Cheyenne engineering director urges modest increase in maintenance funding to preserve city streets

Tom Cobb, director of the Engineering Department, told the City Council at its Oct. 24 work session that Cheyenne’s pavement network is in “fair” condition and that modest additional funding is needed to prevent accelerating deterioration.

Cobb said the city’s most recent pavement condition survey (2023) shows an average pavement condition index (PCI) of 68 — above the national average he cited as roughly 60–65 — with about 4.4% of total roadway area below a PCI of 40, a threshold he described as “when we get in trouble.” Cobb said the city maintains roughly 370 miles of streets.

Why it matters: Cobb said delaying routine maintenance raises long-term costs because streets that fall below serviceable condition require reconstruction instead of cheaper surface treatments. He told the council that reconstruction can cost about $1.5 million per mile and that preventative treatments (crack sealing, patch-and-seal, slurry seals) can extend pavement life at far lower cost.

Key findings and numbers: Cobb credited the previous voter-approved maintenance fund (identified in the presentation as $14 million over five years from the “sixth/fifth penny”…