Letter: City wants your Pro Challenge feedback

The city of Aspen wishes to express thanks to all the volunteers and fans of the 2014 USA Pro Challenge. We had another successful and safe race through the city. A special thank-you goes to the Roaring Fork Transit Authority for its excellent and professional service.

We acknowledge that our biggest challenge was traffic management at the end of the race, and it did not go smoothly for private vehicles or public transit exiting town. On Aug. 18, we experienced a situation where fans and commuters all tried to leave Aspen immediately after the race. The large volume of traffic overwhelmed our road capacity and created a gridlock, inconveniencing many people. We apologize for not having foreseen the magnitude of traffic attempting to leave immediately after the race.

We are analyzing all of the causes of the gridlock and potential solutions. We understand that this situation did not meet our standards of customer service. Again, our apologies to all who were inconvenienced.

The City Council is offering a public feedback session on the race at 4 p.m. today in the council chambers. It’s a great time to share your thoughts on the race.

Nancy Lesley

Director of special events, city of Aspen