Sheridan West Study

Phase I

Phase 1 of the Sheridan West Corridor Study is complete. The results of Phase 1 of the Sheridan West Corridor Study were presented at a public meeting on Wednesday, November 10, 2004. The format of the meeting was an open house that included a brief presentation followed by viewing of exhibits and opportunity to ask questions of the study team.

The presentation included a statement from SUSAC Policy committee member, Mayor Jim Wilson. The Policy Committee also includes Sheridan County Commission Chairperson Ky Dixon and Wyoming Department of Transportation District Engineer Mark Gillett. Based on the findings of Phase 1, the Policy Committee decided that the study will move on to Phase 2. Click here to view a copy of the complete Policy Committee decision: Policy Committee Decision.

The Phase 1 report may be downloaded from this site via the link below:

Sheridan West Corridor Feasibility Study - Phase I Report (273k). Please note that due to the size of the original document, this on-line version does not include any figures. Copies of the report can be viewed by contacting Ray Pacheco, County Planner at 675-2926.

To review comments that have been received on Phase 1 of the study, click here: Phase 1 Comments.

Phase 1 included the following tasks:

• Analyzing population trends to obtain reasonable future population projections to input into the future travel demand model.

• Analyzing existing traffic operations and accident data.

• Evaluating future traffic conditions with and without a west corridor to determine the purpose and need for a west corridor from a traffic operations perspective.

• Conducting a socioeconomic analysis of existing conditions in Sheridan with relation to public access, community cohesion, and downtown businesses that compares conditions with and without a west corridor to determine the purpose and need for and potential impacts of a west corridor.

• Performing a Level 1 environmental site assessment to check for known hazardous or sensitive sites based on a historical records search.

Based on the review of the current and future conditions and comparing the no-build and build alternative of a west corridor, the following key issues were identified:

• Sheridan is expected to grow at a rate similar to its historic growth rate: 1.1%.

• There are key facilities in the western portion of Sheridan including the airport, hospitals, high school, and fairgrounds and there is currently no roadway facilities linking these services.

• Sheridan has a thriving downtown, which almost all residents surveyed want to see preserved.

• Several new residential and commercial developments have been proposed on the west side of Sheridan, and this land was subsequently annexed into the city during this study. These developments include Osprey Hill, Cloud Peak Development, and a new medical center.

• The vehicle crash rate for Main Street in the downtown area is four times higher than the statewide average. This could be attributed to on-street parking, closely spaced signals, and/or congestion.

• When comparing no-build and build alternatives, the addition of a west corridor will reduce traffic volumes and decrease delay on primary roadways, improve safety by reducing congestion, and reduce cut-through traffic in neighborhoods.

• Emergency response times would be improved with the addition of a west corridor.

• With the addition of a west corridor, traffic will not be reduced from the existing level in the downtown area, and the addition will relieve the downtown area of some future congestion.

• If a west corridor were built – it would most likely be a two-lane roadway facility like the one pictured below.

The intent of Phase 1 of this study was to evaluate the purpose and need for a west corridor. Based on the analysis performed in Phase 1, the study team identified several needs and benefits that a west corridor would provide. Specifically, a west corridor would:

• Provide a link in the transportation network on the west side of Sheridan and improve regional mobility between several important east-west routes such as 5th Street, Fort Road, and Big Goose/Loucks.

• Improve public access to several key facilities in the west portion of Sheridan.

• Accommodate growth that is currently planned on the west side of Sheridan.

• Reduce traffic congestion and improve future traffic operations in the city on primary roadways.

• Reduce cut-through traffic in neighborhoods.

• Improve safety by reducing traffic volumes on primary roadways and therefore likely decreasing the number of crashes.