HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-09 September 16-20 National Roundabouts WeekTOWN OF VAIL
PROCLAMATION NO. 9, SERIES OF 2019
NATIONAL ROUNDABOUTS WEEK
SEPTEMBER 16-20,2019
WHEREAS, Vail is known around the world for its forward -thinking initiatives; and
while there are many examples of Vail's innovation, we take great pride in being known
for pioneering the roundabout movement in the U.S., thanks to our town government's
visionary leadership;
WHEREAS, in the 1990s, town engineers, led by our current Public Works
Director, Greg Hall, introduced the revolutionary concept of roundabouts to address
long delays at the 4 -way stop at Main Vail, sometimes lasting 30 or more minutes.
While traffic lights were the most obvious congestion remedy, community members
dismissed the lights as too urban and out of character;
WHEREAS, while roundabouts were little known in the United States at the time,
the Vail Town Council took a leap of faith to approve construction despite much
skepticism from the community, including filmmaker Warren Miller;
WHEREAS, when the roundabouts at the Town Center interchange opened in
1995, they became the first roundabouts of their kind in the United States and one of
the few built at 8,000 feet elevation. More importantly, THEY WORKED, causing the
good-humored Warren Miller to "eat crow";
WHEREAS, following the success of Vail's first roundabout project, the
community enthusiastically endorsed roundabouts as the traffic solution for West Vail
with construction completed in 1997;
WHEREAS, since that time, roundabouts have become an accepted engineering
solution in the U.S.; today, there are more than 4,000 modern roundabouts in this
country, including Vail's newest innovative installations of compact roundabouts at the
Sandstone underpass;
WHEREAS, modern roundabouts reduce severe crashes by approximately 80
percent compared to traditional two-way stop -controlled intersections, causing the
Federal Highway Administration to encourage transportation agencies to consider
roundabouts during new construction and reconstruction projects, as well as for existing
intersections that have been identified as needing safety or operational improvements;
WHEREAS, each year the Federal Highway Administrations celebrates National
Roundabouts Week during the third week in September, and recognizes Vail for its
pioneering achievements;
NOW THEREFORE, in honor of Vail's legacy of innovation and risk-taking, the Vail
Town Council joins the Federal Highway Administration in declaring Monday, September 16 to
Friday, September 20, 2019, as National Roundabouts Week.
Dated this 17th day of September, 2019.
Vail Town Council Attest:
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Dave Chapin, Mayor Tammy Tow rk