Downtown Sidewalks and Bridges

[Renovator2559]

Are there any plans in the downtown to further beautify the sidewalks? There are plenty of sidewalks that are cracked, with weeds growing through and simply the sidewalk texture materials could be better.

The sidewalks in south old market by Kaneko look nice and landscape, so do sidewalks around the Capitol District.

Many of our highway bridges along i80 and south 75 have a very basic design which look like they are in need of being replaced, some are just basic slabs of concrete, some are basic pillars. Probably the best bridges on the Omaha side are the ones from i75 and i480 interchange and of course Dodge express.

Recently Council Bluffs Broadway street has gone through a beautification phase. The side walks are lined with beautiful red brick and concrete. Plants and landscaping along some medians and sidewalks, decorative lamp posts that have the curve wave like design, as the new i29 bridges with wave designs, the highway wall sound dampeners with wave design, 4 statue like monuments with wave design lighting (denoting entrance to council bluffs) as well as the new decorative fences all over broadway street.
This wave design appears to have started with the bridge with the metal "art" and its nice tan pillars with the wave design.

Des Moines also has its own unique design language, beautiful white triangle shaped columns, with slightly curved arch railings on 95% of all its bridges, the highway sign metal framing are curved with the same curve design of Des Moines pedestrian bridges.






Iowa appears to carry out a theme for its cities, wouldn't it benefit us if the Omaha side had a language design of its own, or multiple?

Have any plans been discussed as of late to make our sidewalks more beautiful and replant trees where there are tree stumps left barren on sidewalks? Or how about planting more trees on sidewalks that have ample room?

[skinzfan23]

I would love for the bridges over 480 and Hwy 75 to be replaced. They are sad looking. Probably my least favorite that I see all the time is the L St bridge over 75. Rusty and usually some graffiti on it. I wish Omaha cared a little bit more about these aesthetics.

[MetcalfeHarrison]

Most of the bridges you are talking about are owned by NDOT and as far as I can tell they don't have any real plans to replace them. Most likely they will throw up a fresh coat of paint and ignore them for another 30 years.

If you want to get annoyed go download the 2024-2029 NDOT Surface Transportation Program. Omaha's district (District 2) is roughly 45% of the population but only gets around 10% of the funds for the next 5 years. I know NDOT spends a lot of money on road widenings (West Maple, Dodge Expressway, etc.) but they also play a part in things like the 24th Street road diet and the Baby Bob so it's disappointing to see Omaha get shortchanged. Here's a link to the program if anyone wants to look:
NDOT Program Book 2024

[Louie]

Most of the bridges you are talking about are owned by NDOT and as far as I can tell they don't have any real plans to replace them. Most likely they will throw up a fresh coat of paint and ignore them for another 30 years.

If you want to get annoyed go download the 2024-2029 NDOT Surface Transportation Program. Omaha's district (District 2) is roughly 45% of the population but only gets around 10% of the funds for the next 5 years. I know NDOT spends a lot of money on road widenings (West Maple, Dodge Expressway, etc.) but they also play a part in things like the 24th Street road diet and the Baby Bob so it's disappointing to see Omaha get shortchanged. Here's a link to the program if anyone wants to look:
NDOT Program Book 2024

That's extremely frustrating. Once again, the rural parts have disproportionate power and can sway these budgets.

[Renovator2559]

Thanks really apreciate the resource!
I do see that several bridges in i480 are set to be "DMS retrofitted" on budget years 2025-29.
Plenty of bridge painting on i480, i80. Plenty of surface milling scheduled as well.

Its interesting because Iowa appears to be the opposite, Iowa is known as the top state with the most bridges in disrepair and structurally deficient but that's on the rural end. Meanwhile Des Moines and Council Bluffs get bridges with extra flair and their own signature designs that are pleasing to look at.

Maybe this is do to the already spending of Des Moines bridges but a lot of the road surface of i35, i235 are cracked with black tar lines everywhere.

Though I will say that Omahas i80, i680 and i480; has very minimal tar lines in comparison and many areas have been resurfaced.

Still Nebraska’s debt accounts for only 15.9% of its total revenue, the second-lowest debt-to-revenue ratio of any state.

