By Rhett Uleman
Rhett Uleman
Big things are coming to the Omaha metro! A new public streetcar system is in development. It will connect the Blackstone District to downtown. The project is a $300 million investment for the city. The goal is to completely revamp Omaha's public transportation.
Getting equal and efficient public transportation access is a struggle for many Omaha residents. This is especially true for those living in parts of the city that were given the label of 'C' or 'D' areas by discriminatory redlining from the past.
Brian Neely is one such example of a former resident of one of Omaha's 'D' areas. He says that public transportation empowered and enabled him to explore his community while he was growing up. Although he believes the system can and should be improved.
Brian Neely
"There were times when my mom didn't have a car, so we had to rely on public transportation."
"Like if you want to take the bus, you have to be like, 'Okay, this is going to take me 40 minutes to get there.'"
Rhett Uleman
The streetcar project, which is set to be open in early 2027, is intended to help people like Neely, who are dependent on public transit.
A 2019 connectGO survey found that 60 percent of surveyors report that they are dissatisfied with the service area of public transit in the Omaha metro area.
Omaha Public Works director Robert Stubbe says there have already been discussions surrounding future expansions of the streetcar system beyond its 16 stops.
Robert Stubbe
"There is a grant that's from the federal government that they're going to look at, essentially an extension, both north and south. So that pretty much in the study phase, at this point in time."
Rhett Uleman
With the addition of the streetcar project, Omaha officials hope to see a reduction in public transit dissatisfaction rates and overall improvement. [cite: 6]