ORBT - Omaha Rapid Bus Transit

S.O.Boy · Post by **S.O.Boy** » Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:21 pm

Omahacritic wrote: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:34 pm
This is 2020 isn’t it?

Unfortunately, yes

ita · Post by **ita** » Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:57 pm

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 6333741853

bones · Post by **bones** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:24 am

ita wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:57 pm https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 6333741853

Glad to see that, while I am very excited for ORBT, the stations have left a little to be desired with all the grey and concrete IMO. This should add a nice touch to the platforms. I also noticed that many of the stations had the screens and electrical components installed when driving down dodge the other day.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:14 am

Agreed, big fan of any art installation in a utilitarian spot like that.

ita · Post by **ita** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:29 am

Here is a KETV spot about the project. They have a diverse group of artists with varying styles and the art looks awesome.

Omaha by Design commissions local artists to transform ORBT stops

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Sat Oct 31, 2020 1:00 pm

Looks like they're actually doing a little work at 77th &Dodge in front of the Bucky's. Turns pit they will have a shelter there, but it won't be a full on canopy like the rest. That's acceptable to me. You can see it of you go to the ORBT page on ometro.com.

ita · Post by **ita** » Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:09 am

Busguy2010 wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 1:00 pm Looks like they're actually doing a little work at 77th &Dodge in front of the Bucky's. Turns pit they will have a shelter there, but it won't be a full on canopy like the rest. That's acceptable to me. You can see it of you go to the ORBT page on ometro.com.

Nice catch. Here is a rendering of the ORBT 'stop':

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:48 am

Last night there were a couple ORBT buses driving down Dodge, with one stopped at the Westbound 72nd and Dodge stop. They did not seem to be picking up passengers, I'm assuming it was more a training run for the drivers. Their website says they will begin service November 18.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:59 pm

Yes they are testing. I hope they post the schedule by the end of this week. Any later would be kinda shitty.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:53 pm

The stations, at least on the west end are lit now and look very good and professionally done. This really is next level stuff, something that METRO and formerly MAT were severely lacking in. Its great, that this whole thing that started as mere discussions and public input meetings way back in I think 2011, and ORBT was recommended at the conclusion of the Central Omaha Alternatives Analysis in 2014, is so close to completion. Only 5 more days left in the Pre-ORBT era.

NEDodger · Post by **NEDodger** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 12:40 am

Drove up Dodge on the way home from the airport tonight. I thought the stations looked very nice.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:53 am

Details to know about ORBT, Omaha's first rapid bus transit line

https://omaha.com/news/local/details-to ... the-latest

ita · Post by **ita** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:12 am

Omaha's bus system is taking a big step forward. Are you on board?

After years of preparation and months of construction, Metro transit will launch Omaha’s new rapid transit bus line Wednesday.
...
This is just the start. Metro and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce already are looking at how to expand the system off the ORBT backbone and connect the bus line and future routes into better park-and-ride stops, sidewalks and trails.
...
Omaha’s version won’t be a complete implementation of the concept — ORBT buses still will contend with Dodge Street traffic. Still, an end-to-end trip is estimated to take 24 to 27 minutes on a route that easily can be a 20-minute drive, and a bus will arrive at any given stop every 10 minutes, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
...
Already, conceptual long-range transportation plans have sketched out a future metrowide bus rapid transit system: connecting the Dodge Street line into Council Bluffs; running a line north up 30th Street and south along 24th Street to connect with Fort Crook Road in Bellevue; expanding along 72nd Street through Douglas County and 84th Street in La Vista and Papillion; and stretching west along West Center Road to 144th Street and Maple Street out to Interstate 680. Beyond that, enhanced express lines could connect to the rapid bus lines.
...
Harris said she’s particularly excited about ORBT’s on-board bike racks and Heartland B-cycle bike-share stations going in next to 15 ORBT stations by spring.

Jins123 · Post by **Jins123** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 4:41 pm

Anybody else catch that Jay Lund is top boss of the transportation board here lol

I’m rooting for this to go well, and I know it’s a start the Dodge street route and not the end, but I still have lots of questions about it’s usefulness.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 5:15 pm

I to hope it is a success. It could take a few years to really catch on. Especially with the Pandemic. I’m anxious to see the buses going up and down Dodge st.

