Market-to-Midtown Bikeway

[ita]

Omaha council member will seek funding for Harney Street bike lane

Omaha’s first protected bike lane may get another shot at city funding with a proposed amendment to the city’s 2023 budget.

The Market-to-Midtown Bikeway was a major topic of discussion during a public hearing Tuesday on Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert’s proposed 2023 budget. The mayor’s budget does not include funding for the bike lane, which received broad support during the hearing.

City Council President Pete Festersen told The World-Herald that he also wants to see the lane become a permanent fixture, and he intends to draft an amendment that would support the project beyond its 18-month pilot program.

The nearly 2-mile bikeway, which runs along Harney Street from about 33rd Street to 10th Street, opened in July 2021 after a long effort to install a style of bike lane that has become the standard for safety in other communities.

For now, the lane runs directly on Harney Street, separated from car and truck traffic and parked cars by a painted zone with temporary bollards.

The pilot program has successfully increased safety and bicycle usage in its first 12 months, according to Bike Walk Nebraska, one of the driving forces behind the pilot program. In its first six months, the lane prompted a 139% increase in cyclist traffic along the corridor.

[Athomsfere]

I hope this support, and an extension.
A better connection to Field Club and Elmwood would be a great start.

[mistergutierrez]

Taken yesterday in KC

[ita]

From tomorrow's city council agenda (note that the Streetcar Authority will decide on the final route next Monday, 9/19):

RES. 2022-0890 – Res. that, the City Council of the City of Omaha urges the Omaha Streetcar Authority to fully evaluate co-locating a permanent protected bike lane on Harney Street or another location in the Redevelopment Plan Area providing comparable service as the existing pilot project. The City Council urges Public Works to engage with Metro Smart Cities and Bike Walk Nebraska to evaluate the pilot project and consider options to extend the pilot project pending a full evaluation of a permanent protected bike lane in the Redevelopment Plan Area and to fund any pilot extension and ensure future Capital Improvement Programs fund any permanent project – see attached. (PUBLIC HEARING AND VOTE TODAY)

[ita]

Omaha city council considers permanent funding, extension of protected bike lane pilot project

Next Tuesday, the Omaha City Council will consider a resolution, brought forward by council President Pete Festersen and councilmember Don Rowe, that would likely extend the Market to Midtown Bikeway pilot project and ensure funds for a future permanent bike lane.

“All this resolution says is ‘hey, we’re interested in multi-modal opportunities, we think a protected bike lane is a good idea, we should keep it in place until the streetcar gets resolved and figured out and look to make attempts to co-locate them or find complimentary routes where they could exist together, and the city should be a funding partner when that occurs,’” said Festersen when the topic was discussed at the September 13 council meeting.

The resolution urges the Omaha Streetcar Authority to help evaluate a co-located permanent protected bike lane on Harney Street, or along another east-west route.

“Everyone recognizes that there are several forms of transport that people rely on in the urban core — cars, busses, ORBT, bikes, feet, and soon, streetcars,” said Jay Noddle, President of the Omaha Streetcar Authority on Tuesday. “They’re all integral to a great transportation network in the core of any city.”

If you read the streetcar authority's route summary on the streetcar thread, they actually admit that a permanent bikeway on Harney would likely not work with the streetcar route. They suggest relocating it or coming up with some other alternative.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Admittedly I haven’t read the route summary but I can’t imagine how they arrived at the conclusion that both the bike way and the street car could not both work here unless the are relying too heavily on an engineer’s opinion that automobile traffic level of service will become “too low”. There’s often a conflict between traffic level of service and complete streets planning as traffic level of service is aimed towards arriving at a solution with the least amount of vehicle traffic congestion rather than total human throughout regardless of mode.

[ita]

Admittedly I haven’t read the route summary but I can’t imagine how they arrived at the conclusion that both the bike way and the street car could not both work here unless the are relying too heavily on an engineer’s opinion that automobile traffic level of service will become “too low”. There’s often a conflict between traffic level of service and complete streets planning as traffic level of service is aimed towards arriving at a solution with the least amount of vehicle traffic congestion rather than total human throughout regardless of mode.

