Omaha Streetcar Discussion
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
I love reading the comments regarding today's owh streetcar story. Some of the people commenting have been hibernating since they commented that the proposed Omaha Convention Center/Arena would fail miserably. Nice to see them crawl out of their holes!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Omaha Cowboy wrote:From the Sunday W-H:
"People have talked about a modern Omaha streetcar off and on for at least 20 years, but now the discussion is starting to get real.
A financial assessment done for the city lays out numerous options for paying to build a streetcar line, to put trains on the tracks and to operate them.
The analysis, made public here for the first time, is on the Omaha City Council agenda for Tuesday. It estimates it would cost $156 million to build and equip a streetcar line from TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha to 42nd and Farnam Streets in midtown Omaha. It would cost about $7.5 million a year to operate the line.
The assessment leans toward using an assortment of local funding sources, including city money, philanthropic donations and tax-increment financing from real estate developments along the streetcar route.
Several of the funding options would tap real estate development growth expected to be generated by a streetcar — in essence, trying to make the streetcar help pay for itself."..
The complete story link:
http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/assessm ... 74c17.html
Ciao..LiO...Peace
That article is full of FAKE NEWS!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Then to appropriately voice your concern(s), WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! Lol...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:Omaha Cowboy wrote:From the Sunday W-H:
"People have talked about a modern Omaha streetcar off and on for at least 20 years, but now the discussion is starting to get real.
A financial assessment done for the city lays out numerous options for paying to build a streetcar line, to put trains on the tracks and to operate them.
The analysis, made public here for the first time, is on the Omaha City Council agenda for Tuesday. It estimates it would cost $156 million to build and equip a streetcar line from TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha to 42nd and Farnam Streets in midtown Omaha. It would cost about $7.5 million a year to operate the line.
The assessment leans toward using an assortment of local funding sources, including city money, philanthropic donations and tax-increment financing from real estate developments along the streetcar route.
Several of the funding options would tap real estate development growth expected to be generated by a streetcar — in essence, trying to make the streetcar help pay for itself."..
The complete story link:
http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/assessm ... 74c17.html
Ciao..LiO...Peace
That article is full of FAKE NEWS!
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Go Cowboys!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
It's definitely a lightening rod issue that's for sure...NovakOmaha wrote:I love reading the comments regarding today's owh streetcar story. Some of the people commenting have been hibernating since they commented that the proposed Omaha Convention Center/Arena would fail miserably. Nice to see them crawl out of their holes!
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Go Cowboys!
Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Here is what I got back from the city:Omaha Cowboy wrote:Then to appropriately voice your concern(s), WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! Lol...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:
That article is full of FAKE NEWS!
Ciao..LiO...Peace
The Mayor believes the streetcar could be expanded to many parts of the city once the initial route is operating. There is also potential to extend it into Council Bluffs and Sarpy County. Teams from the city and MAPA have visited several cities, including Kansas City and Salt Lake City to evaluate their systems so there is a lot of study underway.
Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Wow. How ignorant are you? Just because you don't agree with something doesn't make it fake news.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:That article is full of FAKE NEWS!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
There is a $250 million housing development along the new Detroit light rail line that never would have happened without the line. Lot's more coming as well. Would Detroit be experiencing the amazing development that is happening without the line? Yes, but this is spurring even more. The Detroit line also had private investment to make it happen along with a lot of other funding.
I would say that the Omaha streetcar will happen if the big donors want it to. Remember the Clink got $75 million from private donors.
I would say that the Omaha streetcar will happen if the big donors want it to. Remember the Clink got $75 million from private donors.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
This ^^^...NovakOmaha wrote:I would say that the Omaha streetcar will happen if the big donors want it to. Remember the Clink got $75 million from private donors.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
I just looked it up. KC's line cost $102 million for 2 miles. Detroit's cost $137 million for 3.3 miles. As near as I can figure the proposed route is over 3.5 miles so $156 million seems to fall in line with the others. To show you how we do things in Detroit the QLine hasn't even started yet but during the testing phase recently it already had graffiti. That's how we do it in the D! (as they say)
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
There seems to be real legs with the streetcar potential this go around.. as Novak stated, if the big $$ movers and shakers in the city want it and contribute, the streetcar vision for Omaha will become reality.. and to the chagrin (it would seem) of a few members here, lol...choke wrote:Here is what I got back from the city:Omaha Cowboy wrote:Then to appropriately voice your concern(s), WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! Lol...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:
That article is full of FAKE NEWS!
