By Rick Bass
The mission of the Vail Ready web site is to inform, engage and promote effective stewardship of our vital natural resources and preserve our great quality of life.
Mitigation of any Vail area issues are best addressed with a proactive commitment to proper planning and evaluation verses reactive and costly remedies. For every dollar spent in prevention, planning and mitigation, four dollars are saved for the tax payer (Pew Charitable Trust). This is something to seriously consider when planning our area’s infrastructure. Preservation of life, environment and natural resources should be paramount in the final analysis of planning and mitigation practices.
Higher construction costs and retrofitting our roadways can be the result of incomplete planning. The newly constructed intersection of Old Spanish Trail and Valencia Road had to be modified after completion due to safety concerns and traffic flow. In my opinion, this could have been mitigated with proper engineering and planning. At this same intersection, traffic signal infrastructure (electrical wiring and conduit boxes) for future traffic lights could have been incorporated during the initial engineering and construction phase at a much lower cost. It would have mitigated the increased cost of retrofitting the intersection for future signal utilities. I may not know the reasons as to why the obvious was not planned and executed (I suspect costs) however, we the tax payers need to be aware of how our tax revenues are efficiently appropriated.
Last month’s Vail Ready article created “a robust interest” from Vail area residents concerning road safety. A collective voice can affect change; change that generates awareness and results in essential improvements to our roadways. As we meet these challenges head-on, there are resources to ensure our voices and concerns are heard.
Road safety resources can be found at: VailReady.wordpress.com. Listed below is the main contact link and phone number for road repairs, safety issues and problems at:
https://webcms.pima.gov/government/transportation/ or call (520) 624-7410.
Please visit the Vailready.wordpress.com web site for information regarding the South East Regional Council (SERC) meeting schedule for quarterly updates and Zoom links. SERC was created to provide the Greater Vail area residents with a forum and voice to interact with county officials with their concerns and questions. This is an effective way to have your voice heard and be informed.
Vail Ready web site updates: Added to “Home” page: Pima County Sheriff’s Blog. Information from the Pima County Sheriff’s Dept updated frequently about road conditions, crime and community alerts.
School is now open. Please drive carefully. “Be aware, be safe and Vail Ready.”
Rick Bass is a USAF Veteran. He has extensive background in crisis management, suicide prevention and re-source development for the disabled. A lifelong community volunteer and a new age music composer, he enjoys the expansive beauty of the Vail area.
