Omaha Riverfront Trail

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (and Streetcars!).

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Coyote
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Omaha Riverfront Trail

Post by Coyote »

WOWT.com wrote: River Trail Leaves The River
Revised plan moves forward


The revamped and rerouted Omaha Riverfront Trail is moving forward. While the path has been pushed away from the river, officials still say it will make for scenic travels.

The original plan for the trail was to have it carve a path between Eppley Airfield and the Missouri River but those plans were blocked by the airport authority, citing safety concerns.

Now the city is moving ahead with plans to build the trail around the other side of Eppley, through Carter Lake.

It's not what Mayor Fahey and others wanted but it's an option they're hoping bikers will still appreciate.

Stan Gitt is among the avid bike riders who were looking forward to a bike trail along the river, in part, because of the scenery.

He says, "Anytime you can get to the scenery or less traffic, those are both big factors to a ride."

City Parks Director Larry Foster thinks the new trail through Carter Lake will still provide those two things.

Foster says, "It will have one of the loveliest runs in the entire city trail system. That run of the trail along the banks in Carter Lake is just spectacular. There's great old trees. The lake is gorgeous. It's really a nice spot."

That trail is expected to be built over the next year-and-a-half. This summer, crews will pick up on construction of the north end of the trail where it ends today, near the north Omaha power plant. The rest of the trail will be completed next year.

When that's done, the riverfront trail will stretch all the way from the north end of Omaha to the border of Douglas and Sarpy counties, covering approximately 10 miles.

The new trail path around Carter Lake includes a couple of areas where bikers will have to cross streets. Parks Director Larry Foster says those crossings will include safety measures such as stop signs or warning signs for drivers.
omahahawk
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Post by omahahawk »

:P sweet
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Greg S
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Post by Greg S »

I wish they would do bridges over where it intersects with traffic.

Greg
Vince Furlong
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Another Riverfront stroll

Post by Vince Furlong »

Saturday, April 9 2:00 - 3:30PM
Partly cloudy- mid 70s - windy

Usage-
1. 20-30 at Heartland of American park - good variety of uses (walking, bench sitting, feeding ducks/geese, suntanning....)
2. 5-6 at Lewis and Clark Landing/Rick's - sitters and walkers
3. 8-10 on trail north to Abbott Drive - walkers and bicyclists

Comments/questions

1. What ever happened to the inline skating phenomenon?
2. We need more trees in the National Park Service and Gallup areas.
3. I thought the first floor of the NPS building was going to be open to the public for displays, etc?
4. Nice structures and views at the current north end of the trail near Abbott drive - nice view south to downtown and north up the river
5. We need more density of uses in the LC Landing area and on further north. Older folks, overweight folks, and families with kids are not going to walk just to walk.
6. How is the Rick's business doing? There is a need for more retail destinations in this area.

What do you think?

Vince Furlong
OMAHA MAIN STREETS
almighty_tuna
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Post by almighty_tuna »

Gallup has plenty of trees on its property. They are not two years in the ground though!!!....give them some time to grow and it will be very pretty. There will be some more retail in the area once the Riverfront Towers project is complete - at least one other restaurant and a couple other little shops I believe. Patience, grasshopper ;)
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Riverfront Trail - north of Eppley

Post by Vince Furlong »

In a couple of recent trips to Neale Woods, I noted that the Riverfront Trail has been extended a ways north of NP Dodge Park, So, I decided to to up there yesterday on my Sunday hike to check it out.

But, on the way there nearing the OPPD plant, I noticed that the trail south of OPPD has also been extended. So, my hike headed there.

About 1-2 miles of trail has been completed along the river down past one of the Aaron Ferer locations to the corner of Ida and Crown Point.

Does anyone know how this wll be continued? One route looks like it could run on Ida for a 1/4 mile and then go back toward the river along an abandoned rail track.

Also, how is the trail going to traverse the airport area?

The section I hiked yesterday has some nice walking about 50 yards from the river on an elevated track that offers some nice vistas. But, you also have to traverse some industrial tracts.

Traffic Report

River - active boating (seems like there was always a boat in sight or in sound)

Trail - light (one other walker and four bicyclists in two hours)

Vince Furlong
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Post by omahahawk »

I beleive they were originally going to have the south bound stretch of the trail go around the airport on the levy itself. They had to nix the idea though because of security concerns. I think they are currently planning to run a stretch down on the the otherside of the airport through Carter Lake and link it up to the existing riverfront trail down by Gallup.
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Post by Finn »

I ran on the trail section from the NP Dodge Park Marina a couple of years ago. I'm sure there is more trail there now, but it was nice and wooded.

The trail was originally going to go around the airport on the river levee but the City could not get the Airport Board or FAA approval, so it will run along the east side of Carter Lake. From Ida Street (near the river) the trail will turn south along Lindburgh Drive, following it into Carter Lake to Carter Boulevard. The trail will then head east and south alongside the lake and Abbott Drive beefore crossing over at Miller Park on the northern side of downtown.

Here is a map of trails in the area: http://www.papionrd.org/pdfs/Trails_05.pdf
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Omaha_Gabe
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Riverfront trail

Post by Omaha_Gabe »

Final leg of riverfront trail OK'd


By Juan Perez Jr.
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120125/N ... trail-ok-d


It could be years before the Riverfront Trail is completed, but a plan to build the final portion gained the City Council's approval Tuesday.

The city can now sign an agreement with the Nebraska Roads Department to design and build two concrete trails: one along Abbott Drive from north downtown to Carter Lake and a second leg to connect part of Carter Lake's north and western shores to a trail along Locust Street built by the City of Carter Lake. Both segments would create a total of roughly three additional trail miles.

The city estimates the total cost of the dual-trail project at $1.3 million. The city would have to pick up roughly $510,000 of the tab, leaving the rest to federal highway project funds.
Part of the project would complete a missing link in the decade-old Riverfront Trail and create a continuous link between downtown Omaha and the Washington County line.
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iamjacobm
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Re: Omaha Riverfront Trail

Post by iamjacobm »

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/news/me ... 20157.html
During his tenure, Kramer, 65, helped in the construction of a small trail on the east side of Carter Lake. Phase 4 of the Riverfront Trail will put 2.26 miles of 10-foot-wide cement on the north and west sides of the lake.

Just south of Carter Lake is a 1-mile stretch where the trail also is incomplete. That stretch is right along Abbott Drive near Eppley Airfield.
Completing both of those areas will bring continuity and safety, Kramer said.
Dennis Bryers, an Omaha Parks and Recreation Department planner, said construction on the new segments is tentatively scheduled to finish at the end of 2016.

The project — which will cost $1.3 million — is using remaining federal earmark money from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Omaha’s capital improvement program also is providing funds. Any leftover costs will be covered by grants.
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