Transportation in
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 ...
, includes most major modes, such as pedestrian, bicycle, automobile, bus, train and airplane. While early transportation consisted of ferries,
stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are dra ...
es,
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
s,
street railroad
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 ...
s, and railroads, the city's transportation systems have evolved to include the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
, parklike
boulevards
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
and a variety of bicycle and pedestrian
trails
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...
. The historic head of several important
emigrant
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
trails and the
First transcontinental railroad
North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...
, its center as a national transportation hub earned Omaha the nickname "Gate City of the West" as early as the 1860s.
[Mullens, P.A. (1901) ''Biographical Sketches of Edward Creighton and John A. Creighton.'' Creighton University. p 24.]
During a tumultuous pioneer period characterized by its centrality in proximity to the Western United States, transportation in Omaha demanded the construction of massive warehouses where frontier settlers could stock up and communities west of Omaha got food and supplies to build themselves with. Riverboats and stagecoaches jammed the riverside city with a variety of newcomers, prospectors and shady characters. Early Omaha also landed the
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 ...
headquarters, leading to its important place in national railroad lore.
After quickly growing into a city, Omaha failed to pave its streets accordingly. A chaotic transportation system was highlighted by several miles of successful
horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, w ...
tracks; however, the city only ever had four miles (6 km) of
cable car service. Several early suburbs were built on reliance of service from these lines, including
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
,
Benson and
Kountze Place The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located betw ...
. In the early 1880s an extensive
boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
system was built to create a park-like atmosphere for drivers throughout the city. The
Trans-Mississippi Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Co ...
in 1889 led to the construction of many new transportation features, particularly the magnificent
Burlington Station.
In the 1930s the city's transportation system was marred by violent protests. Transit workers wanted to unionize, and with the main company's management against any effort to change Omaha's reputation as a non-unionized city. After the introduction of buses in the early 1950s, streetcars were closed down, and in the last years of the decade the city began construction on its components in the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
.
Today Omaha's transportation system is growing with the city, and
trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...
s for bicycles and pedestrians, as well as public transport, highways and parkways, and other innovations are being developed. The city has a section of the
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 191 ...
listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
, and there are more than of
Interstate and freeway lanes, more than any other area in the state of Nebraska.
[O'Connor, M. (2007]
"Smoother commute is down the road"
''Omaha World-Herald.'' Retrieved 9/28/07.
Pioneer period
Omaha was not projected to become a great city or bigger than its neighbor across the
Missouri River,
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
. In 1856 a land speculator reported to his
East Coast concerns that,
:"C. Bluffs is steadily growing down towards the river and someday it will be one great city on both sides the river with Rail Road & foot & Carriage Bridges connecting the two – and this is now the hope and talk of the Bluffers." – J. Barker, 1856.
In August 1859
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
visited land he had invested in Council Bluffs, and while there did not consider it worth the time to cross the river to the village of Omaha.
Water traffic
In 1804, fifty years before the city of Omaha was founded, the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...
first arrived via the Missouri River. The 1806
Fort Lisa and 1820
Cabanne's Trading Post
Cabanne's Trading Post was established in 1822 by the American Fur Company as Fort Robidoux near present-day Dodge Park in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was named for the influential fur trapper Joseph Robidoux. Soon after it was op ...
were important
fur trading
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most ...
outposts located in proximity to the river, along with earlier
Fontenelle's Post in
Bellevue. The
Engineer Cantonment
Engineer Cantonment is an archaeological site in Washington County, in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. Located in the floodplain of the Missouri River near present-day Omaha, Nebraska, it was the temporary winter camp of ...
was built by Captain
Stephen Watts Kearny's
Yellowstone Expedition in 1819. The Expedition's craft, the ''
Western Engineer
The paddle steamer ''Western Engineer'' was the first steamboat on the Missouri River. It was purpose built after a design by Major Stephen Harriman Long by the Allegheny Arsenal in Pittsburgh, for the scientific party of the Yellowstone expedi ...
'', was the first steamboat to successfully venture up the Missouri River to the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.
The Missouri was the reason Omaha was founded, and continued to be important to the city's growth for many years. In 1853
William D. Brown
William D. Brown (1813 – February 3, 1868) was the first pioneer to envision building a city where Omaha, Nebraska sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth ...
had the first vision for the city, leading him to found the
Lone Tree Ferry The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown. Brown was the first pion ...
crossing the
Missouri River from
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
. Later the
Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company hired
Alfred D. Jones to
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...
