Coffeen Avenue & East Brundage Lane

A Corridor Study in Sheridan, Wyoming

2nd Public Engagement Opportunity

Scroll to the end of the Story Map for the results of the 1st Public Engagement Opportunity, a draft summary of the recommendations for the corridor, and a survey to provide any feedback or comments.

Please note that the summary of recommendations and the survey will be made available on the day of the meeting - October 2, 2024.

Open House

The second public information meeting was held on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 5:30 pm at The Hub on Smith.

Click  here  to access a recording.

 

 

Introduction

Coffeen Avenue

Coffeen Avenue is a primary route through Sheridan and its major commercial area. It connects downtown Sheridan to communities south like Big Horn, Banner, and Story through US Hwy 87.

Brundage Lane

Brundage Lane connects between the Sheridan County Airport, WY Hwy 332, Sheridan Avenue, Coffeen Avenue, I-90, and communities east like Ucross and Clearmont through US Hwy 14.

Background

The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) is studying sections of Coffeen Avenue and Brundage Lane within the Sheridan Urban Systems boundary / city limits.

Purpose of this Study

The purpose of the study was to identify safety and traffic concerns for vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and any other road users.

The study recommends improvements to Coffeen Avenue and Brundage Lane that will benefit local vehicle traffic, bicycles, and pedestrians in the community, as well as regional and tourist vehicle traffic that travels through Sheridan.

Study Area

The study area consists of 1.8 miles of Coffeen Avenue between Main Street/Downtown and Brundage Lane...

...and 0.7 miles of Brundage Lane between Sheridan Avenue and Commercial Avenue just east of I-90.

Data and Analysis

Intersections

This study assessed 16 major intersections with streets on Coffeen Avenue and Brundage Lane, shown on the map and listed below:

The intersections shown in yellow are traffic signals, while the remaining intersections in white have stop signs.

Coffeen Avenue

  1. Main Street
  2. Gladstone Street / Gould Street
  3. Sumner Street/Perkins Street/Whittier Street
  4. Bryant Street
  5. Illinois Street /College Avenue /Lowell Street
  6. Sheridan Avenue/ Heald Street
  7. Avoca Avenue/ Sugarland Drive
  8. Sugar Lane
  9. Riverside Street
  10. Brundage Lane

Brundage Lane

  1. Sheridan Avenue
  2. Wetlands Drive
  3. Sugarland Drive
  4. I-90 Eastbound Ramps
  5. I-90 Westbound Ramps
  6. Commercial Avenue

The intersection of Coffeen Avenue & 1st Avenue is outside the study area, but was included in the assessment for being close to the Brundage Lane intersection

Traffic Data

Traffic volumes were counted on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 along Coffeen Avenue and Brundage Lane.

Coffeen Avenue

There were between 15,377 and 16,894 vehicles per day at different points along Coffeen Avenue, with the highest traffic count occuring at Little Goose Creek.

Brundage Lane

There were 11,877 vehicles per day on Brundage Lane, counted between Sugarland Drive and I-90.

Speed Data

Speed data was collected on Coffeen Avenue and Brundage Lane. The 85th percentile speed, which is the speed that most vehicles are travelling at or under (85% of vehicles) was assessed.

Speeds on the corridors were all within 5 mph of the posted speed limits, which is 30 mph along most of the corridors except near Downtown, where it is 20 mph. The highest 85th percentile speed was 33 mph in the northbound direction of Coffeen Avenue at Little Goose Creek.

Crash Data

  • The areas with the highest number of crashes are shown on the map in dark red and pink. The highest number of crashes occurred at the Coffeen Avenue & Brundage Lane intersection, followed by Coffeen Avenue & Avoca Avenue.
  • Between 2017 and 2021, 21% of crashes resulted in injury, with three serious injury crashes occuring. No fatalities were reported in that time.
  • Crashes typically occurred at intersections and driveway accesses, with 44% of crashes being angle/T-bone crashes and 36% being rear-end crashes.
  • Eight crashes involved collisions with bicycles and pedestrians due to turning vehicles, all resulting in injury.

Coffeen Avenue Typical Section

Coffeen Avenue is currently a five-lane undivided roadway with two drive lanes in each direction and a "two-way left turn lane" in the center.

The inside drive lanes and the turn lane are 11 feet wide and the outside drive lane is between 14.5 and 16 feet depending on the location.

Sidewalks on Coffeen Avenue are 5 feet wide and have no separation between the sidewalk and curb.

