Park Omaha's strategy

[OverlookedFarm]

If they could have interviewed one more "planner" they may have gotten some real traction, balance and substance.

Flatwater gunna flatwater though.

Or maybe they cherry-picked and edited(left out) additional quotes from the interviews for the angle of the story.

They committed 2 errors of "journalism": 1) as you mentioned, exclusion aka "all the news fit to print" and 2)failing to balance their panel insight, or simply failed to reach those with alternate ideas other than to push the urban planning angle.

Onwards....

The topic at hand is the one that has vexed omaha for ages: A big city trying to be small and a small city trying to be big a the same time.

Couple of things:
1. Conflicting opinions coming from the city officials about how much the city wants its citizens to rely on cars. Which is it, city?
A) City Parking Manager Adeponu says that they city doesnt want omahans dependent on their cards forever.
B) City Streetcar Director Jensen says that the city doesn't want Omahans to abandon their cars
2. Chasing to build garages into funzones where the city can collect revenue is their goal, they are effectively driving the sprawl the wish to curtail. Again, a guy like me does not care for the "entertainment" districts which are subpar and do not offer anything unique or entertaining. I would have to drink massive amounts of smoked old fashions to make this worth it. And, I still have to drive home. Again, Massive structures can realistically gain the revenue they model for by being high volume and 24-7 activity.
3. Out of towners who day trip here from rural communities (lets be real, a major target) Do they feel the value, or is it a grift and/or the inconvenience.
4. Garrett makes a valid point about density and balance. But, I will tell you (again, anal me) I won't park my cars far off in a sketch area unattended. I've been lucky enough to use a secured employee parking badge of the few times I go downtown in recent years.


Again, this is a puff piece to push the city, doesn't change my opinion that the city is just chasing revenue stream in the parking industry. Afterall, you really have to have a professional certification to work in city parking? Wow. That tells me everything I need to know......

[locoluke]

But, I will tell you (again, anal me) I won't park my cars far off in a sketch area unattended. I've been lucky enough to use a secured employee parking badge of the few times I go downtown in recent years.

I have personally never had any security issues parking my car downtown.

[Linkin5]

Your story is crumbling.

I try to limit my downtown+blackstone visits to one time a year +/- a CWS visit or two if at all possible, and I have had to go find a QR, redownload, go back to my car, key in the plate, key in my CC, then auth payment every time I use city parking. PITA.

But, I will tell you (again, anal me) I won't park my cars far off in a sketch area unattended. I've been lucky enough to use a secured employee parking badge of the few times I go downtown in recent years.

[OverlookedFarm]

Your story is crumbling.

I try to limit my downtown+blackstone visits to one time a year +/- a CWS visit or two if at all possible, and I have had to go find a QR, redownload, go back to my car, key in the plate, key in my CC, then auth payment every time I use city parking. PITA.

But, I will tell you (again, anal me) I won't park my cars far off in a sketch area unattended. I've been lucky enough to use a secured employee parking badge of the few times I go downtown in recent years.

Ok, since I go so little, I can actually remember each time, specifically.

CWS 2025: Park 6, Park Omaha managed. this is where one of the out of town visitors gave up on the app, as well as I.
CWS 2026: Kiewit employee garage. Secure, closed access.
Date night March 2026 at the Memoir: 10th and Harney Park Omaha Garage. Redownload app. Failed to carry info from summer of 2025 on same vehicle.
Date night May 2026: Parked at a private surface lot at the Blackstone hotel for the committee, this app worked fine.

I parked in park 6 for 10 years for work, and it was like living in the first DVD release of BumFights seemingly every night at 5 between the Doubletree and the garage on 16th. NGL, it was entertaining to say the least.

I parked in 13th-Capitol park 8 for 8 years and there were numerous break ins in that garage. I believe last year there was an employee that was assaulted and beat badly during business hours either in the garage or in the connecting tunnel. Memory slips me here.

Both of these garages were city subsidized as the article mentions.

[Renovator2559]

Does anyone know what's up with Cuming Street being used for parking on the travel lane used for traffic? The dealer Sonny Gerber sometimes use this right lane for parking and sometimes a church has parked cars there. There is no parking signs and drivers often have to merge into the other lane because these cars look as if they are just stopped. Is this even legal?

[MetcalfeHarrison]

Does anyone know what's up with Cuming Street being used for parking on the travel lane used for traffic? The dealer Sonny Gerber sometimes use this right lane for parking and sometimes a church has parked cars there. There is no parking signs and drivers often have to merge into the other lane because these cars look as if they are just stopped. Is this even legal?

It's no parking from 7-9 AM Monday through Friday only, any other time it can be used for parking.

[Renovator2559]

Interesting, but isn't this dangerous on Cuming Street a main arterial, which is 3 lanes? Incoming traffic doesn't even know of the ordinance, since there is no sign to warn.

I did look closely and there are parking allowed signs, so the notice is there, just the signs may be hard to read at first, if you are not expecting them.