Omaha City, which was among the first settlements in the
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...
. Along with the Lone Tree Ferry Landing in
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline ...
, other ferries were established in the Omaha area at
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
,
Saratoga and
Bellevue. Large steamboats would carry provisions up the Missouri from
St. Louis, stocking the warehouses in
Jobbers Canyon
Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on th ...
and loading the trains of the Union Pacific and at the
Omaha Quartermaster Depot
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 ...
, which in turn supplied the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
's
Department of the Platte
The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho. With headquarters in Oma ...
.
The ''Banner State'' was the first steamboat to land materials for building the city in early 1854, before the city was formally founded. Until 1879 Captain
Joseph La Barge was the principal figure among the Missouri steamboat captains in the early years of the city. According to
J. Sterling Morton
Julius Sterling Morton (April 22, 1832 – April 27, 1902) was a Nebraska newspaper editor and politician who served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. He was a prominent Bourbon Democrat, taking a conservative position on ...
, the golden era for steamboating on the Missouri was from 1855 to 1860, just before the advent of the railroads. In 1857, 174 steamboats carrying 13,000 tons of freight tied up at Omaha wharves. When Omaha became the outfitting center for
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
gold seekers headed for
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou S ...
in 1859, 268 steamboats arrived at Omaha between March and November.
With railroads becoming the dominant form of long-range shipping and passenger travel in the early 1870s, riverboats like those in Omaha became obsolete. However, as late at 1949 the steamship ''Avalon'' was letting passengers in Omaha, before becoming one of the famous St. Louis steamboats in the 1960s.
Railroads
In 1863, ground was broke near Miller's Landing on the Missouri River for the
First transcontinental railroad
North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...
. Along with local financier
Edward Creighton,
George Francis Train was the promoter who was mostly responsible for the city landing the railroad. He was made rich from its convenient placement near land that he owned (near
Deer Park. The
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 ...
has been headquartered in Omaha since its inception in 1867. In 1872, Union Pacific opened the first
ailroadbridge across the Missouri to Omaha.
Trails
In the 1860s and 1870s, the city became a major
outfitting center for the major trails that went across Nebraska, including the
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
and
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into se ...
Trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...
s.
Jobbers Canyon
Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on th ...
was built in
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline ...
for the purpose of outfitting these migrants. Stagecoach lines had arrived by 1858, including the
Local Stage Coach Company in 1857, and the
Western Stage Company which began its easterly and westerly routes in Omaha. The
Pony Express
The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...
and
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
lines maintained offices in the city.
Streets
Omaha had terrible streets through the late 1880s, which caused many residents to believe the city was not progressing appropriately. This lack of responsiveness by the
city government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
was caused by property owners throughout the city who did not want to pay for improvements. On rainy days stagecoaches would sink up to their
hubcaps
A hubcap or hub cap is a decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at minimum the central portion of the wheel, called the hub. An automobile hubcap is used to cover the wheel hub and the wheel fasteners to reduce the accumulation o ...
, and residents wore knee-high boots to wade through the mud, and at times rivers ran through the streets.
Public transportation
In 1867
Ezra Millard
Ezra Millard (February 2, 1833 – August 20, 1886) was a U.S. politician who was mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1869 to 1871. He was also brother to Joseph Hopkins Millard, another mayor of Omaha, and namesake of Millard, Nebraska.
Millard ...
,
Andrew J. Hanscom, and
Augustus Kountze
Augustus Kountze (November 19, 1826–April 30, 1892) was an American businessman based in Omaha, Nebraska, Kountze, Texas and New York City. He founded a late 19th-century national banking dynasty along with his brothers Charles, Herman an ...
formed the
Omaha Horse Railway Company to provide
horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, w ...
service in the city. By the late 1870s the line had five miles (8 km) of track, 10 cars, 70 horses, 20 employees and 495,000 passengers annually.
[Larsen and Cottrell. (1997) p 106.] The
Omaha Cable Tramway Company The Cable Tramway Company of Omaha, Nebraska started in 1884 and ended in 1895. It was the only cable car line ever built in Omaha, and had only four lines of tracks in operation.