Ciao..LiO...Peace
The Mayor believes the streetcar could be expanded to many parts of the city once the initial route is operating. There is also potential to extend it into Council Bluffs and Sarpy County. Teams from the city and MAPA have visited several cities, including Kansas City and Salt Lake City to evaluate their systems so there is a lot of study underway.
Ciao..LiO...Peace
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
I don't know how many here remember the comments on the owh site when the CLink was proposed and voted on but there was one woman who was absolutely positive that no one would come to Omaha for anything and it would be a boondoggle. If she's still around she's salivating about this.Omaha Cowboy wrote: There seems to be real legs with the streetcar potential this go around.. as Novak stated, if the big $$ movers and shakers in the city want it and contribute, the streetcar vision for Omaha will become reality.. and to the chagrin of a few members here, lol...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Is this a novelty? Maybe. Or maybe not. It would have looked a lot more like a novelty when the proposal was from the CLink to the zoo. This is a much different proposal. Similar to Detroit's running from downtown to midtown (Detroit) or a bit like KC's.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
If memory serves, the person you're referring to is Diane Marie Hayes.. Her credibility was shot completely to pieces within 12 months after the CLink opened. Of course for us "in the know" it was shot to pieces long before that (as it related to the arena issue at least) ...NovakOmaha wrote:I don't know how many here remember the comments on the owh site when the CLink was proposed and voted on but there was one woman who was absolutely positive that no one would come to Omaha for anything and it would be a boondoggle. If she's still around she's salivating about this.Omaha Cowboy wrote: There seems to be real legs with the streetcar potential this go around.. as Novak stated, if the big $$ movers and shakers in the city want it and contribute, the streetcar vision for Omaha will become reality.. and to the chagrin of a few members here, lol...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Ciao..LiO...Peace
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
YESSSSS! THAT'S THE ONE!!! Every day I looked forward to her comments. They were priceless. "White elephant. Loser. Who wants to come to Omaha? Seen our winters? Seen our summers? All the conventions go to Vegas. Orlando. Omaha is a big nothing. Nothing to do. People are boring."Omaha Cowboy wrote: If memory serves, the person you're referring to is Diane Marie Hayes.. Her credibility was shot completely to pieces within 12 months after the CLink opened. Of course for us "in the know" it was shot to pieces long before that (as it related to the arena issue at least) ...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
At the time I pictured her sitting in her basement, chain smoking a carton of Parliaments, railing on about everyone being idiots.
I miss Diane. Those were the days...
Her and JoeMoney on the old board. But that's a different story for a different day
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
If the CLINK is not a boondoggle and is so successful then how come it is not even half paid for yet after all these years?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Lol! Indeed, those were the days.. And JoeMoney, ha!.. I wonder how that Ayn Rand lovin' dude is doing these days ...NovakOmaha wrote:YESSSSS! THAT'S THE ONE!!! Every day I looked forward to her comments. They were priceless. "White elephant. Loser. Who wants to come to Omaha? Seen our winters? Seen our summers? All the conventions go to Vegas. Orlando. Omaha is a big nothing. Nothing to do. People are boring."Omaha Cowboy wrote: If memory serves, the person you're referring to is Diane Marie Hayes.. Her credibility was shot completely to pieces within 12 months after the CLink opened. Of course for us "in the know" it was shot to pieces long before that (as it related to the arena issue at least) ...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
At the time I pictured her sitting in her basement, chain smoking a carton of Parliaments, railing on about everyone being idiots.
I miss Diane. Those were the days...
Her and JoeMoney on the old board. But that's a different story for a different day
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Go Cowboys!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Diane? That you? My how you've changed...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:If the CLINK is not a boondoggle and is so successful then how come it is not even half paid for yet after all these years?
Seriously, for those to whom mortgages are not understood, here goes....
One, it opened in 2003, thus it's 13 years old. If the original bonds were still in place it would have just started putting a dent in the principal. Go to Bankrate.com & do an amortization schedule.
