Highway 370 (Gretna to I-80)

Post by **Brad** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:59 am

Highway 370 (Gretna to I-80)

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10055811

A hearing is planned Thursday on a proposed $21 million widening project on Nebraska Highway 370 east of Gretna.

Under the proposal, the four-mile stretch of two-lane highway is to be widened to four lanes in spring 2010, contingent on available funding. Enough right-of-way would be set aside to allow for expansion to six lanes, if needed, in the future.

The area to be rebuilt leads from Gretna to Interstate 80.

"It's something Gretna has been waiting on," said Donna Stigge, Gretna's zoning administrator, of the proposed project. "It's a way to ease traffic congestion - especially rush-hour traffic."

Stigge said she drives that stretch of Highway 370 almost every day.

"We want to develop, look nice and be easily accessible," she said.

The Nebraska Department of Roads and the State Highway Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Gretna High School, 11335 S. 204th St. Officials also will be available from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for informal discussion.

Post by **Brad** » Tue May 17, 2011 10:21 pm

I had a photo shoot in Bellevue this afternoon followed by a shoot in Gretna. Â Its been a long time since I have taken 370 all the way across the county like that. Â I could not believe how much work has already been done on widening the I80 to Highway 6 stretch. Â Its really going to be a different road along there in the future.

Q the road haters in 5...4...3...2...1... Â Â :soap:

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Tue May 17, 2011 10:24 pm

I am curious as to how much development you saw.

Post by **Brad** » Tue May 17, 2011 10:33 pm

iamjacobm wrote:I am curious as to how much development you saw.

None yet, they are just moving a whole bunch of dirt for the new highway.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Tue May 17, 2011 11:41 pm

Brad wrote:
iamjacobm wrote:I am curious as to how much development you saw.
None yet, they are just moving a whole bunch of dirt for the new highway.

That stretch is ripe for development it is just a matter of time.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Wed May 18, 2011 9:14 am

Brad wrote:I had a photo shoot in Bellevue this afternoon followed by a shoot in Gretna.

What kind of theme did you go with this time? Topless with cute little yellow thong, hair blowing in wind while doing a tiger-clawing motion in sand toward the camera? Or was it more Nick-style in woman's business garb walking downtown with a half-grin completely oblivious to your surroundings?

Give us something here :)

Post by **Brad** » Wed May 18, 2011 10:02 am

S33 wrote:
Brad wrote:I had a photo shoot in Bellevue this afternoon followed by a shoot in Gretna.
What kind of theme did you go with this time? Topless with cute little yellow thong, hair blowing in wind while doing a tiger-clawing motion in sand toward the camera? Or was it more Nick-style in woman's business garb walking downtown with a half-grin completely oblivious to your surroundings?

Give us something here :)

A brown one and a gray one... both three bedrooms, to baths, two car garages...

And if that wasn't enough... today is a restaurant both the dining room and the food!

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu May 19, 2011 12:39 pm

I am curious what "rush hour traffic congestion" looks like on this stretch of highway. Any excuse to build and expand our highway system, even if it is now at the expense of children's education in Nebraska.

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Thu May 19, 2011 1:45 pm

The entire stretch from Gretna averaged over 11,000 vehicles per day in 2008. Â Four years later, I wouldn't be shocked if that number had jumped to 20,000+ per day in some places. Â And for a mostly two-lane road, that is quite a bit of traffic. Â Most major four-lane streets in Omaha see 30,000-60,000 vehicles per day as a comparison.

mcarch · Post by **mcarch** » Thu May 19, 2011 4:10 pm

And if development does develop along that stretch, I am sure there would be even more traffic than a four-lane road can handle. Â Plus, we'll be stopping ever second. Â With the new ballpark, I've had to stop at each of the lights when no one is around.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu May 19, 2011 4:22 pm

The only reason that stretch would ever see those traffic volumes would be the result of a lack of or a failure of regional planning. The era of explosive suburban growth is over.

