Omaha Streetcar Authority

[Omaha Cowboy]

And there's no reason we can't make really nice buses. Electric. Nice seats with room to plop down a laptop. Good air conditioning. We could make our buses at least Caltrans train quality.

We could do that AND build a streetcar.

The thing with a streetcar is that there's a certain nostalgia about them. We're trying to make our community "feel" a certain way. Our streetcar should not be judged solely on cost and usage but rather how it shapes perceptions of our community.

Agreed on all points. Especially the last paragraph..

To the question “does a streetcar line for Omaha make sense”? The short answer is yes. Streetcar feasibility for Omaha has been “studied” for over 2 decades now. The Chamber put together the Urban Core Committee headed by Jay Noddle in 2019. The idea, again, was to answer that question- to double dot the “i’s” double cross the “t’s”. Noddle has stated, (correctly) on his last 2 appearances on Grow Omaha, that in most every city where a streetcar line has been created, economic development has always followed. There is evidential proof of this. Omaha is really no different. Now, this newest proposed streetcar line is tied into the massive skyscraper development plan of Mutual of Omaha. There is a pretty good bet, this alternative and nostalgic form of transportation running to midtown and eventually tied to the Saddle Creek Medical development area (think NeXT) will be a huge hit, be free of charge for riders, and spur millions upon millions of dollars of development- which will more than cover the TIF financing ask. It’s a win-win for Omaha and it’s downtown core..

Not to mention, the essence of the last paragraph of riceweb’s post. Building and maintaining a thriving, fun, convenient and economical additional form of mass transit for the core area (to compliment not replace OBRT) will indeed help in the perception of the type of progressive, forward thinking and visionary city we have indeed become. Many roll their eyes here, but it does help our competitive ability to attract young, talented people to consider moving to the Omaha metropolitan area..

Again, this is the short answer..for those reasons alone (again) a streetcar line for Omaha’s core area is a win-win..and yes- it makes sense…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[TitosBuritoBarn]

There is nothing wrong with moving a bus stop. If having one at 50th works for 10 years till we find that 56th works better, moving it is a good thing.

I’m speaking more in terms of moving an entire line more than a few streets away to where it’s no longer accessible by the users from the original location.

[Bob from Omaha]

By me a streetcar in pretty much any city is a gimmick. Take NYC, Chicago & maybe a couple of others out of the mix and the rest are either a gimmick or a small attempt at mass transit or social engineering.
If the big shots in Omaha want a streetcar & the better part isn't funded by taxpayers why not? In some cities it has spurned development that does pay more in real estate taxes than otherwise. Mix that with ORBT, which is moveable and you have a good combination.

Of course, I could be wrong. Where do I live? Detroit. They can build cars but the roads are bad & the suburbs appear to have zero ideas on alleviating traffic jams. The mile roads in the suburbs are at best one or two lanes in each direction. At least Omaha thinks in terms of the future and widens the mile roads and major east-west. Anyway, Omaha isn't thinking of extending the streetcars to 180th and Dodge or 204th and Fort. You wanna ride the gimmick? Move to midtown or downtown.

[GetUrban]

By me a streetcar in pretty much any city is a gimmick. Take NYC, Chicago & maybe a couple of others out of the mix and the rest are either a gimmick or a small attempt at mass transit or social engineering.
If the big shots in Omaha want a streetcar & the better part isn't funded by taxpayers why not? In some cities it has spurned development that does pay more in real estate taxes than otherwise. Mix that with ORBT, which is moveable and you have a good combination.

Of course, I could be wrong. Where do I live? Detroit. They can build cars but the roads are bad & the suburbs appear to have zero ideas on alleviating traffic jams. The mile roads in the suburbs are at best one or two lanes in each direction. At least Omaha thinks in terms of the future and widens the mile roads and major east-west. Anyway, Omaha isn't thinking of extending the streetcars to 180th and Dodge or 204th and Fort. You wanna ride the gimmick? Move to midtown or downtown.

I say let the big shots have their sleek new streetcar and maybe some of us will have some fun going along for the ride! I’d like to eventually see it go by UNO and AK Village. Exciting times lie ahead with MoO tower and the GLM/riverfront parks, to name a few.