Two, the bonds were refinanced by bonds with a lower interest rate.
Three, none of that matters as our friend Grandpasmucker is either a troll or really is a cranky old man and if the Clink were paid off & sending a check to every citizen with profits he'd still complain that the check was the wrong color...
Last edited by NovakOmaha on Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
NovakOmaha wrote:Diane? That you? My how you've changed...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:If the CLINK is not a boondoggle and is so successful then how come it is not even half paid for yet after all these years?
You say something about you are in Detroit? Great we got a guy from a city who took out bankruptcy now encouraging Omaha to throw millions down on a Street Car even though we already are having trouble paying our bills as it is.?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Yep, the bankruptcy lasted a year. AND Detroit's getting a streetcar. Neener, neenerGRANDPASMUCKER wrote:NovakOmaha wrote:Diane? That you? My how you've changed...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:If the CLINK is not a boondoggle and is so successful then how come it is not even half paid for yet after all these years?
You say something about you are in Detroit? Great we got a guy from a city who took out bankruptcy now encouraging Omaha to throw millions down on a Street Car even though we already are having trouble paying our bills as it is.?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
NovakOmaha wrote:Yep, the bankruptcy lasted a year. AND Detroit's getting a streetcar. Neener, neenerGRANDPASMUCKER wrote:NovakOmaha wrote:Diane? That you? My how you've changed...GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:If the CLINK is not a boondoggle and is so successful then how come it is not even half paid for yet after all these years?
You say something about you are in Detroit? Great we got a guy from a city who took out bankruptcy now encouraging Omaha to throw millions down on a Street Car even though we already are having trouble paying our bills as it is.?
As long as you get a shiny new StreetCar who cares about the creditors and people that Detroit stiffed and screwed out of billions and billions of dollars? Is that how you roll?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
That has been how the Donald rolls for years, Diane.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:As long as you get a shiny new StreetCar who cares about the creditors and people that Detroit stiffed and screwed out of billions and billions of dollars? Is that how you roll?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Coyote wrote:That has been how the Donald rolls for years, Diane.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:As long as you get a shiny new StreetCar who cares about the creditors and people that Detroit stiffed and screwed out of billions and billions of dollars? Is that how you roll?
Were going to build a big beautiful wall along our Southern border we are not going to build a useless Streetcar down Farnam.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Well, at least we've discovered 'ol SMUCKER is Diane Marie Hayes..
My Sunday evening is now complete ...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
My Sunday evening is now complete ...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Go Cowboys!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
You're not in Hooterville anymore, Giligan. It's the big city & we'll squish you like a bug. Got that, Diane?GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:As long as you get a shiny new StreetCar who cares about the creditors and people that Detroit stiffed and screwed out of billions and billions of dollars? Is that how you roll?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Lemme get this straight. Is the wall going to keep Papillion & La Vista out or is the wall going to keep Kansas out? I'm so confused. Help me, Diane!GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:Coyote wrote:That has been how the Donald rolls for years, Diane.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:As long as you get a shiny new StreetCar who cares about the creditors and people that Detroit stiffed and screwed out of billions and billions of dollars? Is that how you roll?
Were going to build a big beautiful wall along our Southern border we are not going to build a useless Streetcar down Farnam.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Well, whoever it is will probably just invest in a couple shovels and tunnel underneath it. Talk about a boondoggle.NovakOmaha wrote:Lemme get this straight. Is the wall going to keep Papillion & La Vista out or is the wall going to keep Kansas out? I'm so confused. Help me, Diane!GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:Coyote wrote:That has been how the Donald rolls for years, Diane.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:As long as you get a shiny new StreetCar who cares about the creditors and people that Detroit stiffed and screwed out of billions and billions of dollars? Is that how you roll?
Were going to build a big beautiful wall along our Southern border we are not going to build a useless Streetcar down Farnam.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Can we get this discussion back ON TRACK?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
This Streetcar Scam we are having run on us here in Omaha is being ran everywhere around the country as discussed in this UTUBE.........
