Sheridan, Wyoming

Creating a Prosperous Main Street Through Placemaking and Streetscape

Sheridan, Wyoming | Completed 2018

Project Details

The Challenge

Key Activities

Outcomes

Report

At nearly 60 feet wide, Sheridan Wyoming’s Main Street faced a challenging dilemma—balancing the needs of a state highway with the needs of a vibrant downtown Main Street. So, in 2017 when the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) announced plans to rebuild the street in upcoming years, local leaders knew they needed to act proactively.

The City of Sheridan applied for assistance from Community Builders to explore ways that upcoming projects could be leveraged to improve the safety, comfort, and economic viability of the corridor for all users. By establishing a community-driven vision and plan of action for the downtown portion of Main Street, local leaders wanted to provide the community an opportunity to discuss, plan for, and implement improvements along and around the corridor.

A high priority was placed on working with the community to identify their hopes for Main Street. Working in partnership with a committee of local leaders from downtown businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies, Community Builders and the City developed a robust and fun public engagement process that put the community in the driver’s seat.

Using stakeholder meetings, community open houses, online engagement, and a multi-day design charrette, the community worked together to develop a set of goals and actions for advancing Main Street’s future.

The Downtown Sheridan Streetscape Action Plan was released in Winter 2018 and included action steps and implementation guidance for key Main Street improvements. These included roadway design alternatives, streetscaping and placemaking projects, parking strategies, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The plan was adopted by City Council in December 2018 and implementation of key projects are underway.

The City completed a second phase of an experimental parklets project and also tested out temporary roadway design alternatives, such as temporary striping of three traffic lanes on Main Street as opposed to four. The City received overwhelming support from the community for the temporary striping, and in fall of 2020, WYDOT permanently restriped the street to three lanes, allowing for slower traffic and more space for sidewalk widening or curb extensions in the future.

Click the button below to view the final report.

Sheridan Final Report