Blumenthal v. City of Cheyenne

186 P.2d 556, 64 Wyo. 75, 1947 Wyo. LEXIS 28
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 1947
Docket2368
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 186 P.2d 556 (Blumenthal v. City of Cheyenne) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blumenthal v. City of Cheyenne, 186 P.2d 556, 64 Wyo. 75, 1947 Wyo. LEXIS 28 (Wyo. 1947).

Opinion

*84 OPINION

Blume, Justice.

This is an action brought by the plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, against the City of Cheyenne and its mayor and commissioners, *85 to enjoin the enforcement of Ordinance No. 750 hereafter mentioned. The trial court refused to issue an injunction, entered judgment in favor of the defendants, and from that judgment the plaintiffs herein have appealed to this court.

Without a map of the city or personal knowledge it would be difficult to understand the detailed facts herein, so we shall give but a brief outline of the evidence presented. Cheyenne, the capítol of the state, has a population of about 35,000. Central Avenue, running north and south, divides the city between east and west. It is an extension of Yellowstone Highway, which enters the city from the north. The city is about 39 blocks long, from north to south, each block being about 300 feet in length, intersected by streets running east and west, the streets being numbered from the south of the city to the north, so that 1st street is in the south por tion of the city and 31st street near Pershing Boulevard in the north. The streets, eight in number, running east and west, which are north of Pershing Boulevard (which also runs easterly and westerly) are also called avenues. 16th street is an extension of Lincoln Highway, which enters the city from the east and west. When Central Avenue comes to 16th street from the north it is closed off by, and comes to a dead end at, the depot of the Colorado and Southern railroad and by its tracks, by the depot of the Greyhound bus lines and by the Union Pacific Railroad Company’s depot and its tracks. These depots and tracks and the shops of the latter company occupy the space of several blocks, namely from 15th street to about 9th street. The north end of Central Avenue, however, and the south end thereof are connected by a viaduct and approaches thereto. To reach the viaduct from Central Avenue at 16th street it would be necessary to travel one block east or one block west, then turn south about one-half block to reach the approaches to the viaduct, each ap *86 proach running east and west, and being about one block long. The main viaduct runs north and south and apparently connects with the south portion of Central Avenue between 9th and 10th streets. It will, accordingly, be noted that to go over the viaduct is by a round about way. For a distance of 3 block north from 16th street, Central Avenue is abutted by business blocks and two churches. The remaining abutting property is occupied mainly by residences, but passes along two schools, including Junior High School. Two more schools, including the Senior High School, are one block east of Central Avenue. Between 22nd street and 25th street are located the state capítol and the supreme court building.

The east end of Pershing Boulevard or the extension thereof is located nearly two and one-half miles east of Central Avenue, branching off at that place from the Lincoln Highway, runs westerly and runs to Snyder Avenue several blocks west of Central Avenue. The adjacent area on the north for most of the distance is sparsely occupied by residences except three blocks east of Central Avenue. From that point on west to Snyder Avenue it is occupied mainly by residences.

8th Avenue runs east and west. It is eight blocks north of Pershing Boulevard. It is the most northerly street in the city. The area north is occupied by parks, the area south is occupied by but few residences, including the residences of three of the plaintiffs. These were constructed within the last few years.

Snyder Avenue runs north and south, connecting with 8th Avenue on the north and 16th street on the south. It is six blocks west of Central Avenue. The area north from 24th street is occupied by residences, south from 24th street is occupied mainly by warehouses. Three schools are in the neighborhood of the street, one located one block west and two schools two *87 blocks east, of the street. The area north of 24th street is zoned to a very large extent, and is restricted as to the kind of buildings to be erected thereon and the cost thereof.

The main portion of the business section of the city is located between 15th street on the south, 19th street on the north and two blocks east and a number of blocks west of Central Avenue.

On March 11, 1946, the mayor and commissioners of the City of Cheyenne adopted Ordinance No. 750, providing as to what streets commercial motor carriers passing through the city should take. In other words, the ordinance provided a through truck route. The' term commercial motor carriers was defined as any truck or trailer or combination thereof, carrying or constucted to carry cargo other than personnel, and having a rated load capacity of one ton or more. It provided that the north and south bound traffic should pass along (counting from the North) 8th Avenue west of Central Avenue to Snyder Avenue, south along Snyder Avenue to 16th street, west about one block and then south on Deming Drive, which crosses the railroads by two subways, and then goes southeasterly, finally connecting with Central Avenue some blocks south of the viaduct heretofore mentioned. It further provided that the east and west traffic (counting from the East) should pass along Pershing Boulevard to Snyder Avenue, then south to 16th street, and west from that point on 16th street and the extension thereof on Lincoln Highway.

The ordinance appears to have been adopted pursuant to demand on the part of a Cheyenne newspaper, a number of truckers and others, and after a reasonably careful survey made by some of the city authorities. The greatest traffic congestion appears to have been in the business district, and particularly on 16th street *88 between Central Avenue and Carey Avenue, two blocks west. It was shown that the approaches to the viaduct became slippery in the winter time; that too much traffic, and in fact all truck traffic over it was dangerous, particularly on account of possible accidents thereon and the calamity which might ensue by reason of explosion of gasoline thereon, hauled in trucks, the viaduct passing above the many tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Traffic conditions on Central Avenue and 16th street were considered dangerous, particularly on account of large commercial trucks traveling thereon. The witness Moore, Lieutenant in the Police Department, testified that 1,010 motor vehicle accidents occurred in the city in 1945, 210 of these were truck accidents; there were 113 accidents on Lincoln Highway, including 16th street; on Central Avenue there were 122 accidents; on the viaduct 34 accidents. The heaviest accidents were in the down town area. The witness Sherard, an employee of the Highway Department, had a survey made during a week in May, 1946, of the number of motor vehicles passing certain points. 8161 vehicles on the average per day passed along 16th street; 7401 at a point between the viaduct and 16th street. A survey of trucks was made in April, 1946, by the chief of police of the city, presumably of the number of trucks passing along the through truck route established, but that is not altogether clear.

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Bluebook (online)
186 P.2d 556, 64 Wyo. 75, 1947 Wyo. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blumenthal-v-city-of-cheyenne-wyo-1947.