History
The Omaha Cable Tramway Company was originally formed in 18 ...
was the city's only
cable car, and started in 1884 and ended in 1895 after consolidating with the Horse Railway as the
Omaha Street Railway Company. In 1896 the new company disbanded as competitors moved in. An
electric car
An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quiet ...
was built by
Eurastus Benson between Omaha and
Benson specifically to promote that suburbs development during this time.
1880s – 1950
Streets
In 1880 only a quarter-mile of Omaha's estimated of streets were paved. In 1883 Andrew Rosewater, brother of newspaper owner
Edward Rosewater
Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, (January 21, 1841 – August 30, 1906) was a Republican Party politician and newspaper editor in Omaha, Nebraska. Rosewater had a reputation for being "aggressive and controversial", and was influenti ...
, became city engineer and began an ambitious project to modernize city streets. By 1886 the city had of paved streets, including
asphaltum, Colorado sandstone, Sioux Falls granite and wooden blocks.
In 1889
Horace W.S. Cleveland proposed that the city of Omaha develop a series of "broad ornamental avenues, known as boulevards or parkways" designed "with a tasteful arrangement of trees and shrubbery at the sides and in the center", similar to the comprehensive plans of European cities in the mid-19th century. His plan was accepted by the city's Parks Commission, resulting in the construction of
Omaha's Prettiest Mile Boulevard
Florence Boulevard, originally known as the Prettiest Mile in Omaha Boulevard, is a boulevard-type north-south street in the north Omaha, Nebraska. With the start of construction in 1892, Florence Boulevard was the first roadway in Omaha's boule ...
in 1892, and dozens of other boulevards in the through to the present. Today, Fontenelle and
Lincoln boulevards are among the many remnants of the early plan;
Sorenson Parkway Sorenson may refer to:
* Sorensen, a surname
* Sorenson codec
Sorenson Media was an American software company specializing in video encoding technology. Established in December 1995 as Sorenson Vision, the company developed technology which wa ...
is a modern version of the historical plan. Saddle Creek Boulevard, currently known as Saddle Creek Road, which was originally the westernmost boulevard in the system.
[, National Park Service. Retrieved 10/16/07.]
Bridges
While the
Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge
The Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge is a rail truss bridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.
History
When the first railroad bridge on the site opened on March 27, 1872, it connected the First tr ...
was the first railroad bridge across the river, the
Douglas Street Bridge
The Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge was a Whipple through truss bridge that was the first road bridge to cross the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was replaced in 1966 by the Interstate 480 girder bridge.
History
Ori ...
opened in 1888 as the first road bridge. The
East Omaha Bridge was originally opened in 1893, and rebuilt a decade later in 1903. The
Mormon Bridge
The Mormon Bridge is a bridge composed of two cantilevers that crosses the Missouri River connecting Pottawattamie County, Iowa with the Florence neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska via Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska). The bridge is officially call ...
was first attempted to be built across the river in 1932, and failed; it was finally successfully constructed in 1952. The
South Omaha Bridge opened in 1936. The
Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben
The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation is a 501(c)(3) civic and philanthropic organization in Omaha, Nebraska.
History
The organization was formed in 1895 in an attempt to keep the Nebraska State Fair in Omaha after receiving an ultimatum to provide ...
operated the
Douglas Street Bridge
The Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge was a Whipple through truss bridge that was the first road bridge to cross the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was replaced in 1966 by the Interstate 480 girder bridge.
History
Ori ...
as a
toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge where a monetary charge (or '' toll'') is required to pass over. Generally the private or public owner, builder and maintainer of the bridge uses the toll to recoup their investment, in much the same way as a toll road ...
from 1938 to 1947. The bridge was removed in 1968. Traffic was carried by a new
girder bridge
A girder bridge is a bridge that uses girders as the means of supporting its deck. The two most common types of modern steel girder bridges are plate and box.
The term "girder" is often used interchangeably with "beam" in reference to bridge de ...
built in 1966 for
I-480 Interstate 480 may refer to:
*Interstate 480 (Nebraska–Iowa), a loop through Omaha, Nebraska into Council Bluffs, Iowa
* Interstate 480 (Ohio), a loop through Cleveland, Ohio
*Interstate 480 (California), the former Embarcadero Freeway in San Fran ...