Here is the excerpt from the report. No real details, just says there are conflicts:

A temporary cycle track on Harney Street has been installed from Turner Blvd to 10th Street. The current implementation is temporary, and no funding has yet been identified for construction of a permanent cycle track. Operating the streetcar on Harney near a cycle track would have potential conflicts between modes. A cycle track could be explored on another route, but there are not many alternative options for crossing Interstate 480. Additionally, a different configuration of the cycle track could be explored on Harney Street to limit conflicts between modes.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Here is the excerpt from the report. No real details, just says there are conflicts:

A temporary cycle track on Harney Street has been installed from Turner Blvd to 10th Street. The current implementation is temporary, and no funding has yet been identified for construction of a permanent cycle track. Operating the streetcar on Harney near a cycle track would have potential conflicts between modes. A cycle track could be explored on another route, but there are not many alternative options for crossing Interstate 480. Additionally, a different configuration of the cycle track could be explored on Harney Street to limit conflicts between modes.

Hmmm. That makes less sense to me. I'm not sure what the conflicts would be. Why not put the streetcar on one side of the street and the cycle track on the other? I feel like the only concern is a general laissez faire approach to traffic rules enforcement, which can be remedied.

[Athomsfere]

Here is the excerpt from the report. No real details, just says there are conflicts:

A temporary cycle track on Harney Street has been installed from Turner Blvd to 10th Street. The current implementation is temporary, and no funding has yet been identified for construction of a permanent cycle track. Operating the streetcar on Harney near a cycle track would have potential conflicts between modes. A cycle track could be explored on another route, but there are not many alternative options for crossing Interstate 480. Additionally, a different configuration of the cycle track could be explored on Harney Street to limit conflicts between modes.

Hmmm. That makes less sense to me. I'm not sure what the conflicts would be. Why not put the streetcar on one side of the street and the cycle track on the other? I feel like the only concern is a general laissez faire approach to traffic rules enforcement, which can be remedied.

I'd be OK with (Right to left heading east) Bike lane, Tram line, Parking things, and whatever is left over the cars can have.

[BRoss]

Omaha City Council affirms support for a permanent protected bike lane

The resolution passed Tuesday urges the Public Works Department and the mayor — along with Metro Smart Cities and Bike Walk Nebraska — to evaluate the pilot program and consider options to extend the project, pending the determination of a proposed streetcar route.

[Coyote]

Omaha city council studying ways to keep protected bike trail, streetcar

The Omaha city council wants to study the best way to have both a streetcar and a protected bike trail. "We want to see an east/west bike path, protected bike lane, in the core of the city," city council member Don Rowe said. Tuesday, the council passed a resolution asking the public works department and the mayor's office to complete an evaluation. This comes after the Streetcar Authority approved the final route on Monday.

City leaders want to see if there's now room on Harney Street to keep the protected bike lane, or if it needs to move somewhere else. "The bigger issue and the bigger conversation we're spurring here is a conversation about multimodal transit throughout the downtown area and throughout the urban core area," City Council President Pete Festersen said. The resolution will also determine whether the market to midtown bikeway pilot program should be extended.

[Coyote]

Omaha bike lane partner withdraws from collaboration after pilot project terminated

About a year after the bike lanes were installed as part of a city mobility pilot project, Omaha has decided to terminate the project. Bike Walk Nebraska announced Thursday it was immediately ending its partnership with Metro Smart Cities after the organization was informed the Market-to-Midtown Bikeway pilot project would conclude at the end of the month. The organization said it was informed Wednesday by Mayor Jean Stothert and Public Works Director Bob Stubbe that the mobility program, set to expire Sept. 30, wouldn’t be extended “despite unanimous passing of the city council referendum and apparent success on all previously established performance measures,” according to a release from BWN. The bike lanes will then be removed.

According to an online update from the mayor’s office, which confirms the project’s end date, MSC would be “responsible for scheduling and paying for the removal of the bikeway bollards, but a timeframe for that work has not been determined.” Despite the announcement, made in correlation with the latest update on Omaha’s Climate Action Plan, the city remains “100% committed to protected bikeways,” the mayor’s update states. Still, it came as a bit of a surprise after the project seemed to be gaining momentum with city officials. Earlier this month, the City Council was considering a resolution from Council President Pete Festersen and Councilman Don Rowe to extend the project and make the bike lanes permanent. While the bike lane initially confused Omaha drivers after its installation last summer, BWN Executive Director Julie Harris told the council at its Sept. 13 meeting that “results from the six-month project evaluation showed a 140% increase in bicycle traffic on Harney.”