While across all states, Iowa's average state government debt amounts to 52.2% of total state tax revenue, Iowa’s debt load amounts to just 26.1% — one of the smallest shares in the country.

[nativeomahan]

I agree with these sentiments. We attended the Old Market Farmers Market yesterday and I couldn’t help but notice that a significant number of sidewalks are in disrepair, and many trees are missing from where they obviously once stood, providing shade on hot summer days. Not to mention beautifying streetscapes. It befuddles me to no end why the city doesn’t step up to the plate and repair these sidewalks and replace the tree canopy. These are very popular tourist areas, and we are setting a bad example when these dilapidated streetscapes are what tourists (and residents) encounter. Other cities take much greater pride than what it appears our civic leaders care to do.

[Athomsfere]

Who is required to make the repairs downtown on sidewalks? The city or the business owner?

In most neighborhoods it's on the property holders to maintain the ROW.

If the businesses are expected to maintain the sidewalks, then it seems to me like the issue would be the city not enforcing maintenance.

As for decorating bridges, that just feels like compensating for bad design at this point. Like the city admitting that the city isn't scaled for anyone walking, or taking a train. So while you whiz by at 80MPH look at this pretty thing.

I'd rather see budget go to bringing the city to life at street level. More public art, parks, etc..

[iamjacobm]

Money is allocated for a number of bridges in the CIP including I think all of them over 480.

As for sidewalks they generally get done with development. Not always as evidenced be the very nice streetscape this did on the south end of the Old Market. Probably likely to continue to be more ad hoc, but I bet the sidewalks that run along the streetcar get redone as part of that project.

[Renovator2559]

As for decorating bridges, that just feels like compensating for bad design at this point. Like the city admitting that the city isn't scaled for anyone walking, or taking a train. So while you whiz by at 80MPH look at this pretty thing.

I'd rather see budget go to bringing the city to life at street level. More public art, parks, etc..

I know what you mean, to me sidewalks are a much higher priority and there are several areas with tree stumps (wish i knew why they chopped the trees down in the first place) and sidewalks that need to be redone.

Still, bridges leave an impression on people coming into and out of the city,.
I know that for me, I prefer to take the i29 loop over the i480, because the design of those new bridges are eye candy to my eyes.

I don't know how Council Bluffs is getting the money but they are both creating beautiful bridges, sidewalks, while simultaneously creating that nice long bike trail.

Still some of those i480 bridges will be redone, once the landscape highway cap is done.
As others have said, money is being alocated to the other bridges, though of course the city wants to squeeze utility of the bridges as much as possible before they need to be replaced and that's not a bad strategy.

[GenX]

Iowa has that sweet, sweet gambling revenue, and part of it gets used for roads.

[Louie]

I know what you mean, to me sidewalks are a much higher priority and there are several areas with tree stumps (wish i knew why they chopped the trees down in the first place) and sidewalks that need to be redone.

I can speak to this, when it comes to trees along sidewalks, there was a lot of misinformation around how well certain trees can grow in certain conditions. This caused many to split, become infected, or even starve due to lack of access to water. At that point, they unfortunately can't be saved, and must be taken down before they cause harm. There is a solution around this, using grates and larger swaths of non-paved area for them to collect nutrients. And, of course, using drought-tolerant and condition-tolerant trees is just as important. Will the city be as proactive about this as they need to? They have made great strides in policies, but we'll see.

[buildomaha]

I know what you mean, to me sidewalks are a much higher priority and there are several areas with tree stumps (wish i knew why they chopped the trees down in the first place) and sidewalks that need to be redone.

I can speak to this, when it comes to trees along sidewalks, there was a lot of misinformation around how well certain trees can grow in certain conditions. This caused many to split, become infected, or even starve due to lack of access to water. At that point, they unfortunately can't be saved, and must be taken down before they cause harm. There is a solution around this, using grates and larger swaths of non-paved area for them to collect nutrients. And, of course, using drought-tolerant and condition-tolerant trees is just as important. Will the city be as proactive about this as they need to? They have made great strides in policies, but we'll see.

I know NYC started implementing a new technology that essentially channels water to a larger volume underground where trees are planted. I’ll try to find a link and post it.