NEDodger · Post by **NEDodger** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:30 pm

Jins123 wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 4:41 pm Anybody else catch that Jay Lund is top boss of the transportation board here lol

I’m rooting for this to go well, and I know it’s a start the Dodge street route and not the end, but I still have lots of questions about it’s usefulness.

Yeah, but this still makes infinite more sense than a streetcar....

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:40 pm

Jins123 wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 4:41 pm Anybody else catch that Jay Lund is top boss of the transportation board here lol

I’m rooting for this to go well, and I know it’s a start the Dodge street route and not the end, but I still have lots of questions about it’s usefulness.

Cermak wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 5:15 pm I to hope it is a success. It could take a few years to really catch on. Especially with the Pandemic. I’m anxious to see the buses going up and down Dodge st.

Route 2 is the most used route, and presumably has been for the entirety of it's existence. ORBT is essentially just route 2 on steroids. Although COVID has affected ridership, mainly of "choice riders", I still expect it to be a busy route. Before COVID, route 2 was close to capacity even at 15 minute intervals. So I do feel what has been done with ORBT is warranted.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:29 am

I do suspect it'll take some time to get off the ground. It's a good system and well thought out so I have no doubt that it will. But besides issues with Covid, it'll take some time for transit oriented development to catch up. I believe I've mentioned this before, but It would also help if downtown employers, UNO, etc, incentivized transit with free or reduced passes to employees/students and charged more of a premium for parking, but.. baby steps.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:03 pm

Metro finally posted the ORBT schedule to their site here:
https://www.ometro.com/routes/orbt/
On Initial look, it appears it is 32 minutes from Westroads to 8th & Farnam during the day and 25 at night and early morning. Not really sure why they put 8th & Farnam on the schedule as everything east of 10th & Douglas is not part of the revenue route, and riders are expected to exit the bus at the 10th & Douglas station

So from Westroads to 10th & Douglas might be 30 minutes during the day and 23 minutes at night, which is not bad. Route 2 is currently 35 minutes end to end during the day.

It will be interesting to see if they can keep that schedule during the day. They must not be stopping at any lights, and only stopping 13 or so times in each direction, and driving pretty fast. I guess I can see it. If they are holding lights, it will be interesting being in the presence of an ORBT bus to see how the lights react.

labguy · Post by **labguy** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:13 am

TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:29 am I do suspect it'll take some time to get off the ground. It's a good system and well thought out so I have no doubt that it will. But besides issues with Covid, it'll take some time for transit oriented development to catch up. I believe I've mentioned this before, but It would also help if downtown employers, UNO, etc, incentivized transit with free or reduced passes to employees/students and charged more of a premium for parking, but.. baby steps.

UNO, UNMC, and Nebraska Medicine do offer free bus passes for employees and students although right now they are discouraging bus travel due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:38 am

labguy wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:13 am
TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:29 am I do suspect it'll take some time to get off the ground. It's a good system and well thought out so I have no doubt that it will. But besides issues with Covid, it'll take some time for transit oriented development to catch up. I believe I've mentioned this before, but It would also help if downtown employers, UNO, etc, incentivized transit with free or reduced passes to employees/students and charged more of a premium for parking, but.. baby steps.
UNO, UNMC, and Nebraska Medicine do offer free bus passes for employees and students although right now they are discouraging bus travel due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

I was gonna say I thought some did. I know MCC and UNO do, that's no small chunk of people right there. Now if they use it is another story, but it's been on the table. I had free transportation as a student for several years, and that was all the way back in 2010.

I can't speak of the employers and I'm sure any offers would be kept private info... But I wouldn't doubt if some of the big players like FNB, Mutual, UP, Woodmen, etc. actually do offer some sort of program, it may just not be well known enough to be useful... Again just speculating on that front.

stadsborgare · Post by **stadsborgare** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:51 pm

Whether or not it gets downtown faster, I think a factor that could prove this thing a success is that they will have lighted shelters at most stops.