[Busguy2010]

I don't want to come off as a bicyclist hater. I thought it was pretty cool that Omaha tried this, and I think it could work, and should work again in the future. But I don't want this to be an obstacle to the streetcar, and I absolutely think that's why this project was terminated. I know I'm probably exaggerating, but a 140% increase over 10 users per day is 24 users per day (again, I think I'm exaggerating, but I wouldn't doubt if the numbers aren't much more than that). I just don't think we have enough of that culture to justify impeding the streetcar project. I think the streetcar will stimulate the development that will stimulate cycling culture, and in the future I think a bikeway would be used enough to be made permanent.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

How dumb, I’ll just say it. If there’s no temporary solution to the Harney Bikeway and no apparent long term plan to heavily integrate safe bike facilities into the transportation network you might as well take the climate action plan, poop on it, and throw it in the trash.

[Coyote]

Omaha’s Only Protected Bike Lane to be Removed, Bike Organization Cuts Ties with Transit Planning Group
After more than a year, the Market-to-Midtown Bike Lane along Harney Street will come down. The results will inform future planning, Mayor Jean Stothert said in a press release.

Omaha’s first and only protected bike lane will be removed. At its Sept. 21 meeting the Metro Smart Cities advisory board decided not to permanently extend the Market-to-Midtown Bikeway, which began as a pilot project in April 2021, Metro Smart Cities partner Bike Walk Nebraska said in a press release. Bike Walk Nebraska also announced it would cut ties with Metro Smart Cities, an organization tasked with piloting innovative transit ideas and co-chaired by Mayor Jean Stothert. Bike Walk Nebraska also said it was not invited to the Sept. 21 meeting after having been invited to every other one.

At the time of the project’s approval, Metro Smart Cities had agreed to cover the $250,000 cost of installing and maintaining the bikeway. The group, made up of regional corporate stakeholders and city officials, has been responsible for its maintenance until now. At that point, the City had the option of making the bikeway permanent and taking over its maintenance. During its meeting on Sept. 20, the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming its support for the bikeway. The resolution urged city officials to work with Bike Walk Nebraska and study an extension of the pilot, or potential new locations. The Reader recently reported that the bikeway showed positive results. Both the bikeway and the route for a proposed streetcar go down Harney Street from 10th Street to Turner Boulevard. In a Sept. 22 press release addressing her veto of the council’s resolution, Stothert said it would be unsafe to have both a streetcar and a protected bike lane on the same street.

During public comment on the council’s resolution, Jay Noddle, the president of the Omaha Streetcar Authority, said he didn’t want the streetcar to replace the Bikeway. Julie Harris, the executive director of Bike Walk Nebraska, said Harney Street was the best location for the bikeway and that both routes could coexist along Harney Street. Stothert’s press release also says the city is developing a bicycle and pedestrian master plan to integrate all bicycle facilities and make multimodal transit safer. She says the Market-to-Midtown pilot was just that, and that its 18-month life has provided enough data to inform future decisions about bike lanes in the urban core. In its press release, Bike Walk Nebraska said future funding, which it estimates at $40,000 was a concern for the project. Bike Walk Nebraska said it has $38,930 in remaining project funds that could have been allocated to Metro Smart CIties.

In August, Bike Walk Nebraska released an evaluation of the bikeway that showed a 69% increase in the usage of bike share programs. The report said many of the challenges associated with maintaining the bikeway could have been addressed with a permanent installation. According to the mayor’s Sept. 22 press release, Metro Smart Cities will be responsible for scheduling and paying for the removal of the bikeway’s bollards, the plastic barriers protecting bikers from car traffic. An exact timeframe for that work has not been determined, the release says. The Reader contacted the Mayor’s Office for comment; her spokesperson is out of the office. Metro Smart Cities has also not responded to requests for comment.

[djc311]

I'm not a huge supporter either way - I don't live near the area nor do I ride a bike often. I also support the street car project as I feel it will likely have the largest long-term benefit for the area and everyone involved.

However, unless I'm missing something obvious I certainly don't agree with how the city decided to axe the project without communicating it with the other parties involved. If it's a spin the media is putting on it, then they're doing a good job.

[Athomsfere]

I'm very disappointed with this. To me, it shows Jean really isn't in it for a better city. The street car is great, this project was great. There is plenty of places to remove a car lane and protect the bikes. And I don't think there is a single cyclist (commuter or enthusiast) who would be or feel less safe with a street car rather than a speeding SUV.