[Renovator2559]

I know NYC started implementing a new technology that essentially channels water to a larger volume underground where trees are planted. I’ll try to find a link and post it.

Do you mean like Des Moines industrial park being turned into the new market district? It does what you are indicating as well. Is this a new trend in sidewalk technology?

[Renovator2559]

Sidewalks on 24th street across Joslyn Museum, were just redone and look new, noticed this on my jog the other day in this area.

[Renovator2559]

For those that Bike and love walking through the trails in the downtown area. Council Bluffs, has quietly connected the bike trail from the Bob Kerry bridge, Rivers Edge; into both Broadway Blv and the First Avenue bike trail, which seamlessly connects to central council Bluffs.



Stroads are generally ugly but I give credit to CB in laying sidewalks that are both bricklined/concrete laiden, with attractive non-generic street lamps and nice decorative fences along broadway, which both contain the signature CB wavy design.

Even in the middle of intersections, decorative black bricks are laid out, to break away from the monotonous asphalt texture.
Medians are also laid with brick as well.

Broadway is now landscaped with trees, shrubbery.

While this is car centric corridor and still has the shortcomings of a stroad, the First Avenue is half a block away at all points, shielded from car noise.





The trail is ready for the streetcar, CB has been proactive in finishing studies to get funding secured from grants.

First Avenue trail is 20 feet or so away from HyVee, essy access through the liquor store entrance, that has a cash register. Also the Hearland bike share, benches, shade and drinking fountain is just a few more feet away from Hyvee.











Council Bluffs "Kanesville" our original founders of Omaha, are establishing their own unique aesthetics.

CB downtown has pretty nice brick laiden patterns on their sidewalks, with nice lamp posts and the signature CB wavy designs in their central fountain park "townsquare"









The First Avenue trail gets so much use throughout different parts of the day, its as if CB locals are hungry for more trails.





The missing link between Broadmoor trail to First Avenue trail has been poured and finished. It's now easy yo cross broadway too.



Even the new i29 overpasses are made more pleasing to the eye, with the CB wavy signature design, using the latest molding technology.

[JDJase]

Thanks for the pics, it really is a nice development. I've used it several times to walk to a friend's house and it is so much nicer than using the sidewalks on the stroads or the incomplete/unkept sidewalks of the residential streets.

Though I wouldn't say they "quietly" did it, it's been a fairly newsworthy development the last few years. Thread here: viewtopic.php?t=16878

[Renovator2559]

Though I wouldn't say they "quietly" did it, it's been a fairly newsworthy development the last few years. Thread here: viewtopic.php?t=16878

I know and we've known for a while on the First Avenue Trail. However, this post was more in reference to the missing trail link between First Avenue trail and Broadmoor, as you had to ride a strip of dangerous highway to get between those places. In this post I am showing the trail continuity of CB to the riverfront.

Also this thread refers more on the sidewalk/bridge system and aesthetics and how other cities adopt a signature design language like Des Moines and Council Bluffs.

[Renovator2559]

Its nice to see plenty of sidewalks being redone on Park Avenue, close to the streetcar path.

Also, work under the new i29 overpasses, still continues; plenty of tilling and the laying of grass rolls around the overpasses occurring.



Also, the new sidewalks that link up to Bob Kerry bridge and into the First Avenue trail, that goes under i29 overpasses; has plenty of bike traffic even in 30-45 degree weather, that I see. So those of us aware of this would say, that the more wide sidewalks/bike paths are connected; the more people are drawn to use them.

I only wish I knew as to why more trails/bikes around OMA/CB, are not built like this one (Dutch style) when exiting Broadmoor. A large bump that elevates both the sidewalk and bike trail. These types of trails, force cars to slow down and get up the ramp, while bikes and pedestrians don't have to. Is it because of extra use of materials or to enhance the driving experience at the expense of pedestrian safety?



The First Avenue trail forces pedestrians and cyclists to go down streetlevel, throughout the street crossings. Pedestrians get stop signs, while drivers get a notice of pedestrian crossing. The only concern is that cars don't get physical methods of slowing down for pedestrian safety. As Jefferson School has the Avenue One Trail running through the middle of the school and Hyvee is right next to the trail too.