There is a connection to the Little Goose Creek Trail just north of the bridge near Derby Club, north of Avoca Avenue.

1st Public Engagement Opportunity

The 1st Public Engagement Opportunity was conducted in person and virtually on October 17, 2023.  Click this link  to view the full summary of the results.

The following charts show the results of some of the multiple-choice questions related to how people use the corridors, what are their concerns, and what would they prefer to see happen to the corridors.

Q1. Why do you use these corridors?

Q2. How often do you use these corridors?

Q3. How safe do you feel driving on these corridors?

Q4. How safe do you feel walking/biking along these corridors?

Q5. What are your biggest concerns about these corridors?

Q6. What are your priorities when improvements are made to these corridors?

Analysis Findings

The most common vehicle crashes experienced on the corridor involved turning vehicles (43% Angle/Left-Turn & 36% Rear-End Crashes) that were in areas with high access and intersection density.

The Average Crash Rate for the Coffeen Avenue corridor is 4.344 which is above the statewide average of 2.460 for similar facilities.

3% of the total crashes along the corridor were bicycle or pedestrian related.

100% of the bicycle and pedestrian related crashes occurred due to vehicles turning into their path, most commonly at accesses.

The high access and intersection density along with sidewalks that provide minimal buffer between pedestrians and vehicles likely contributes to the safety deficiencies for non-motorized users.

Summary of Recommendations

Below are enhancements/alterations that could add to the mobility and safety of these two  corridors . (click or hover over bold words for  Definitions )

Corridor Wide Improvements (North to South)

Curb Extensions & Parking Lane Striping (Coffeen Ave – Main St to Sheridan Ave)

What is a curb extension?

Curb extensions, also known as bulb-outs or neckdowns, reduce the width of the roadway by extending the curb into the parking lane. This shortens pedestrian crossing distances and reduces the time needed to cross the street. Drivers are encouraged to slow down when approaching intersections and mid-block crossings, making turns, and traveling through intersections.

Benefits

  • Increases pedestrian safety (shorter crossing times, better visibility)
  • Reduces vehicle speeds
  • Reduces pedestrian crash risk

Drawbacks

  • More difficult to maintain in winter
  • Can create drainage deficiencies
  • More challenging for larger vehicles to navigate

Proposed Curb Extension & Parking Lane Striping Locations

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Gladstone St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Whittier St/Sumner St/Perkins St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Bryant St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Lowell St/College Ave./Illinois St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Sheridan Ave./Heald St.

Example of Curb Extension at Intersection

Raised Medians (South of Little Goose Creek on Coffeen and Brundage)

What are raised medians?

Raised medians are raised barriers in the center portion of the street or roadway. They reduce left turning conflicts and provide space for street trees and other landscaping which, in turn, can help reduce speeds by changing the character of a street.

Benefits

  • Increases vehicular and pedestrian safety
  • Reduces conflict points
  • Reduces crash risk
  • Does not affect operations significantly
  • Provides opportunity for added aesthetics landscaping

Drawbacks

  • More expensive to construct
  • Reduced snow storage
  • Additional maintenance (trees/landscape)

Proposed Median Locations

Zoom in to view proposed median locations

Example of Roadway Sections with a Median

N. Main St, Sheridan

WY 59, Gillette

Grand Ave, Laramie

Business Accesses

Strictly manage new or modified business accesses (no changes mandated for existing accesses)

  • Increases safety and improves operations

Traffic Signals

Adjust traffic signal timing throughout the  corridor 

  • Adjust yellow and red time to increase safety
  • Adjust green time to improve operations

Other Recommendations for Specific Intersections and Locations

Coffeen Ave & Main St

If additional right-of-way becomes available around this intersection, investigate the opportunity to purchase.

Benefits include

  • Opportunity to widen Coffeen Ave for safety
  • Buffer between opposing lanes could be constructed
  • Sight distance could be increased

Coffeen Ave Widening at Main St

Coffeen Ave & Whittier/Perkins St

Convert Perkins St to one-way westbound.

  • Decreases confusion
  • Improves operations by removing conflicting inbound movements

Perkins St One-way at Coffeen Ave & Whittier St

Coffeen Ave & Sheridan Ave

Modify Sheridan Avenue lanes and signal. Change southbound lane group to two independent left turn lanes and a single shared through and right turn lane. Separate the left lane from the shared through and right turn lane for the northbound traffic.

