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Laramie County commissioners adopt Cheyenne MPO 'Connect 2050' long-range transportation plan
Summary
The Laramie County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution adopting the Cheyenne MPO's Connect 2050 plan, which updates the MPO's horizon to 2050, identifies 104 roadway projects and 42 active-transportation projects, and is fiscally constrained to preserve access to federal funding.
The Laramie County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 18 unanimously approved a resolution adopting Connect 2050, the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization's updated long-range transportation plan.
For the record, Ryan McKell of Kimley Horn told the board the firm was hired by the MPO to update its LRTP, replacing Connect 2045 with a horizon year of 2050 and a refreshed project list. "We came up with a 104 potential projects for the roadway network," McKell said, noting additions include bridge and drainage improvements, access management, reconstructions, intersection improvements and new roadway connections. He also said the plan identifies 42 active-transportation projects to improve walking and biking.
The plan sets prioritization criteria — safety and security, operational efficiency, preservation and resiliency, livability and economic growth, and multimodal integration — with different weighting in urban and rural areas. McKell said the LRTP is fiscally constrained: projects included in the plan have funding attached, while a set of "opportunity" projects are held in reserve should additional funding emerge.
The chair asked why the estimated cost to widen a roadway per lane-mile was only about $380,000 less than constructing a new roadway per mile; McKell responded that right-of-way acquisition is included in the lane-mile figure and can be a large factor. "Right of way would be considered in that, and it is per lane mile," he said.
Board members pressed few substantive changes and a commissioner moved to approve the resolution. The clerk recorded aye votes from Commissioner Heath, Commissioner Hollingshead, Commissioner Thompson, Commissioner Zwonitzer and the chair, and the resolution passed unanimously.
Adopting Connect 2050 preserves Laramie County and the Cheyenne MPO's eligibility to compete for federal transportation funds and sets a prioritized project list and implementation tiers through 2050. The plan also includes transit recommendations — including a South Route realignment and a transfer-hub relocation on Westland — and lists advocacy for Cheyenne as a northern terminus of the proposed Front Range passenger rail line. The board received the plan in the agenda packet and took final action by resolution at the meeting.