. The
Saddle Creek Underpass
The Saddle Creek Underpass is located in the Midtown area of Omaha, Nebraska. Designed to carry Saddle Creek Road under Dodge Street (US 6), the underpass was constructed in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration. It was included on the Bridg ...
, over which is the Dodge Street Overpass, was completed in 1934 by the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. Over of dirt were excavated to lower Saddle Creek Road sufficiently to pass under the overpass, which is still in use today. Listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1992, it is part of the
Bridges in Nebraska Multiple Property Submission
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...
as well.
Highways
In 1889 Otto Baysdorfer built Omaha's first auto, an
electric car
An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quiet ...
. The "Ottomobile" was the first of nearly a dozen car manufacturers eventually started in Omaha. The Ottomobile weighed 265 pounds, had two cylinders, and could achieve a speed of 15 miles per hour. An "
Auto Row" developed along Farnam Street and featured dealers, garages, and parts stores.
The original
Lincoln Highway in Omaha was designated through Omaha in 1913. Crossing the
Missouri River into Omaha on the old Douglas Street Bridge, it traveled west on Dodge Street, then meandered across the state following
section
Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea
* Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents
** Section sig ...
lines. Some of these sections were built exclusively to accommodate the highway. Important buildings on the Lincoln Highway in Omaha included the
Hupmobile Building
The Hupmobile Building is located at 2523 Farnam Street in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1917 on the city's historic Auto Row, the building was an early Hupmobile dealership. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 201 ...
, the
Nash Building at 902–912 Farnam and 901–911 Douglas streets, and the
Blackstone Hotel at Farnum Street and 36th Street. Additionally, the
Rose Blumkin Performance Arts Center
The Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center or The Rose, also known as the Astro Theater, originally opened as The Riviera. It is located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1926 in a combination of both Moorish and Classical styles, the building ...
at 20th and Farnum Street and the
Farnum Street Automobile Row, from 30th to 40th Streets were both important landmarks.
In 1930 49,128 autos were registered in Omaha; ten years later 65,489 were registered to drive on local streets.
After trucks became popular in the 1910s, the Omaha Stockyards grew exponentially. Cattle,
hogs and sheep were shipped cheaper by truck than by trains. In 1919 27% of livestock at the Stockyards was shipped by truck; by 1940's it rose to over 75%. In 1955 the Stockyards became the biggest livestock distribution center in the United States, and almost all of the cattle was shipped by truck.
Airport
The aforementioned Baysdorfer provided Omaha with another invention by successfully flying an
airship
An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.
In early ...
in the city in 1889. In 1929 a bond was passed that would construct the
Omaha Municipal Airport in
East Omaha. This was thought to embody the city's hope for the future; however, air travel did not become popular in Omaha until the 1960s. The land was swampy and had to be filled in with silt taken from the bottom of
Carter Lake. Northwest Airlines started service between Minneapolis and Omaha in 1930.
In the late 1940s Eppley Airfield was completed. In 1959 the airport was named for
Eugene C. Eppley, the Omaha Eppley Hotel magnate. Eppley's estate donated $1 million to be used to convert the Omaha Municipal Airport into a jet port.
Public transportation
The
Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company
The Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company, known as O&CB, was incorporated in 1886 in order to connect Omaha, Nebraska with Council Bluffs, Iowa over the Missouri River. With a sanctioned monopoly over streetcar service in the two c ...
was founded in 1886 to span the
Missouri River. In the late 1880s the city had five
franchise companies providing transit services within city limits. They included the Omaha and Southwestern Street Railway Company, which provided services to
Kountze Place The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located betw ...
,
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
,
Bemis Park and the
Gold Coast neighborhoods. Short lines ran with limited purposes: one went only to a baseball field at the end of its line, while another ran to and from a park.
By 1901 local businessman
Gurdon W. Wattles consolidated several of the older horsecar and cable car companies to create the
Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company, which later became 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 lab ...
. After receiving a 30-year franchise from the city of Omaha, the company established a mass transit system that covered the entire city, including
commuter train
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are cons ...
s and
interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...
s.
Traction Company strike
Wattles was vehemently opposed to
unionization
The organizing model, as the term refers to trade unions (and sometimes other social-movement organizations), is a broad conception of how those organizations should recruit, operate, and advance the interests of their members, though the specific ...
