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City staff to seek pedestrian infrastructure grant for Ford Wyoming Center
Summary
City staff asked council permission to apply for a State Loan and Investment Board pedestrian transportation grant to add walkways and lighting around the Ford Wyoming Center, seeking up to $150,000 with identified local matches; council indicated informal approval.
Speaker 3 asked the Casper City Council for permission to apply for a state pedestrian transportation infrastructure grant to improve exterior access at the Ford Wyoming Center. The proposal targets accessible walkways and lighting from the surrounding parking areas — including Lot 13 (formerly the "Cowboy Lot") — to reduce vehicle-pedestrian conflicts at rodeo and other large events. "The state Loan and Investment Board is soliciting grama proposals for pedestrian transportation infrastructure projects related to special events conducted at the grounds of any indoor or outdoor rodeo arena," Speaker 3 said, noting the venue meets the 7,500-seat minimum for eligibility.
Staff told the council the city would seek up to $150,000, with match components already identified as a mix of allocated funding and in-kind services from city parks, city streets and other departments. Speaker 3 said the application is an email proposal and therefore relatively simple; Sustainable Strategies alerted staff to the opportunity but is not writing the proposal. "They are not writing this grant for us. It's a very simple impact. It's an email proposal for the grant," Speaker 3 said.
Councilors asked technical questions about project scope and amenities. Speaker 4 confirmed the project focuses on lighting and a designated, lighted crosswalk from Lot 13 to the event grounds rather than curb-and-gutter reconstruction; Speaker 6 queried whether hitching posts for horses could be incorporated on light poles, an idea Speaker 3 said could be considered during design.
Council checked for agreement and indicated assent to proceed with the application. The staff request included a Feb. 9 application deadline and a maximum request amount of $150,000; council's consensus allows staff to file the proposal and to identify the match as necessary.
Next steps: staff will submit the application by the Feb. 9 deadline and proceed with project scoping and coordination with parks, streets and event operations if the grant is awarded.