One might be more apt to use this service if waiting for a bus during a rainstorm is not quite so uncomfortable as it was in the past.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:48 pm

stadsborgare wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:51 pm Whether or not it gets downtown faster, I think a factor that could prove this thing a success is that they will have lighted shelters at most stops.

One might be more apt to use this service if waiting for a bus during a rainstorm is not quite so uncomfortable as it was in the past.

Agreed.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:52 pm

Busguy2010 wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:38 am
labguy wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:13 am
TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:29 am I do suspect it'll take some time to get off the ground. It's a good system and well thought out so I have no doubt that it will. But besides issues with Covid, it'll take some time for transit oriented development to catch up. I believe I've mentioned this before, but It would also help if downtown employers, UNO, etc, incentivized transit with free or reduced passes to employees/students and charged more of a premium for parking, but.. baby steps.
UNO, UNMC, and Nebraska Medicine do offer free bus passes for employees and students although right now they are discouraging bus travel due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
I was gonna say I thought some did. I know MCC and UNO do, that's no small chunk of people right there. Now if they use it is another story, but it's been on the table. I had free transportation as a student for several years, and that was all the way back in 2010.

I can't speak of the employers and I'm sure any offers would be kept private info... But I wouldn't doubt if some of the big players like FNB, Mutual, UP, Woodmen, etc. actually do offer some sort of program, it may just not be well known enough to be useful... Again just speculating on that front.

Good to hear.

My other gripe is that they don’t offer later weekend service for those who want to take transit downtown or to midtown for the night. I’d have scheduled the last bus a half hour after bars close.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:02 pm

TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:52 pm My other gripe is that they don’t offer later weekend service for those who want to take transit downtown or to midtown for the night. I’d have scheduled the last bus a half hour after bars close.

Would anybody ride it? Honestly throughout the years I've felt the same. Always thought it was weird for service to end sooner on a Saturday than on a Monday. But now I kinda get it. If I'm Metro, serving the bar crowd is a risk not worth taking. And maybe that's why they never have hadnighto owl service. TBH, not much good happens after ~ 11p.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 7:33 pm

I saw my first ORBT buses tonight. First one at about 5:40 at 77th Westbound was practically full... Was good to see. Second one I saw was at 6:15 at 90th WB, not a soul on it. Guess it just depends when and where you see one. Cool thing was I didn't time my trip specifically to see a bus, but I saw several of them just on that 15 minute round trip drive to and from the grocery store. They definitely have a presence on Dodge street now. I was sitting at the light at 76th and I think the bus held that light because I was waiting for what seemed to be longer than normal. But then the bus got stopped at 78th, so my guess is it depends if the light is already red or not. Like they can extend a green light, but it didn't appear they have a way to tell a red light to turn green by the time the bus gets there. Makes sense though

Post by **Brad** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:51 pm

I drove in my car tonight from 10th and Dodge to 72and Dodge. Many of the stations had several people waiting at them. The Westbound bus we passed easily had a dozen people on it. The lights on the Westbound 72 and Dodge station didn't appear to be working but the rest looked good.

One complaint I did see someone post today. If you are in the Old Market and you go to the 10th and Douglas station to catch the bus and hope to ride as it turns around and heads west, they won't let you. They told this person 10th and Douglas was the "End of the Line" and he would have to walk to 13th and Dodge to catch the same bus heading west.

Hopefully this fix this soon, because that sounds like a terrible idea. I know its only 4 blocks, but in the winter, four blocks could suck.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:17 pm

Brad wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:51 pm
One complaint I did see someone post today. If you are in the Old Market and you go to the 10th and Douglas station to catch the bus and hope to ride as it turns around and heads west, they won't let you. They told this person 10th and Douglas was the "End of the Line" and he would have to walk to 13th and Dodge to catch the same bus heading west.

Hopefully this fix this soon, because that sounds like a terrible idea. I know its only 4 blocks, but in the winter, four blocks could suck.