, and in 1909 fought strikes in favor of unionization with hired policemen and rampant violence. By 1934 the
Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees was organized in Omaha.
However, by April 1935 the fragile truce between pro-open shop management and pro-union forces broke. A long, violent strike ensued.
Strikebreaker
A strikebreaker (sometimes called a scab, blackleg, or knobstick) is a person who works despite a strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who were not employed by the company before the trade union dispute but hired after or during the st ...
s were hired, and within four days the company rolled out heavily fortified streetcars, complete with windows covered by heavy wire and armed guards on board. While few cars attracted passengers, the cars encountered little resistance. The company resisted calls for arbitration from the
Omaha City Council, and continued employing strikebreakers. In early May violence broke out, with rifle attacks, violent beatings and bombings across the city. In June riots broke out throughout the city with mobs burning streetcars, looting and two deaths. The city government lost control of the violence and called in the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
, which sent 1,800 troops while
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Robert Cochran declared
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Martia ...
and ordered the streetcars to stop running. After the governor intervened and Wattles allowed arbitration, a number of agreements were made. However, no changes occurred, and strikebreakers stayed on the job. The violence ended, court cases ensued, and the situation slowly faded away. The Omaha Traction Company never unionized.
Omaha Belt Line
The Omaha Belt Line was formed in 1883 by the
Union Pacific
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 Pac ...
; some shady dealings by
Jay Gould
Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who is generally identified as one of the robber barons of the Gilded Age. His sharp and often unscrupulous business practices made him ...
brought the Belt Line into the control of the
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...
by 1885, when it was constructed with Union Pacific materials under the control of the MoPac. Stations along with Line included the
Florence Depot,
Webster Street Station and the
Ralston Station. Operated by that company until the early 1960s, today the Line is largely abandoned, with a section redeveloped into the recreational
MoPac Trail
The MoPac Trail is a rail trail in Nebraska. It is a bicycling, equestrian, and walking trail built on an abandoned Missouri Pacific Railroad corridor that runs for from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Wabash, Nebraska.
History
The corridor that is now ...
.
1950–present
Streets
Starting in 1950 the city has continuously developed and redeveloped its major streets, particularly relying on them for east-west traffic. Major east-west thoroughfares in Omaha include
Fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
,
Ames,
Maple
''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since h ...
,
Blondo,
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
,
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
,
Center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
,
L,
Q and
Harrison
Harrison may refer to:
People
* Harrison (name)
* Harrison family of Virginia, United States
Places
In Australia:
* Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin
In Canada:
* Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...
streets. Major north-south thoroughfares in Omaha include
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
and
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
24th streets, 30th street,
Saddle Creek Road, and 72nd, 84th, 90th, and 120th streets.
South 10th Street
South 10th Street is a two-way street that runs south-north from Downtown into South Omaha, Nebraska. Beginning at Dodge Street, South 10th Street passes Gene Leahy Mall and borders the ConAgra Campus and the Old Market. Its southern reaches ar ...
is important in South Omaha.
Highways
The first long segment of
Interstate 80 in Nebraska
Interstate 80 (I-80) in the US state of Nebraska runs east from the Wyoming state border across the state to Omaha. Construction of the stretch of I-80 spanning the state was completed on October 19, 1974. Nebraska was the first state in t ...
to be opened was a fifty-mile section between Dodge Street in Omaha and the
West Lincoln interchange in 1961.
Construction of the freeway in
North Omaha
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...
in the 1970s faced many hurdles. Built immediately after the construction of I-480, this section was originally supposed to be designated as
Interstate 580. However, the city refused to invest the additional money the federal government required to gain the designation. Coupled with social unrest in the 1970s, the highway is blamed for causing a 30 percent housing loss and major increase in crime. The freeway became the route of
U.S. Highway 75 and is known locally as the North Freeway.
Today, Omaha is well connected to the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
. The city has eleven
highway exit
In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
s along Interstate 80. From that Interstate drivers can connect to
Nebraska Highway 50,
US 275
U.S. Route 275 (US 275) is a north–south United States highway that is a branch of US 75. It originally terminated at US 75 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The highway's northern terminus is in O'Neill, Nebraska, at an intersection with U.S. Hi ...