[PotatoeEatsFish]

Please correct me if I’m wrong but is the street car not going in a similar path as the bike lane was? It says Market to Midtown (I assume the Old Market) so how would trading a bike lane for a streetcar going the same direction be a bad thing? I could also be wrong about the path. The city really needs to invest in bike highways like Chicago lots of people use the trails to cycle to work. Putting a large bike path that goes from the Old Market down the rail area downtown and splitting off to various neighborhoods seems more logical. They could even extend it along the edges of 480 to connect to Midtown and further.

[NEDodger]

Please correct me if I’m wrong but is the street car not going in a similar path as the bike lane was?

Yep, it is the same path.

[mistergutierrez]

Being realistic, Omaha won’t become a cyclist city because of its hills on top of its weather, but, for god’s sake, at least develop a minimum of infrastructure so people that use bikes for commuting purposes feel safe. Are four lanes for traffic in Haney or Farnam really so necessary? One protected line from Downtown to Midtown is the bare minimum this city should have in 2022, even Lincoln have protected bike lanes!

[Athomsfere]

Please correct me if I’m wrong but is the street car not going in a similar path as the bike lane was? It says Market to Midtown (I assume the Old Market) so how would trading a bike lane for a streetcar going the same direction be a bad thing? I could also be wrong about the path. The city really needs to invest in bike highways like Chicago lots of people use the trails to cycle to work. Putting a large bike path that goes from the Old Market down the rail area downtown and splitting off to various neighborhoods seems more logical. They could even extend it along the edges of 480 to connect to Midtown and further.

My issue is: We really need to connect the bike paths that run north and south to something useful East and West. I can make it from Dundee to Bellevue on my bike, no problem. But I can't get downtown nearly as easily despite being much closer. The ride would involve Dodge, Douglas, Farnam, and then finally the protected bikeway. Same issue with grocery stores. The safest route to get groceries means going south for a couple miles to then go back north west.

That bike path wasn't the end game, but it was so perfect to start a useful trail system.

[Athomsfere]

Being realistic, Omaha won’t become a cyclist city because of its hills on top of its weather.

I think this is just wrong. We don't need to be a cyclist city. We just need ways to get around that aren't 100% car based. A cyclist city would probably have mountains, because you only tackle those climbs when you love the burn.

But our little hills, and our weather aren't so bad as to prevent commuting by bike if we had the paths.

[Busguy2010]

Being realistic, Omaha won’t become a cyclist city because of its hills on top of its weather.

I think this is just wrong. We don't need to be a cyclist city. We just need ways to get around that aren't 100% car based. A cyclist city would probably have mountains, because you only tackle those climbs when you love the burn.

But our little hills, and our weather aren't so bad as to prevent commuting by bike if we had the paths.

I think its right. I'm no trooper, but I have gone from Fort street to Harrison and back on the Keystone trail a few times. This was because I wanted to go disc golfing at Seymour and my truck was in the shop. I don't want to say it was hard, but it was a pretty darn good workout.

I went east on my bike once, and it was grueling. I never did it again. Those hills are no joke man. I'd say I have average to slightly above average fitness. You must be well above average fitness if you believe the hills are little. I think that's why all the trails are North/South, and mostly flat. Your average Joe can use them every day if they want. You couldn't use the Harney bikeway every day comfortably unless you are like a special athlete and very dedicated to cycle culture. That is a small group and I believe that's a reason why they didn't go forward with making it permanent.

[Athomsfere]

Being realistic, Omaha won’t become a cyclist city because of its hills on top of its weather.

I think this is just wrong. We don't need to be a cyclist city. We just need ways to get around that aren't 100% car based. A cyclist city would probably have mountains, because you only tackle those climbs when you love the burn.

But our little hills, and our weather aren't so bad as to prevent commuting by bike if we had the paths.

I think its right. I'm no trooper, but I have gone from Fort street to Harrison and back on the Keystone trail a few times. This was because I wanted to go disc golfing at Seymour and my truck was in the shop. I don't want to say it was hard, but it was a pretty darn good workout.

I went east on my bike once, and it was grueling. I never did it again. Those hills are no joke man. I'd say I have average to slightly above average fitness. You must be well above average fitness if you believe the hills are little. I think that's why all the trails are North/South, and mostly flat. Your average Joe can use them every day if they want. You couldn't use the Harney bikeway every day comfortably unless you are like a special athlete and very dedicated to cycle culture. That is a small group and I believe that's a reason why they didn't go forward with making it permanent.

