Reed Rail Corridor Project: Building a Connected Downtown for Wyoming
The Reed Rail Corridor Project is a landmark initiative designed to strengthen downtown Cheyenne while serving the broader Greater Cheyenne community. This transformative project will convert the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor into a safe, connected, and economically vibrant multimodal corridor, improving accessibility, safety, and quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Why the Corridor Matters
For more than a century, the Reed Avenue corridor functioned as an industrial, rail-adjacent area that served as a logistics hub for Cheyenne’s early economy. As goods transportation shifted from rail to trucking, properties with larger footprints to accommodate trailers and trucks became the norm. This transition left many rail-adjacent parcels abandoned or underinvested and created physical and economic barriers between downtown Cheyenne and surrounding neighborhoods.
Today, active rail operations, limited pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and fragmented crossings continue to constrain safe mobility, suppress economic activity, and discourage reinvestment along the corridor. By addressing these long-standing challenges, the Reed Rail Corridor Project opens up opportunities for growth, connectivity, and vibrant public space that benefits everyone in the community.
The Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Master Plan
Completed in April 2018, the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Master Plan outlines a community-supported design concept for the City's right-of-way property along the BNSF railroad. The goal of this concept is to allow the corridor to contribute to (not detract from) the complex revitalization efforts of the West Edge and downtown Cheyenne (see the October 2016 West Edge Area Wide Plan).
Key Features of the Project
The project incorporates several features to enhance the Corridor itself, as well as meaningful connectivity with the rest of downtown Cheyenne. These include:
- Continuous, ADA-accessible pedestrian and bicycle pathways
- Enhanced rail crossings and safety measures in partnership with railroad operators
- Streetscape improvements, landscaping, lighting, and wayfinding
- Public gathering spaces supporting community events and cultural programming
- Design elements honoring Cheyenne’s rail and industrial heritage
- Greenway and pedestrian connection from the Southside through Pump House Park (natural area) and along 15th Street (including the railcar experience)
Benefits for Downtown and the Greater Cheyenne Community
With a revitalized, community-accessible outdoor space spanning over nine linear blocks, Cheyenne has the opportunity to not only revitalize a critically underutilized area, but increase the offerings of the downtown central business district, adding to the health of the entire downtown ecosystem. This project will result in:
- Increased pedestrian traffic and visibility for local businesses
- Support for mixed-use development, housing, and job growth
- Enhanced downtown character and identity
- Safer rail crossings and improved separation between trains, vehicles, and people
- Expanded transportation choices, reducing reliance on cars
- Easier access to jobs, services, and cultural destinations across downtown
- Shared public spaces that strengthen community engagement
Measurable Outcomes
It's easy to make assumptions about the benefits of a large-scale project like this, but where are the numbers? The Reed Rail Corridor project is projected to provide:
- Almost a mile of ADA-accessible shared-use paths
- Over 500 estimated new permanent jobs supported
- Anticipated development of
- 180,000 square feet of office/flex/employment uses
- 68 townhomes
- 35,000 square feet of commercial/retail/restaurant uses
- 110,000 square feet of “mixed uses
Stewardship and Long-Term Value
The Reed Rail Corridor Project leverages federal, state, and local funding to deliver high-quality infrastructure primed for private investment and commercial enterprise. For every dollar invested in public improvements, the project is expected to generate approximately $5–$10 in private investment. The Reed Rail Project is one piece of an interconnected downtown; without the revitalization of this corridor, downtown Cheyenne will have immense opportunity cost of potentially $740,000 in new property tax annually, and approximately $1 to $1.2 million in annual sales tax generation, of which about $370,000 to $450,000 is projected annually for Cheyenne alone (from a projection of $16 to $20 million in new annual sales).*
*These projections are based on the April 2018 Reed Rail Master Plan, and are subject to further research and future economic factors
Some argue that government should not be involved in development projects of this nature. While perspectives differ, it is difficult to dispute the public sector’s long-standing role as a catalyst for private investment. By reducing risk associated with infrastructure delivery and coordinating across multiple entities, the public sector creates the conditions necessary for private development to occur, just as it has throughout history, including during the development of the transcontinental railroad that built the Cheyenne we know and love today.
By pooling tax dollars to fund shared infrastructure, reducing regulatory barriers, and providing targeted incentives, the City and County can leverage their unique strengths to jump-start private investment. After all, if a community is unwilling to invest in itself, why would a private entity be willing to do so?
Looking Ahead
As downtown Cheyenne continues to grow and evolve, the Reed Rail Corridor Project will remain a cornerstone of connectivity, safety, and community pride. By transforming an underutilized rail-adjacent corridor into a civic asset, the City of Cheyenne is investing in infrastructure that delivers lasting benefits to downtown, Laramie County, and even the entire state of Wyoming.
Currently, the City of Cheyenne Governing Body is evaluating whether to include the Reed Rail Corridor Project in the 2026 6th Penny Survey, at an estimated cost of $14.9 million. Naturally, everyone is concerned with the cost of this project — $14.9 million in this economy definitely isn't pocket change. But the bigger question we should all be asking is: what is the cost of missing this opportunity — what is the cost of waiting?
Delaying this project only diminishes its return on investment. As they say: a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. Advancing the Reed Rail Corridor, alongside the other Catalyst Projects identified in the 2024 Plan of Development, is critical to Cheyenne’s long-term success. We encourage downtown stakeholders and community members to contact their City Council representative to voice support for the Reed Rail Corridor in the 2026 6th Penny Election, or to complete the 2026 6th Penny Survey (closing 12/17/2025) to help ensure the project is included on the ballot.
Published December 15, 2025