/
NE 92,
I-680 and
I-480 Interstate 480 may refer to:
*Interstate 480 (Nebraska–Iowa), a loop through Omaha, Nebraska into Council Bluffs, Iowa
* Interstate 480 (Ohio), a loop through Cleveland, Ohio
*Interstate 480 (California), the former Embarcadero Freeway in San Fran ...
/
US 75
U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side o ...
. Continuing north, I-680 connects with
I-29
Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba P ...
near
Crescent, Iowa
Crescent is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 628 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Crescent is located at (41.363656, -95.858789).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , ...
and, prior to October 2019, reconnected with I-80 near
Neola, Iowa
Neola is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 918 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Neola got its start in the year 1869, following construction of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad through th ...
(that segment from I-29 near Crescent to I-80 near Neola is now signed as
I-880); I-480 cuts through
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline ...
to connect with I-29 in
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
. The North Freeway also veers from I-480, and in 2005, the
Nebraska Department of Roads
The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) was the state government agency charged with building and maintaining the state and federal highways in the U.S. State of Nebraska from 1957 to 2017. The main headquarters of the agency was located in Linc ...
began a project to bring the I-480/US 75 interchange up to Interstate standards. Construction is expected to be complete in 2009, and it is unknown if the North Freeway will receive an Interstate designation upon completion of the project.
There are a number of important arterial roads throughout Omaha.
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canada–United States border, Canadian border, wh ...
comes south through Omaha from
Fort Calhoun along North 30 Street, North Freeway, I-480 and Kennedy Freeway, exiting through
Bellevue.
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
crosses into the city from Council Bluffs on I-480, also called the
Gerald R. Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
Freeway in honor of the Omaha native son. It then follows Dodge Street, until it intersects South 204th Street, when it runs south towards
Gretna.
Nebraska Highway 64
Nebraska Highway 64 is a highway in Nebraska. There are two segments to the highway. The western segment lies in Butler County between U.S. Highway 81 and Nebraska Highway 15. The eastern segment goes through Saunders and Douglas counties betw ...
assumes the route of the former Military Road northwest out of Omaha, following Maple Road and West Maple Road to converge with US 275 at
Waterloo. US 275 becomes
Nebraska Highway 92
Nebraska Highway 92 is a highway that enters the state from Nebraska's western border at the Wyoming state line west of Lyman, Nebraska, to the state's eastern border on the South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River in Omaha, w ...
after crossing the
South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge
The South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge (originally the South Omaha Bridge but renamed the Veterans Memorial Bridge in 1995) was a continuous warren through truss bridge over the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska with Council Bluffs, Iow ...
, following Missouri Avenue, which then becomes "L" Street. At South 132nd Street, at which point it veers northeast to follow the old
Mormon Trail
The Mormon Trail is the long route from Illinois to Utah that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled for 3 months. Today, the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails System, known as the Mormon ...
along Industrial Road when it joins West Center Road, crossing the
Platte River
The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself ...
and continuing westward.
In 2005 a
portion of the Lincoln Highway in Omaha was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Traffic monitoring
Beginning in fall 2007 there will be more than 30
traffic camera
A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, traffic cameras are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, expressways and arterial roads, and are connected by optical fibers buried alongside or ...
s operating on Omaha area freeways, including one at I-80 near Gretna and another on West Dodge near 120th Street. Operated by the
Nebraska Department of Roads
The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) was the state government agency charged with building and maintaining the state and federal highways in the U.S. State of Nebraska from 1957 to 2017. The main headquarters of the agency was located in Linc ...
, the sensors and cameras are not used to catch
speeders or for other
traffic enforcement. The state also operates an extensive traffic operations center that uses the cameras to monitor Omaha traffic patterns. Similar to traffic monitoring centers in
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
and
North Platte
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
, the one in Omaha is the biggest and has the greatest capability to provide traffic information.
Public transportation
The Omaha Traction Company, which operated as the Street Railway Company, changed its name to the Omaha Transit Company when streetcar service ended in the city in 1952. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Omahans preferred their automobiles and new highways. When the
Urban Mass Transit Act of 1964 was passed, Omaha's private transit companies were not able to apply for federal
subsidies
A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...
available to
public transit
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
operators. The Omaha Transit Company ceased operations on June 30, 1972, when the City of Omaha assumed authority for
public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
in the city. City Transit Lines, another private company in Omaha, went out of business on that day as well. The Metro Area Transit Authority was created by the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...
