WYDOT reviewing feedback on Sheridan Main Street three-lane configuration

SHERIDAN – The jury is still out on whether the three-lane reconfiguration of the historic downtown section of Main Street will be implemented in the future.

Surveys are still being collected via the www.sheridanmainstreet.com website. Good constructive feedback has been coming in and is being analyzed as it is submitted. The surveys indicate a bit of confusion about the four foot “buffer” zone between the travel lane and the parallel parking zone. 

As a reminder, this “buffer” zone is not a bike lane, because it is not wide enough to meet WYDOT standards for a bike lane. The intent of the four-foot buffer is to allow for ease in parallel parking and to provide individuals more room to exit and enter their vehicles. This added space reduces the risk of stepping directly into oncoming traffic. 

Additional feedback has been received in regards to implementing diagonal parking during the test. As per state statute, Main Street does not meet the width requirements to allow for diagonal parking and therefore is not an option. Throughout the entirety of this project, the city and WYDOT were aware of this statute and never considered it an option for the study.  

WYDOT and the city have been watching the traffic flow over the past 10 days and have observed some congestion at the intersection of Main Street and Dow Street. As a result, the city made striping changes to the southbound lane of Main Street between 1st and Dow streets and added a right turn only lane at that intersection. 

With the start of school next week, the city and WYDOT expect traffic patterns and volumes to change on Main Street and surrounding streets. Both entities will continue to gather data over the next two weeks.  

The test period will run through the evening of Saturday, Sept. 7. The original lane configuration will be put back into place on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Both WYDOT and the city encourage local residents to drive Main Street and experience the test. Once driven, the community is encouraged to answer a short survey about their experience. This survey can be accessed online. In addition, downtown merchants will have a survey form at their businesses and will be gathering anecdotal data from their customers during this period.

Once the test is complete, WYDOT and its Traffic Engineering program will evaluate all data to determine how well the test functioned operationally now, and how the new configuration will also affect the projected traffic flow operations in future years. Input from the public will also play a role in the decision making process. 

A public meeting has been scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the Sheridan Memorial Hospital Downtown Community Conference Room - 61 South Gould St.

For information about this news release, contact WYDOT District 4 public information specialist Laura Dalles at (307) 752-3022.