The Omaha Streetcar is a proposed

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

History

Background

The Omaha-Council Bluffs streetcar era began operations in 1868. By 1890, the metropolitan area had of tracks — more than any city except Boston. The

Omaha Traction Company The Omaha Traction Company was a privately owned public transportation business in Omaha, Nebraska. Created in the early 1900s by wealthy Omaha banker Gurdon Wattles, the company was involved in a series of contentious disputes with organized la ...

was the dominant private streetcar provider of the time; it was engulfed in repeated labor disputes. By 1955, the city closed its streetcars in favor of buses.

Planning and development

Planning and research for a new streetcar began between 2008 and 2009. An advanced conceptual engineering plan was first announced in 2014 and revised in 2018 by Metro Transit, with an estimated cost of $170 million. Rep.

Don Bacon Donald John Bacon (born August 16, 1963) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district since 2017. Before holding public office, he was a United States Air For ...

was unsuccessful in obtaining an $8 million earmark for the project in 2021. In 2022, a revised plan was announced by Mayor

Jean Stothert Jean Louise Stothert (née Wolf; born February 7, 1954) is an American politician and former nurse serving as the 51st mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. She is the first woman to hold the office and was sworn in as Mayor on June 10, 2013. She was re-elec ...

and the

Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce is the chamber of commerce in Omaha, Nebraska. When United States Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke to the chamber in 2007, his comments were noted for his continued endorsement of globalization. I ...

's Urban Core Committee. The streetcar will be built, operated, and maintained without a property tax rate increase or sales tax increase. It will run on a route from Cass to Farnam on South 10th Street, Farnam west to 42nd Street, and back to 10th Street on Harney. The streetcar is expected to be operational in 2026, and free for all riders. Future expansions north, south, and west in Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa are also proposed. The proposal was endorsed by Governor of Nebraska

Pete Ricketts John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American politician serving as the 40th governor of Nebraska since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party. Ricketts is the son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is also, with o ...

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

President, chairman and CEO Lance Fritz, and Mayor Matt Walsh of Council Bluffs. The streetcar is expected to start construction in 2024 and be completed in 2026 alongside the new

Mutual of Omaha Headquarters Tower The Mutual of Omaha Headquarters Tower will be a , 44 story skyscraper at 1614 Dodge Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It is estimated that it will be completed in 2026. On January 26, 2022, Mayor Jean Stothert and Mutual of Omaha announced ...

. Investor

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net ...

, an Omaha resident and owner of

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiu ...

, published a

letter to the editor A letter to the editor (LTE) is a letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional mail ...

in the ''

Omaha World-Herald The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ch ...

'' to oppose the street project. He cited its cost and inflexibility compared to a bus system.

References

External links

Official Streetcar Website
Public transportation in Nebraska Streetcars in Omaha, Nebraska Streetcars in Nebraska Proposed public transportation in Nebraska Proposed railway lines in the United States 2026 in rail transport {{US-tram-stub

History

Background

Planning and development

References

See also

External links