I'm just guessing here, but that might be a policy for keeping homeless people from riding around on the bus all day.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:09 pm

Brad wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:51 pm One complaint I did see someone post today. If you are in the Old Market and you go to the 10th and Douglas station to catch the bus and hope to ride as it turns around and heads west, they won't let you. They told this person 10th and Douglas was the "End of the Line" and he would have to walk to 13th and Dodge to catch the same bus heading west.

Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Technically yes, it is the end of the line, but as I understood it, they are even allowing people to "ride through" as in continue going on in the opposite direction, but they want people to exit the bus and re-board the bus for ridership counting purposes. I don't see why they wouldn't allow someone wanting to go west to board at 10th & Douglas. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. As of right now that would be a small gripe. Over-all it looks like its going well.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:20 pm

If you were to board at 10th & Douglas, you would be sitting idle at 8th & Farnam for up to 7 minutes before continuing west. I guess its not logistically structured to be boarded there.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:15 pm

I saw several ORBT buses over in the Westroads area today. They looked to have at least 10 or so people on each of them. I think this is great that Omaha now has this transportation option. If this project goes well we will probably get some sort of light rail system at some point, although it could be 10-20 years out.

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 8:10 pm

I too have been impressed driving down dodge by the amount of people at stops. It’s easy to be impressed considering normal metro stops usually have 0-4 people top. Seeing 10-15 people at a stop in Omaha was exciting to see!

Also hats off to Metro the social media presence has been great!

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 11:56 am

Busguy2010 wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:09 pm
Brad wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:51 pm One complaint I did see someone post today. If you are in the Old Market and you go to the 10th and Douglas station to catch the bus and hope to ride as it turns around and heads west, they won't let you. They told this person 10th and Douglas was the "End of the Line" and he would have to walk to 13th and Dodge to catch the same bus heading west.
Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Technically yes, it is the end of the line, but as I understood it, they are even allowing people to "ride through" as in continue going on in the opposite direction, but they want people to exit the bus and re-board the bus for ridership counting purposes. I don't see why they wouldn't allow someone wanting to go west to board at 10th & Douglas. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. As of right now that would be a small gripe. Over-all it looks like its going well.

Apparently this has been corrected or changed. You can now board at 10th.

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:11 pm

Well that's good. It sounded like it was a growing pain thing to me. Good that they have that clarified.

stadsborgare · Post by **stadsborgare** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:04 pm

Is this Chicago? New York? Philadelphia? No, no, and no. This is Omaha!

I like this viewpoint here. Looks very big-city-like. Station platform flush with bus floor...lighted station...video screens giving updates...

Looks like we've entered a new level as a city. I like it.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:32 pm

I love that screen.

Does anyone know, are the station announcements a recording or does the bus driver just yell them out? ..or are there any?

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:33 pm

I love that screen.

Does anyone know, are the station announcements a recording or does the bus driver just yell them out? ..or are there any?

Busguy2010 · Post by **Busguy2010** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:18 pm

"The first two days of Metro’s rapid transit service, ORBT, were a success, with twice the number of riders compared to Route 2, which it replaced on November 18. Passenger counters at ORBT doors recorded more than 1,300 daily riders on both Wednesday and Thursday this week."

https://www.ometro.com/metro-news/orbt- ... ious-ride/

I believe this is a bit of exaggeration. If I recall correctly, before the pandemic, Route 2 numbers were reported in the neighborhood of 1,300. So maybe they are basing it on pandemic ridership. But its good either way, to get the numbers back to normal, and have 20 feet more bus to better maintain social distancing.

stadsborgare · Post by **stadsborgare** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:17 am

Apparently one dimwit didn't get the message that Route 2 was replaced by ORBT. On the way out of downtown Monday night, a guy was trying to hail the bus on a dark intersection while a half block away stood a *LIGHTED* stop. The driver turned slightly away from the guy, passed him up, and then veered back towards the curb to line the bus up with the platform.

laserdisque · Post by **laserdisque** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:38 am

TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:33 pm I love that screen.

Does anyone know, are the station announcements a recording or does the bus driver just yell them out? ..or are there any?

There are automated station announcements as well as monitors that show how many minutes to the next several stations.