Council Weighs $1.17M Reed Avenue Design Change
Cheyenne's Finance Committee recommended a contract modification for the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Project, with the full council set to vote Monday.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Financial Planning
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The Cheyenne Finance Committee voted to recommend a $1,166,647 modification to the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Project design contract, raising the total to $2,487,566. Councilman Mark Moody voted in opposition.
Why it matters
The added funding expands the project beyond its original scope and addresses requirements that emerged during coordination with BNSF Railway and the Federal Railroad Administration. The change shapes how pedestrian access and side-street improvements are built along the corridor.
The modification raises the design contract from $1,320,919 to $2,487,566 and is funded by $277,500 in FRA-eligible money, $466,620 from the fifth-penny sales tax, and $422,527 from the sixth-penny sales tax. The final council vote on the funding split has not yet occurred.
The players
Cheyenne City Council
The elected governing body of Cheyenne, Wyoming, responsible for approving municipal contracts and budgets.
BNSF Railway
A major freight railroad operator whose ownership of the Reed Avenue right of way shapes the project's design and crossing decisions.
Federal Railroad Administration
The federal agency that oversees railroad safety and administers the Reed Avenue Rail Crossing Elimination Grant funding.
The details
The modification adds pedestrian and street improvements on side streets including 17th through 23rd streets, along with design work for a parking lot and pedestrian access between 20th and 21st streets. BNSF Railway, which owns the right of way, agreed to an eight-foot pedestrian corridor along its maintenance road after a March 2026 meeting set a compromise on a fourth crossing closure.
Timeline
2017: City received $4 million from the sixth-penny sales tax ballot for the project.
2018: The Reed Avenue project plan was first drawn up.
March 2026: A meeting established a compromise on the fourth crossing closure.
Tuesday, November 4, 2026: Finance Committee voted to recommend approval.
Monday, November 9, 2026: Full City Council scheduled to consider the modification.
Market Dynamics
The project's expanded design work is partly funded through the federal Rail Crossing Elimination Grant program, tying local spending to federal infrastructure dollars. Its $2.49 million design total reflects how local sales-tax revenue and federal grants are combined to finance crossing projects.
Residents along the Reed Avenue corridor may see new pedestrian paths and side-street improvements as the project moves forward. The use of sixth-penny and fifth-penny sales tax revenue means local taxpayers help fund the added work.
The takeaway
Large public projects often grow in scope as federal requirements and railroad coordination surface, so tracking contract modifications can reveal how local budgets change over time. Following council votes on these items shows where sales-tax dollars are ultimately directed.
What happens next
The full Cheyenne City Council will consider the $1,166,647 contract modification at its Monday, November 9, 2026 meeting.
Further reading
For more on how municipal budgets and sales-tax funding shape local projects, explore Financial Planning.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
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