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Lord, how I wish the people on this forum would take this to heart. Just because something worked back in the day, doesn't mean that it will work now. We could take this same money and buy a lot of buses and do a lot more transportation, even if we just put the buses in a down town to airport and down town to midtown circuit. It would still be more economical and we could have this up and running faster than a street car.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:This Streetcar Scam we are having run on us here in Omaha is being ran everywhere around the country as discussed in this UTUBE.........
Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Arenas and stadiums never usually do but transit investments almost always meet or exceed expectations.MadMartin8 wrote:Have ideas of paying for a project via "increased expected development in the area", ever worked out?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
If we're talking about modern transit options, BRT and streetcars are complimentary, but are definitely not the same. The reason the one in DC flubbed so badly was because of poor design and implementation, not because of a fundamental flaw with streetcars.bigredmed wrote:Lord, how I wish the people on this forum would take this to heart. Just because something worked back in the day, doesn't mean that it will work now. We could take this same money and buy a lot of buses and do a lot more transportation, even if we just put the buses in a down town to airport and down town to midtown circuit. It would still be more economical and we could have this up and running faster than a street car.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:This Streetcar Scam we are having run on us here in Omaha is being ran everywhere around the country as discussed in this UTUBE.........
At the most basic level, streetcars/light rail have higher capacity, cost less in the long run because vehicles last longer, consume less energy and use less labor due to their higher capacity. They are also designed to make more frequent stops with far more passengers, making it ideal for inner city areas with lots of riders. It is also psychologically far harder to ignore tracks in the street than it is to ignore a bus you don't see. Streetcars convey permanence, making them attractive to development and residents.
BRT is usually made to go longer distances between stops, around half a mile or so, making it more ideal for low density areas with big hubs, like suburbia. And BRT is not necessarily cheaper, especially within high demand areas.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Now for everyone's favorite thing.... a hypothetical map of Streetcar Lines and BRT!
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... 16672&z=14
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... 16672&z=14
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Have you ever been to www.urbanrail.net?Garrett wrote:Now for everyone's favorite thing.... a hypothetical map
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
When I ask this, I am not necessarily doubting you...but do you by chance know of any economic benefit analysis reports that show this?Garrett wrote:Arenas and stadiums never usually do but transit investments almost always meet or exceed expectations.MadMartin8 wrote:Have ideas of paying for a project via "increased expected development in the area", ever worked out?
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Here is a long research article if you feel like some deep reading:MadMartin8 wrote:When I ask this, I am not necessarily doubting you...but do you by chance know of any economic benefit analysis reports that show this?Garrett wrote:Arenas and stadiums never usually do but transit investments almost always meet or exceed expectations.MadMartin8 wrote:Have ideas of paying for a project via "increased expected development in the area", ever worked out?
https://www.apta.com/resources/reportsa ... t-APTA.pdf
and something a bit more simple from CityLab:
http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/08/pub ... hink/6532/
and a story about Kansas City's streetcar:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/kc ... 71319.html
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Garrett wrote:Here is a long research article if you feel like some deep reading:MadMartin8 wrote:When I ask this, I am not necessarily doubting you...but do you by chance know of any economic benefit analysis reports that show this?Garrett wrote:Arenas and stadiums never usually do but transit investments almost always meet or exceed expectations.MadMartin8 wrote:Have ideas of paying for a project via "increased expected development in the area", ever worked out?
https://www.apta.com/resources/reportsa ... t-APTA.pdf
and something a bit more simple from CityLab:
http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/08/pub ... hink/6532/
and a story about Kansas City's streetcar:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/kc ... 71319.html
Thanks Garrett!
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
Financing should be structured in a way that requires voter approval. No backdoor financing through sales taxes, or whatever they did to only require city council approval to green light TD Ameritrade Park. If the voters want to spend $120+ million on a streetcar system, they can only blame themselves when it turns into a colossal money pit.
You can also guarantee that most, if not all development along the streetcar line will be subsidized through TIF, or some other subsidy.
You can also guarantee that most, if not all development along the streetcar line will be subsidized through TIF, or some other subsidy.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
They would have no chance of getting voter approval. The only way this can happen is if they back door this and shove it down our throats. Our problem is that they are perfectly content to cheat and lie and shove this down our throats.jessep28 wrote:Financing should be structured in a way that requires voter approval. No backdoor financing through sales taxes, or whatever they did to only require city council approval for TD Ameritrade Park. If the voters want to spend $120+ million on a streetcar system, they can only blame themselves when it turns into a colossal money pit.
Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
I predict there wil be some major private donors supporting it. That's how it will happen. The type of street car design they're showing now has a certain coolness factor to it that will prove to be irresistible for all but the most stodgy curmudgeons. It's very comparable to KC's setup, which appears to be a success from what I saw for myself last weekend, and the stats presented so far. I think they'll need to add a connection to the zoo fairly soon after the first phase to help justify it further and hopefully a connection to the airport eventually, then AK village/UNO.GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:They would have no chance of getting voter approval. The only way this can happen is if they back door this and shove it down our throats. Our problem is that they are perfectly content to cheat and lie and shove this down our throats.jessep28 wrote:Financing should be structured in a way that requires voter approval. No backdoor financing through sales taxes, or whatever they did to only require city council approval for TD Ameritrade Park. If the voters want to spend $120+ million on a streetcar system, they can only blame themselves when it turns into a colossal money pit.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
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...and then they were gone.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
I keep seeing it said that the advantage of the Streetcar is that it conveys a sense of permanence, which entices developers to build nearby. I think this overstates things. It's certainly possible the developers are that unwise (after all Trump was a developer, and my two year old shows better reasoning ability than that clown), but if the whole thing turns out to be a costly fiasco, the city will just tear up the track; the history of nearly every major city in the United States demonstrates this. Furthermore, if an area sees high ridership, a bus route won't be discontinued. I think the draw is that for the first few years of novelty, they can sell or rent out units until the area reaches a sort of critical mass and when the streetcar ridership begins its steady decline, it no longer matters, the area is permanently established.
My prediction, and I may well end up being wrong, is that in a decade, when most of the millenials and the older part of the following generation are all busy with their kids and have moved out to the suburbs to escape OPS and provide the kids with a yard, the next cadre of young adults who moves into the area won't be nearly as enamored of the streetcar, seeing it more as a lumbering behemoth that doesn't suit their transit needs. The true believers will try desperately to preserve it, but the costs of the first track replacement will be too much to justify and the system will be scrapped. The developers will have waxed fat thanks, in part to the streetcar, the area along the track will have some nice buildings and good restaurants, and the overwhelming majority of the residents will prefer to get around by car. Maybe it will be "worth it", a couple hundred million might be an okay price to pay for a concentration of development as opposed to a similar amount of development dispersed throughout a more diffuse area, that is for each person to decide for themselves.
My prediction, and I may well end up being wrong, is that in a decade, when most of the millenials and the older part of the following generation are all busy with their kids and have moved out to the suburbs to escape OPS and provide the kids with a yard, the next cadre of young adults who moves into the area won't be nearly as enamored of the streetcar, seeing it more as a lumbering behemoth that doesn't suit their transit needs. The true believers will try desperately to preserve it, but the costs of the first track replacement will be too much to justify and the system will be scrapped. The developers will have waxed fat thanks, in part to the streetcar, the area along the track will have some nice buildings and good restaurants, and the overwhelming majority of the residents will prefer to get around by car. Maybe it will be "worth it", a couple hundred million might be an okay price to pay for a concentration of development as opposed to a similar amount of development dispersed throughout a more diffuse area, that is for each person to decide for themselves.
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Re: Official: Omaha Streetcar Discussion
From what I've heard some of the large corporations/employers along the line, as well as some foundations, will make up a significant percentage of this bill. Not unlike our other major projects (Holland, CLC, TDAP). Public private partnership gets it done.
This is purely a rumor but I was told Sen. Mellos candidacy moved this process up a bit timing wise and that the mayors office was going to wait until after reelection to push this forward. Much easier to start this conversation now when your "forward thinking" opponent agrees with you (and your core supporters can't vote against you as a statement).
This is purely a rumor but I was told Sen. Mellos candidacy moved this process up a bit timing wise and that the mayors office was going to wait until after reelection to push this forward. Much easier to start this conversation now when your "forward thinking" opponent agrees with you (and your core supporters can't vote against you as a statement).