Individual plan; universal principles
Recommendations from the Cheyenne Frontier
Days traffic study apply only to that 10-day annual
celebration – but the concepts driving the study and
recommendations are universal, according to Ayres
Associates’ traffic specialists.
“The principles are the same,” says Ken Voigt, a
senior traffic engineer. “Eliminate or reduce conflicts
and separate various modes of transportation. Address
parking issues. Most efficiently and safely manage the
arrival and departure of a mass of people at the same
time. The goal is to integrate those three principles to
create the safest and most efficient plan.”
Cheyenne Frontier Days creates high traffic
congestion levels when large numbers of visitors enter
or leave the park all at once. On a smaller scale, school
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districts have the same concern, says John Davis, Ayres’
traffic engineering services supervisor. At the start
of the day, buses, bicycles, cars, and pedestrians all
converge at the school. At the end of the day, the same
congestion occurs as most of the people try to leave at
the same time.
The Cheyenne Frontier Days study had to take
into consideration the location and size of the festival
grounds, the diversity of modes of transportation, and
the sheer number of agencies and groups that work
together to make the annual event a success – adding to
the complexity of the study, Davis says.
“We’ve done traffic studies for other major events
over the years at other venues,” Davis says. “Each
presents challenges, but the principles still apply.”