To quote Environment Omaha's "Urban Form and Transportation" section, officially incorporated into the City of Omaha's Master Plan last year:

In 1950, Omaha’s population density (the number of people per unit of area) was about 6,000 people per square mile. Today, it’s substantially lower – about 3,650 people per square mile. What are we doing, or not doing, with all that space?

The Urban Form & Transportation section of the Environmental Element seeks to help Omaha:

*Accommodate its potential urban population within a compact, contiguous urban area
*Productively and effectively use all land within its 2010 municipal limits
*Support an efficient city form with a balanced transportation network that increases the role of low-impact and active transportation modes in providing access to all parts of the city

Post by **Brad** » Thu May 19, 2011 6:56 pm

I think this will really help a lot of people. Â Besides the immediate Gretna Area, I know a lot of people that live in the 168, 180th area and between Giles and Blondo Street that all get off at 370, head west to 168 or 180 and then north. Â This will be good for the whole metro.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu May 19, 2011 7:26 pm

Brad wrote:This will be good for the whole metro.

Really? How so?

Maybe all those people you know would decide to live closer in if the traffic and congestion of their commute on 370 became too much headache to deal with. Â :;):

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu May 19, 2011 7:49 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
Brad wrote:This will be good for the whole metro.
Really? How so?

Maybe all those people you know would decide to live closer in if the traffic and congestion of their commute on 370 became too much headache to deal with. :;):

Because I live "out here" Â Â :mrgreen:

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:09 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Maybe all those people you know would decide to live closer in if the traffic and congestion of their commute on 370 became too much headache to deal with. :;):

I hope you don't get upset if you get your wish eventually and it ends up pricing current residents out of their homes/apartments, forcing them to look to the newly-vacated suburbs for affordable housing.

Post by **Brad** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:37 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
Brad wrote:This will be good for the whole metro.
Really? How so?

When I say "Metro" I don't mean Just part of Omaha, I mean Omaha, Council Bluffs, Crescent, Fort Calhoon, Blair, Bennington, Kennerd, Arlington, Fremont, Valley, Leshara, Waterloo, Elkhorn, Gretna, Yutan, Southbend, Springfield, Papillion, LaVista, Bellevue, Plattsmouts, Etc. Â This is a whole Metro...

Post by **nebugeater** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:50 am

Brad wrote:
StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
Brad wrote:This will be good for the whole metro.
Really? How so?
When I say "Metro" I don't mean Just part of Omaha, I mean Omaha, Council Bluffs, Crescent, Fort Calhoon, Blair, Bennington, Kennerd, Arlington, Fremont, Valley, Leshara, Waterloo, Elkhorn, Gretna, Yutan, Southbend, Springfield, Papillion, LaVista, Bellevue, Plattsmouts, Etc. This is a whole Metro...

Oh come on, do we really have to include Springfield? Â Not a Simpson's fan here!

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri May 20, 2011 10:09 am

Brad wrote:
StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
Brad wrote:This will be good for the whole metro.
Really? How so?
When I say "Metro" I don't mean Just part of Omaha, I mean Omaha, Council Bluffs, Crescent, Fort Calhoon, Blair, Bennington, Kennerd, Arlington, Fremont, Valley, Leshara, Waterloo, Elkhorn, Gretna, Yutan, Southbend, Springfield, Papillion, LaVista, Bellevue, Plattsmouts, Etc. This is a whole Metro...

Well, exactly. That's precisely the point.

So, tell me, how is the widening of Hwy 370 between Gretna and I-80 good for the residents of Council Bluffs? Or Bellevue? Or Fort Calhoun?

Post by **Brad** » Fri May 20, 2011 10:46 am

Bellevue people can take 370 out to Gretna, Council Bluffs Â people can take the south Omaha bridge down to Bellevue and out to Gretna, Fort Calhoon People can take Highway 75 to 680, and 680 to 80, and 80 to 370, and then out to Gretna.

You know we are NEVER going to see eye to eye on this.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri May 20, 2011 11:02 am

I didn't realize Gretna was such a job magnet...