, consisting of a five-member board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by Omaha's City Council and the
Douglas County Commissioners
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
. It acquired the assets of the Omaha Transit Company and selected assets of the City Transit Lines of Council Bluffs, along with more than $3,000,000 in federal funding. The Authority operates today as
Metro Transit.
Today the Authority supervises the level of service, miles and hours of operation within Omaha, and maintains individual service contracts with local authorities outside Omaha. Currently, Metro has three contracts, including the cities of Council Bluffs, Bellevue and the Tri-Communities of
Ralston,
LaVista and
Papillion.
Metro recently completed three new
transit center
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include railway stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry slips. F ...
s, which function much like airport hubs. Located at
Benson Park,
Westroads Mall
Westroads Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Omaha, Nebraska at the intersection of 100th and Dodge Streets ( U.S. Route 6). It is the largest mall in Nebraska. The mall's anchor stores are The Container Store, Von Maur, JCPenney, Dick's Sport ...
, and
Metro Community College in
South Omaha South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union S ...
, they are designed to bolster the city's public busing needs. These join existing centers in
Midtown and
North Omaha
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...
.
Construction on
ORBT, a
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
system began in fall of 2018 and concluded in fall of 2020. The city has also proposed the
Omaha Streetcar
The Omaha Streetcar is a proposed streetcar in Omaha, Nebraska.
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 ...
, with an opening date of 2026.
In addition to local public transportation, Omaha is served by several carriers for intercity public transportation. The
Omaha station provides
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
passenger rail service to residents with one daily train between Chicago and
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a city located in northwest Alameda County, California, in the United States. It lies in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, with a border on the shore of San Francisco Bay. The resident population was 12,905 as o ...
on the ''
California Zephyr
The ''California Zephyr'' is a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area (at Emeryville), via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. At , it is Amtrak's longest daily route, and second-longest overal ...
''. Intercity bus service is provided by
Burlington Trailways
Burlington Trailways is an inter-city bus company based in West Burlington, Iowa.
History
Burlington Trailways was founded in 1929 as the Burlington Transportation Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. It started ...
,
Express Arrow
Express or EXPRESS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* '' Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn
* '' The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid
Music
* ''Express'' ...
, and
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in the United States. Their current operations expands over 14 states throughout the Midwest.
Background
The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Mi ...
.
Air
Today Eppley Airfield sits on and handles approximately 400 flights a week. There are two
concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.
The term is not limited to places where there are literally pathways or roadways or t ...
s that hold 20
gate
A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...
s. The airport handled more than 4.4 million passengers in 2007, and as of September 2008,
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...
is the largest carrier handling approximately 24 percent of passengers.
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
is the second-largest carrier, handling approximately 19 percent of passengers. Currently, all regularly scheduled flights from Eppley Airfield terminate within the United States.
Airlines serving Omaha include
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
,
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America.
Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
,
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
,
Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
,
Frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
,
Southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
, and
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
.
Trails
Omaha was completely devoid of trails leading up to early 1989. That year the city began developing trails, and since then the city of Omaha has developed approximately of paved recreational trails, and another of trails are scheduled for completion within the next eight years.
Paved and unpaved
trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...
s and paths are used for
recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
al and
commuter purposes throughout the city. Popular among
bicyclist
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
s,
runners,
hiker
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
s and recreational
walkers, these trails are included in comprehensive plans for the city of Omaha, the
Omaha metro area
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 city ...
,
Douglas County, and long-distance coordinated plans between the municipalities of southeast
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
.
The
Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge will connect Miller's Landing to Council Bluffs in 2009. A riverfront trail will run the length of the river from the South Omaha Bridge to
N.P. Dodge Park.
Water traffic
An anomaly in the city's transportation is the River City Star, a passenger excursion
paddleboat that sails between Omaha and Council Bluffs. The boat is docked at Miller's Landing near the
CHI Health Center, near mile marker 617 on the Missouri River.
Marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
s for public usage are operated by the
Omaha Parks and Recreation Department.
Dodge Park
N.P. Dodge Memorial Park, or simply Dodge Park, is a recreational area located at 11001 John J. Pershing Drive in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Located on the Missouri River, the park provides fishing, water skiing, and boating, as well ...
, located in
North Omaha
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...
