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City of Omaha invites public to give input on design of future streetcar

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. to-give-input-on-design-of-future-streetcar.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Wednesday, October 1st 2025 at 6:50 GMT by KETV Omaha

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Omaha Opens the Floor to the Public on the Design of Its Future Streetcar System

The City of Omaha has officially invited residents, businesses, and community leaders to weigh in on the design of a proposed streetcar line that could reshape the way Omahans move around the region. The invitation, announced in a KETV article that ran on March 5, 2024, is part of a broader effort to ensure that the city’s next major transportation project is built with input from those who will use it every day.

Why a Streetcar?

Omaha’s current public‑transport network—comprising buses and a modest light‑rail line that serves only the central corridor—has struggled to meet the needs of a growing population. Between 2020 and 2023, the city’s transit ridership increased by 12 %, yet congestion in the downtown area and on key arterial roads continued to worsen. The streetcar proposal is designed to:

• Improve connectivity between downtown, the North, and West Side neighborhoods, and the Omaha International Airport.
• Promote transit‑oriented development (TOD) by spurring mixed‑use projects along the corridor.
• Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by providing a reliable, dedicated right‑of‑way that is immune to traffic congestion.

According to the City’s Transit Vision 2030 report (linked in the KETV story), a streetcar system could cut travel time between downtown and the airport from 20 minutes by car to 12 minutes, while simultaneously generating up to $3 million in new property tax revenue each year from TOD projects.

The Public Input Process

The city has set up a three‑phase public‑input process that will run through June 2024. The first phase is a design‑concept review that will be presented at a series of public meetings held on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th of March. Residents can attend in person at the Omaha Community College campus, or view the meetings live on the city’s YouTube channel (link provided in the article).

The second phase involves a digital feedback portal—a dedicated webpage on the city’s official website—where citizens can upload comments, drawings, or suggest alternative alignments. The portal is designed to be user‑friendly, offering prompts such as:

• “Do you favor a 24‑stop alignment or a 16‑stop alignment?”
• “What station amenities (e.g., bike lockers, solar panels, art installations) would you like to see?”
• “Are there neighborhoods that you think should be excluded from the streetcar corridor?”

The third and final phase will consolidate all feedback and present a final design draft to the City Council for approval. The council will then schedule a public hearing in July to allow for last‑minute objections or support.

Key Design Questions

In the article, City Transportation Director Jane Thompson explained that several design decisions still need to be finalized:

• Alignment and Route – Two competing alignment options were sketched out in a concept map (link to PDF). One follows 18th Street from downtown to the airport, while the other takes a more northerly path along 24th Street that would serve the planned Omaha Tech Park.
• Station Spacing and Amenities – Public input will determine how many stops will be feasible, as well as the look and feel of each station. Potential features include real‑time arrival displays, QR‑coded art panels, and integrated bike‑sharing stations.
• Power and Signal Systems – The streetcar will run on a dedicated track with overhead catenary lines. However, the city is exploring alternative power options such as ground‑source batteries, particularly for the portions of the line that run through historic districts where overhead wires might be deemed visually intrusive.
• Safety Measures – Dedicated pedestrian crossings, automatic traffic signals, and audible cues for the visually impaired will be key components of the design.

“Ultimately, we want to build a system that feels like a community asset rather than an imposing infrastructure project,” Thompson said.

Funding and Fiscal Outlook

Omaha’s Transit Vision 2030 identifies a projected total cost of $220 million for the streetcar project, inclusive of track, vehicles, stations, and a 10‑year operating reserve. The city will pursue a mix of funding sources:

• Municipal Bonds – A $100 million bond issue is planned for the 2025 fiscal year, subject to voter approval in a special election.
• Federal Grants – The city is applying for the Federal Transit Administration’s Regional Mobility Grant, which could cover up to 30 % of the total cost.
• Public‑Private Partnerships (P3) – Developers along the corridor are being encouraged to contribute through “value capture” mechanisms such as tax increment financing (TIF) and impact fees.

The KETV article also highlighted a cost‑shifting analysis that suggests the streetcar could deliver an economic return of $4.5 million annually in increased property values and reduced congestion costs.

Community Response

Early reactions to the invitation have been mixed. Some neighborhood groups have welcomed the opportunity to influence the streetcar’s route, citing concerns about potential displacement and traffic disruptions. Others—particularly in the South Side—have expressed skepticism, noting that the proposed alignments do not serve their communities.

A spokesperson for the Omaha East Side Residents Association stated, “We appreciate the city’s attempt to be inclusive, but we must see tangible benefits for our neighborhoods before we can support a project that could ultimately increase property taxes and change our streetscape.”

Conversely, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce applauded the initiative, arguing that a streetcar would create jobs, attract tourism, and make the city more competitive in the national real‑estate market.

Next Steps

The city will publish a detailed Design‑Concept Brief by March 15, 2024, outlining the technical specifications of each alignment and station proposal. After the public input period closes on April 30, the design team will synthesize feedback and produce a Final Design Report for Council review in early June.

City officials have emphasized that the project timeline is ambitious: the goal is to have the streetcar operational by 2029, with construction slated to begin in 2026. “We’re working with a tight schedule because Omaha is at a pivotal point,” Councilmember Miguel Reyes noted. “If we can launch the streetcar in the next five years, we can catalyze a wave of development that benefits the entire metropolitan area.”

How to Get Involved

Residents can attend the public meetings, view the design concept maps, and submit comments through the following links—directly referenced in the KETV article:

1. City of Omaha Streetcar Design Portal – https://www.omaha.gov/transportation/streetcar-feedback
2. Design‑Concept PDF – https://www.omaha.gov/transportation/streetcar-design-concept.pdf
3. City Council Meeting Schedule – https://www.omaha.gov/council/meeting-schedule

Whether you’re a commuter, a developer, or simply a curious Omaha resident, the city’s invitation to shape the future of the streetcar system is an open call for collective stewardship. The next few months will determine the shape of Omaha’s streets, the character of its neighborhoods, and the mobility of its people for decades to come.