been told, is anonymous. Meanwhile, cellphone users -- who's not? -- should check those user agreements no one ever reads lest they fall over in a dead faint with eyes permanently glazed.
Now the question: What about the state police?
We asked Bill Sadler, the voice for the agency for lo these many years as public information officer.
Negatory, he replied.
For purposes of speed enforcement, troopers do not use such technology. They instead rely on conventional law enforcement radar equipment and visual observations, which may be articulated in court.
Dear Mahatma: Do you know what the construction is for on U.S. 65 between Bee Branch and Clinton? -- Live Around There
Dear Live: U.S. 65 -- the 8 miles between Bee Branch and Clinton -- is being widened to five lanes in Van Buren County. So says the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
The $30.8 million project was awarded to White River Materials Inc., which began work in January. Completion is expected in December of 2019.
Dear Mahatma: I witnessed a minor accident in Conway, and it led me to ponder a question I've had rattling around my brain. The street was Dave Ward Drive, a divided east-west corridor. Because it is divided, it has a several turnouts that allow for legal U-turns. A car turning right onto Dave Ward collided with a car doing a U-turn on Dave Ward. In such an instance, who has the right of way? -- Confused in Conway
Dear Conway: Those legal U-turns are presumably on the several traffic circles on Dave Ward Drive. If so, then the basic rule is that traffic entering a circle yields to traffic already in the circle.
That applies in Conway, Little Rock, North Little Rock or any other city that has a traffic circle.
Vanity plate seen on Cantrell Road: I CUTUM. Our correspondent, part of a statewide network of sharp-eyed observers, added that the red Jeep had a lawn mower tied on top. As Dave Barry used to write, she said, "I am not making this up."
Metro on 05/19/2018