, has 326
slips Slips (or SLIPS) may refer to:
*Slips (oil drilling)
*SLIPS (Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces)
*SLIPS (company)
*SLIPS (Sri Lanka Interbank Payment System)
*Slip (cricket), often used in the plural form
*The Slips, a UK electronic music duo
...
, while the new
Riverfront Marina in Downtown Omaha has 31.
Levi Carter Park, which has a long history as a water haven, offers non-restricted boating for
jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...
s, recreational boating and
water ski
Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a Surface water sports, surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a Cable skiing, cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or ...
ing. No wake boating allowed available at
Lake Cunningham
__NOTOC__
Lake Cunningham is an artificial lake in Lake Cunningham Park, in East San Jose, California, near the Eastridge Mall and Eastridge Transit Center. It is not a geological feature recognized in the Geographic Names Information System (GN ...
,
Standing Bear Lake or
Zorinsky Lake; however, these lakes offer opportunities for sailing, fishing and pleasure boating. Cunningham Lake offers a small marina where rental boats are available.
The
Port of Omaha
The Port of Omaha is a port of entry in the United States with facilities on the west side of the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska. The official address is located at 5229 Boeing Court in East Omaha. The Port was formally sanctioned by the U ...
was located downtown where Miller's Landing is now. In addition to handling outbound
barge
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
shipments of grain, it also handled inbound shipments of steel and
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
.
[Larsen, L.H., Cottrell, B.J. and Dalstrom, H.A. (1997) ''Upstream Metropolis: An Urban Biography of Omaha and Council Bluffs.'' University of Nebraska Press. p 411.]
The Omaha District of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
operates from the city.
See also
*
Interstate 80 in Nebraska
Interstate 80 (I-80) in the US state of Nebraska runs east from the Wyoming state border across the state to Omaha. Construction of the stretch of I-80 spanning the state was completed on October 19, 1974. Nebraska was the first state in t ...
*
Omaha Streetcar
The Omaha Streetcar is a proposed streetcar in Omaha, Nebraska.
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 ...
*
Image gallery
Image:Fishermen on the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa.jpg, Fishermen on the Missouri River facing the Union Pacific Bridge.
Image:Up-omaha.jpg, Union Pacific Bridge about 1909.
Image:Up-bridge-coal.jpg, Coal train crossing the Union Pacific Bridge with the Loess Hills
The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost parts of Iowa and Missouri, and the easternmost parts of Nebraska and Kansas, along the Missouri River.
Geology
The Loess (, , or ) Hills are generally located bet ...
in background.
Image:Mormon-bridge.jpg, Mormon Bridge from Omaha going into Iowa. The original bridge is the east bound bridge on the right.
Image:OmahaBurlingtonStation.jpg, The main entrance to Omaha's Burlington Station.
Image:Omaha Union Station Quote (right).jpg, "Dedicated by the railways of Omaha the service, comfort and convenience of the people," etched in stone above an entrance to the Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
in Omaha.
Image:Omaha Union Station Quote (left).jpg, "No other improvement... can equal in utility the railroad," etched in stone above another doorway.
Image:Inside Union Station (Omaha).JPG, Interior of the Union Station in Omaha.
Image:Union pacific center.jpg, The Union Pacific Center
The Union Pacific Center at 1400 Douglas Street is one of downtown Omaha, Nebraska's newest high-rise buildings. It houses the headquarters of the Union Pacific Railroad and its parent company, the Union Pacific Corporation. It officially opened ...
in Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline ...
.
References
Bibliography
* Raschke, W.A. (1998) "Omaha Belt Line Railway" ''The Eagle, 23'' a journal of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society. p 20.
* Bartels, M.M. (1997) ''Missouri Pacific River & Prairie Rails: The MoPac in Nebraska.'' South Platte Press.
* Greer, D.L. (2000)
Omaha Recreational Trails: Their Effect on Property Values and Public Safety'. University of Nebraska at Omaha. Retrieved 9/20/07.
* RDG Martin Shukert and Ciaccio Dennell Group. (1994)
' Nebraska Energy Office and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.
External links
of the steamer ''Omaha'' landing Mormon settlers at
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA)'s Official Carpool and Rideshare WebsiteLocal Transportation Guidefor
Omaha
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 city ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Transportation In Omaha