I mean, yes I am probably in better shape than most. I do 50+ miles on my bike in a day for a little fun, and it's usually my heavy steel bike, loaded with gear. But I'm no athlete, and I am not in super shape.

The harney route, is really pretty easy. Do it twice a week for a couple weeks and it's a breeze. Underwood, is a very different story. With my loaded bike after 20-30 miles that climb is murder, especially with my dog on my back...

[OPlaya]

One step forward 3 steps back seems to be the theme with this administration. Omaha needs a better way of getting around besides the automobile. Where I live at in town I have a trail I can use but it doesn't connect to anything significant for my daily needs and only works for me to get a workout in.

[NEDodger]

One step forward 3 steps back seems to be the theme with this administration. Omaha needs a better way of getting around besides the automobile. Where I live at in town I have a trail I can use but it doesn't connect to anything significant for my daily needs and only works for me to get a workout in.

They do. This is the same path the 300 million dollar streetcar will be taking.

[nebport5]

There's no reason a protected bike lane can't be integrated with the streetcar. Take a cue from Seattle(a city with a bicycle master plan) where they continue to upgrade the bike infrastructure to improve safety. The issue is a financial commitment from the city to make it happen. In spite of the overwhelming demand and use of the Harney St bikeway Jean is more interested in securing her legacy with the streetcar and the MoO tower.

Hills in Omaha are not a reason to not invest in bicycle infrastructure. God forbid someone gets some exercise. Invest in an e-bike if your worried about breaking a sweat.

[Omahomie]

I always thought it would be nice to start with a protected cycling beltway from the river to Saddle Creek while encircling Cuming to Leavenworth St. And gradually with time and more importantly funding, start to branch out and fill in the arteries. It's extremely difficult to get anywhere cycling, scootering, or walking in the DT core. I'm not saying it would turn us into Amsterdam overnight but to at least get people feeling safe enough to use different transit options and get cars off the road would be huge to accelerating density. I can't imagine it would be anywhere close in price compared to the streetcar.

[NEDodger]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

[Dundeemaha]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

The only argument for a streetcar is to incentivize development along and near its route. It's not mass transit it's a pedestrian amenity that extends the walking range within its boundary.

An exhaustive system of bike lanes which we could have within the urban core for the cost of a single streetcar line is a real transportation option.

[Athomsfere]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

Why would you say no thanks? Seattle is one of the top US cities in my experience for what we should be striving for.

Harney was a great spot for the bike lane, slightly less hills, and a lot of things worth seeing by bike on the route, at least for Omaha. So where would you even move it to? St Mary's might be the next most convertible street. But that adds close to 1/2 mile if you wanted to go from say the OM, to the bike lane, to MTC.

We really should keep the bike lane here, and add the street car. The only option I see left is to maybe bring Harney down to 1 lane of traffic. And that's how you know Omaha is forcing car dependency, they'd never cut car lanes to make the city actually better.

[Coyote]

Omaha residents ‘bike in’ to protest protected lane removal

A group gathered late Thursday afternoon at Dewey Park in Midtown to protest the removal of Omaha’s only protected bike lane. The bike lane has been along Harney Street for more than a year as a pilot project, but last week, Mayor Jean Stothert ordered its removal. The protected bike lane has been a hot topic in the city for several weeks now. Despite support from City Council last week to extend the pilot project, the mayor and Metro Smart Cities made the decision to remove the lane — a decision that came after the Omaha Streetcar Authority announced the official streetcar route, which will run along Harney Street, too. Organizers of Thursday’s rally told 6 News that taking away the bike lane is in complete disregard of what Omaha citizens want.

[BIGO88]

I heard the protest worked! A private donor i guess is stepping up and paying for it...Could possibly be moving to the other side of the street after the street car but at least its staying!

[nebport5]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

Why would you say no thanks? Seattle is one of the top US cities in my experience for what we should be striving for.

Harney was a great spot for the bike lane, slightly less hills, and a lot of things worth seeing by bike on the route, at least for Omaha. So where would you even move it to? St Mary's might be the next most convertible street. But that adds close to 1/2 mile if you wanted to go from say the OM, to the bike lane, to MTC.

We really should keep the bike lane here, and add the street car. The only option I see left is to maybe bring Harney down to 1 lane of traffic. And that's how you know Omaha is forcing car dependency, they'd never cut car lanes to make the city actually better.