[Omaha Cowboy]

From the Fox 42 web page yesterday-

“A proposal to approve a redevelopment agreement between the city and the Omaha Streetcar Authority for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the vehicle in the downtown area will be up for public hearing at Tuesday's city council meeting.

Its route would go along 10th Street from Cass and Harney streets, and along Farnam Street between 10th and 42nd streets.

Noddle Companies chairman and CEO Jay Noddle is the president of the OSA. He said having a streetcar makes the Mutual of Omaha Redevelopment Plan more feasible.

"For Mutual specifically to relocate their workforce without this type of streetcar system would then require that they build parking for their entire workforce in conjunction with the new location," Noddle said.

He said it would also be a tool for economic development.

"Thirty-thousand new residents and 30,000 new jobs in the core of the city or the core of the region over the next 20 years," Noddle said. "That's a big economic development goal, right? In order to achieve that, we have to have infrastructure that's desirable to the people that will live there and the businesses that will locate there."”..

The story link:

https://fox42kptm.com/newsletter-daily/ ... il-meeting

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Coyote]

Omaha Streetcar Authority approves next steps in redevelopment plan

Another step forward in Omaha’s bid for a streetcar. Omaha Streetcar Authority approved the redevelopment plan Tuesday afternoon. That clears the way for the Omaha city council to consider it next Tuesday. If it all gets the go-ahead, the process to begin working on the $350-million financing program gets underway. As the head of the streetcar authority told 6 News, “We’re moving forward.”

[Coyote]

City Council passes two financial agreements for streetcar project

[Coyote]

Omaha Streetcar Moves Forward,
but City Council Builds “Off-Ramps” into $356 Million Agreement
Both the Omaha City Council and Douglas County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday.

The Omaha City Council met Tuesday to approve the redevelopment agreement for the proposed streetcar, as well as an agreement with the Omaha Development Foundation for preliminary engineering and design work on the project. The redevelopment agreement lays out the collaboration with the Omaha Streetcar Authority (OSA), but the City Council made sure there were plenty of “off-ramps” if they decide not to move forward with the project. Council President Pete Festersen said Tuesday’s vote wasn’t a “go or no-go” on the streetcar. An analysis by consulting firm MuniCap, Inc., is still being conducted, but Jennifer Taylor from the city law department said the preliminary data is consistent with existing estimates and timelines. Still, multiple City Council members were concerned the report wasn’t yet available. “It’s rather last minute, like a lot of things have felt to me on this project,” Festersen said. “Some council members I know had that briefing at one o’clock, one hour before our two o’clock meeting.”

Taylor said MuniCap’s report will be available before the city can start selling bonds to fund construction. Rather than taxpayers, private investors will take on the risk by purchasing the bonds. The city will pay them using proceeds from tax increment financing loans (TIF), which sets property taxes at their current rate even as improvements are made. The practice saves developers money — in this case hundreds of millions in taxes that would otherwise go back to the city.

The redevelopment agreement authorizes more than $356 million in TIF. That total includes three sources:

$50 million from extending current TIF projects’ terms from 15 to 20 years
$218 million from new projects, which will donate 10-25% of their TIF proceeds
$86 million from the increased value of every property within the TIF district

[skinzfan23]

$50 million from extending current TIF projects’ terms from 15 to 20 years
$218 million from new projects, which will donate 10-25% of their TIF proceeds
$86 million from the increased value of every property within the TIF district

Not that it makes much difference, but someone is bad at math at The Reader, that is $354 not $356 Million.

I do hope that we hear something soon from the Municap report.

[arjavrawal]

$50 million from extending current TIF projects’ terms from 15 to 20 years
$218 million from new projects, which will donate 10-25% of their TIF proceeds
$86 million from the increased value of every property within the TIF district

Not that it makes much difference, but someone is bad at math at The Reader, that is $354 not $356 Million.

I do hope that we hear something soon from the Municap report.

Looks like the estimates add up to $354, but the agreement total still says $356.