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Fri May 20, 2011 1:07 pm

Gretna nearly tripled its population in eight years. Considering 370 is the fastest, most direct route to I-80 and points east, the majority of those people use it to get to and from their jobs.

mrdwhsr · Post by **mrdwhsr** » Fri May 20, 2011 3:45 pm

Brad wrote:I think this will really help a lot of people. Besides the immediate Gretna Area, I know a lot of people that live in the 168, 180th area and between Giles and Blondo Street that all get off at 370, head west to 168 or 180 and then north. This will be good for the whole metro.

Between Giles and Blondo? Seems like WDE would be a better choice for anything north of Center. Maybe there will be a reduction in traffic on Blondo at 144th Â :) ?

(I'm not really trying to nit-pick. Just wonder how the 370 work would improve the flow to Blondo. Maybe from the new Werner Park or other points in Sarpy County west of 120th?)

Post by **Brad** » Fri May 20, 2011 3:54 pm

Say you lived at 180th and Blondo and you are coming home from Lincoln. Â You can get off at 370 which is basically 150th street go west 1.5 miles to 180th then north 8 for a total of 9.5 miles from I80 and 370.

If you take the West Dodge expressway you are still eventually going 8 miles north still, but you are backtracking all the way back to essentially 108th street which is 5 miles then 6 miles back west for a total of 19.

The west Dodge expressway is Double the driving distance if you are coming home from Lincoln and don't get off at 370. Â However I also realize that during rush hour, its going to be faster to take the WDE.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Fri May 20, 2011 3:56 pm

I take 204th in that scenario. Â Hardly any lights.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sat May 21, 2011 9:42 am

Brad, is that little scenario supposed to show how this is "good for the whole metro?"

-- --------

This article from today's OWH about Springfield's development (which sounds quite lovely; I'm not criticizing their efforts) inadvertently illustrates the point of the extent to which highway policy can direct growth in a more sustainable direction.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110521/M ... or-johanns

With Gretna, Papillion, La Vista and other near-Omaha communities showing rapid growth in recent years, Dill said Springfield likely is next.

Highway 50 to the west has been widened to four divided lanes, and you can get to almost anywhere in Omaha in about 20 minutes, he said. It’s 19.2 miles to downtown Omaha, a 21-minute trip when traffic is light.

“We’re in our own little pocket,” Dill said. “I think it’s inevitable that when the economy turns around, the growth will come our way.”

The Highway 50 strip will be a natural location for new businesses, he said.

And, oh man is this guy totally shitting himself that you can get anywhere in Omaha from Springfield in 20 minutes. Perhaps during non-peak times, and only those locations that are directly adjacent to the highway.

Google says the trip from Springfield to Downtown Omaha is 21.6 miles and would take 26 minutes. That's assuming no traffic. My guess is that for an average person's commute, that number would go up to 35 to 40 minutes if not higher.

Another example, instead of heading to Downtown, say you work at 60th and Hartman Ave. in north central Omaha. That trip is also 21.6 miles, but, not directly adjacent to the highway, Google estimates the trip would take 32 minutes; again, assuming no traffic.

So you see, civic boosters and realtors who love to say "get anywhere in Omaha in 20 minutes" are perpetuating a lie to get you to buy into what they're selling.

Sorry for the tangent, but it relates directly to this debate of whether we should be expanding the exurban highway system.

mrdwhsr · Post by **mrdwhsr** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:54 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Brad, is that little scenario supposed to show how this is "good for the whole metro?"

----------

Brad was just answering my question. I thought maybe Brad meant Pacific and not Blondo. I can see his point, though I already sometimes use 204th St or 144th St on Omaha to Lincoln or Mahoney SP/SAC Museum treks. I would use the heck out of a freeway connection between Highway 275 at West Center and I-80 if one is ever built.

This "good for the whole metro" argument is pretty lame whether applied to a road project or streetcar. I'd save that card for the next time someone else wants to make that argument.

You do make a valid point that infrastructure spending can be used to encourage or discourage sprawl.