I'm not opposed to other streets for a protected bike lane downtown but there's a reason Harney was chosen for the bike pilot program. Harney has also been the preferred route for the streetcar for how long?! This suggests to me that Stothert was never serious about streetcars until Mutual became a player in skyline phallics. There's clearly a disconnect here in mobility planning if you buy the narrative that streetcars and bike lanes cannot coexist. Omaha is quite possibly one of the largest cities in the US with the worst biking infrastructures. Harney St is not exclusively the answer to drastically improving biking mobility but the pilot program has been overwhelmingly successful. Alas, investing in a protected bike lane on Harney St or elsewhere(in spite of desire) will not yield a street renamed Stothert, but at last, a streetcar...named Stothert.

[NEDodger]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

The only argument for a streetcar is to incentivize development along and near its route. It's not mass transit it's a pedestrian amenity that extends the walking range within its boundary.

An exhaustive system of bike lanes which we could have within the urban core for the cost of a single streetcar line is a real transportation option.

A bike lane isn’t mass transit either. The topic was getting away from car-centric. If I can get from a-to-b without a car using a bike lane, I can do the same with the streetcar running the exact same route.

[NEDodger]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

Why would you say no thanks? Seattle is one of the top US cities in my experience for what we should be striving for.

Harney was a great spot for the bike lane, slightly less hills, and a lot of things worth seeing by bike on the route, at least for Omaha. So where would you even move it to? St Mary's might be the next most convertible street. But that adds close to 1/2 mile if you wanted to go from say the OM, to the bike lane, to MTC.

We really should keep the bike lane here, and add the street car. The only option I see left is to maybe bring Harney down to 1 lane of traffic. And that's how you know Omaha is forcing car dependency, they'd never cut car lanes to make the city actually better.

Seattle is a garbage city with policies that are not sustainable. It’s why the majority of its residents want to get out:

https://www.geekwire.com/2022/67-of-se ... vey-finds/


Seattle is not a city we should try to be.

[Coyote]

Omaha mayor reverses course on plan to remove Harney Street bike lane

Omaha World-Herald
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced Thursday evening that she has reversed course on plans to remove the protected bike lane on Harney Street.

[Coyote]

Bicyclists gather to protest removal of downtown bike lane

Dozens gathered at Dewey Park in Omaha Thursday evening to show support for the protected bike lane that runs through downtown, and protest its removal.

[Athomsfere]

Take a cue from Seattle

No thanks.

I’m not against a bike lane, but the argument that taking it away on Harney is forcing a car-centric community is a slap in the face to a major argument FOR a streetcar. Have the bike line on a different street if that’s an issue - it gives you ORBT on Dodge/Douglas, streetcar on Farnam/Harney, and the bike line for another street. It gives more options down more streets.

The only argument for a streetcar is to incentivize development along and near its route. It's not mass transit it's a pedestrian amenity that extends the walking range within its boundary.

An exhaustive system of bike lanes which we could have within the urban core for the cost of a single streetcar line is a real transportation option.

A bike lane isn’t mass transit either. The topic was getting away from car-centric. If I can get from a-to-b without a car using a bike lane, I can do the same with the streetcar running the exact same route.

It gives more people more choices. It still provides some of the same benefits on extending the walkshed for ORBT or the street car. And it's still better than cars.

It needs more trail, maybe to 72nd street, with the north south routes connecting seamlessly to it. A full network is what makes it useful. Looking at it as only one road, I can see where you are coming from. Amsterdam for example has bike routes that run with tram/ streetcar routes. There is no inherent incompatibility with the two.

[Athomsfere]

Seattle is a garbage city with policies that are not sustainable. It’s why the majority of its residents want to get out:

https://www.geekwire.com/2022/67-of-se ... vey-finds/


Seattle is not a city we should try to be.

Seattle is from a city planning side, in America's top 5 at least. And the city is mostly amazing. It does have a few problems, for sure. But those aren't from having better transit.

And if the same poll was done for Omaha, I wouldn't be surprised if Omaha had similar results. Some of it for similar reasons, some of it for very different reasons. Look at some of the comments around the Library discussion, where half the comments on it were something like "Now where will all the homeless go?".

I don't know if there are any well done surveys of both cities, but Omaha and Seattle seem to get the same scores at sites like Omaha vs Seattle



Seattle is a great aspirational city for Omaha. We just need to stay well ahead certain problems, like not prosecuting theft and violent offenses. Optimistically we can also do real good changes like eliminating SFH zoning too.