  • Improves safety and operations
  • A roundabout was analyzed but was not recommended because overall intersection operations deteriorated with roundabout implementation.

Coffeen Ave & Sheridan Ave Signal Modifications

Coffeen Ave & Brundage Ln

Remove  channelized right turn lane  and adjust signal timing.

  • Improves vehicle and pedestrian safety
  • Signal timing adjustments improve operations
  • A roundabout was analyzed but due to right-of-way constraints and lack of improvement to the intersection’s operations a roundabout was not recommended.

Existing  Channelized Right Turn  at Coffeen Ave & Brundage Ln

Remove  Channelized Right Turn  at Coffeen Ave & Brundage Ln

Brundage Ln

Restripe, as show in the image below, the outside west bound lane and the outside eastbound lane on Brundage Lane between Coffeen Ave and I-90.

  • Increases safety
  • Does not significantly affect operations
  • Allows flexibility for I-90 interchange design

Brundage Lane Modifications

Brundage Ln & Sheridan Ave

A traffic signal and a roundabout were both analyzed for this intersection. Existing  volumes  do not “warrant” either option.  Warrants  are only assessed on existing conditions. Current projections show that based on  volumes  alone, existing intersection control will adequately function for approximately 20 years. If safety or operations degrade, consider roundabout for safety and operational benefits.

  • Increases safety
  • Reduces vehicle speeds
  • Reduces pedestrian crash risk
  • Reduces crash severity
  • Reduces conflict points
  • Requires additional right-of-way

Brundage Ln & Sheridan Ave Roundabout

Brundage Ln & I-90 Interchange

Traffic signals and roundabouts at the intersections were analyzed. Existing  volumes  do not “warrant” either option.  Warrants  are only assessed on existing conditions. Current projections show that based on  volumes  alone, existing intersection control will adequately function for approximately 20 years. If safety or operations degrade, consider roundabout for safety and operational benefits. Remove  channelized right turn lane  at I-90 EB to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety.

  • Increases safety
  • Reduces vehicle speeds
  • Reduces pedestrian crash risk
  • Reduces crash severity
  • Reduces conflict points
  • Requires additional right-of-way
  • A diverging diamond Interchange and a single-point urban interchange were also considered, but do not fit in existing space

 Channelized Right Turn  Removal at Brundage Ln & I-90 EB Ramps (west intersection)

Brundage Ln & I-90 Interchange Roundabouts

Definitions

Channelized Right Turn Lane

Channelized right-turn lanes are turning roadways at intersections that provide for free-flow or nearly free-flow right-turn movements.

Conflict Points

Conflict points are the points where two vehicles can potentially collide with each other at road intersections or accesses.

Corridor

A segment of roadway used to move people, goods and services.

Volumes

Traffic volume refers to the number of vehicles that pass a specific point on a roadway during a given time period, usually expressed as vehicles per hour.

Volume Warrants

Volume “warrants” are thresholds where a certain number of vehicles on both the main and side streets are required to consider traffic signals or roundabouts. If volume grows in the future, warrants may be reached.

Traffic Signal vs. Roundabout

Both options can improve operations and safety at intersections with stop signs. Roundabouts often can be safer and more efficient than signals by reducing  conflict points  and crash severity, however they require more space to build and more disturbance during construction. Signals usual cost less than roundabouts. Commercial vehicles can traverse both options.

Draft Report

Complete draft report can be accessed  here 

Survey

Click this  link  to access a survey to provide feedback and comments.

Thank you!

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Gladstone St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Whittier St/Sumner St/Perkins St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Bryant St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Lowell St/College Ave./Illinois St.

Example of Curb Extension at Coffeen Ave. & Sheridan Ave./Heald St.

Example of Curb Extension at Intersection

N. Main St, Sheridan

WY 59, Gillette

Grand Ave, Laramie

Coffeen Ave Widening at Main St

Perkins St One-way at Coffeen Ave & Whittier St

Coffeen Ave & Sheridan Ave Signal Modifications

Existing  Channelized Right Turn  at Coffeen Ave & Brundage Ln

Remove  Channelized Right Turn  at Coffeen Ave & Brundage Ln

Brundage Lane Modifications

Brundage Ln & Sheridan Ave Roundabout

 Channelized Right Turn  Removal at Brundage Ln & I-90 EB Ramps (west intersection)

Brundage Ln & I-90 Interchange Roundabouts