[Busguy2010]

I think if Omaha built even only one light rail route, the blue one, to replace routes 2, 92, and 16 pretty much, then the bus system and public transportation in Omaha would be so much better. I bet Metro would get a lot more funding for public transportation improvements and would be able to provide even more bus routes on more neighborhood streets to feed to the light rail route, and along the route, there would be a ton of development that would be so much more dense, giving more of a reason for people that live there, to give up their cars and get a Metro pass to save on fuel and help out the air quality. I would love to see this happen in Omaha. We could be the next Portland, Oregon, or Denver, Colorado.

[harshbarj]

First excuse me if someone already pointed this out. The problem with running mat into sarpy county is with the sarpy county board. Mat had a bus running into Bellevue for years, but the board started trimming funding. First Sundays went, then I believe evenings were next. Then with the last revision it was cut out altogether. If sarpy county residents truly want bus service into Omaha contact your county board representative and plead your case.

Now a route out to Elkhorn would be nice. To save on gas simply run it every two hours. Use the small vans at first and make it a circular route similar to the number 17. Perhaps run it to one of the malls out west so people can transfer to one of the more used routes.

[Busguy2010]

I think they're done using the small buses for anthing other than MOBY. They used to run them on regular routes, but havent now for like two years. I find the little buses to be very unappealing too, so maybe a lot of other people feel the same. What I think should happen in Elkhorn is a regular, 30 minute rush frequency, hour mid day frequency and hour and a half night frequency, with and hour frequency on the weekends route, that is configured east-west. It would be like making west omaha bus service symmetrical. The 15 runs that same frequency two miles south of Dodge, this would be the same, only two miles north, on Maple. If you think about it, it is hard to decide what frequency to use. If it is too frequent, you'll only have a few people on a bus at a time, if it is not frequent enough, there will still only be a few people, because the time won't fit their needs. You get it just right, there should be 10 or more people on a bus at some point along a route. Omaha has yet to see a route running on that low of a frequency. By the way though, Metro, is going to have some sort of Northwest Omaha service. Express or fixed, I don't know yet, but there is a route to come. I'm excited for them to get it going soon, but I don't expect it soon. They usually do a big "fixing" of the system every April. At least they have the last few, so that when I would expect it.

Forgot to mention, I do think there should be a northwest Omaha to Southwest Omaha route. I was thinking along 144th and or 132nd with service to Millard, maybe L street Plaza, Oakview, First national business Park and Northwest Omaha. It could be at 45 minute, end to end route probably, which is what most of Metro's routes are. People in west omaha on both sides of dodge would be more likely to use the bus if it didn't take 45 minutes and hour to get to midtown, 30 more minutes to get to westroads and another 20 to get to the same number street on Maple, which is only four miles away. So when they have northwest omaha service, I hope they have a north south route and an east west route. That's wishful thinking though.

[billiefan2000]

getting that route 12 or 64 route idea of yours busguy is wishful thinking.

having a north/south route on 144th or 168th would be nice. as long as it runs 6 days a week.

sunday bus service is terrible but saturday is almost as bad and having the 12 or 64 route ideas running on saturday would be nice.

if I ever have to go to oakview, I can catch the 4 and then the 12.

right now, I got walk to 45th street near the old theatre and catch the 3 and then the 15.

[Busguy2010]

For some reason, I think they might have actually looked at the 64 and are considering components of it. They've never announced plans for northwest Omaha, until the name change, after they've seen the 64, so I don't know. I guess time will tell. It sounds like they've got plans for northwest Omaha, so I have stopped thinking about it so much. I've thought more about south central and just finished this map. This is what I hope Metro can produce in the next five years.

[billiefan2000]

i think the "64" route idea may happen. I hope it aint a express. we need one that runs on saturdays as well as during the week. not likely a sunday bus service for NW will happen.


sunday service is terrible (unless you talk about the 2,3,4, or 18 or 15 or 8 routes) in which it is good.



the FB group for it and a lot of talk online about it might have helped.

the 12 route of yours that is like the one and runs 6 days a week I liked also. that is the only other one I see support for.


I would like to see the 32 route improved on weekends. same with the 13 on sundays. both are terrible

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

First excuse me if someone already pointed this out. The problem with running mat into sarpy county is with the sarpy county board. Mat had a bus running into Bellevue for years, but the board started trimming funding. First Sundays went, then I believe evenings were next. Then with the last revision it was cut out altogether. If sarpy county residents truly want bus service into Omaha contact your county board representative and plead your case.

Now a route out to Elkhorn would be nice. To save on gas simply run it every two hours. Use the small vans at first and make it a circular route similar to the number 17. Perhaps run it to one of the malls out west so people can transfer to one of the more used routes.

the 22 is a circular route that becomes the 4 back at westroads.

[Busguy2010]

I never really thought of this, but if there were light rail on Dodge, there could be huge improvements and infill from 49th to 51st, if there were a station at 50th and Dodge. I could see something of along the magnitude of Aksarben Village happening there. Tear down the Kohll's building and all on the northwest corner to 51st, as well as the gas station on the southwest corner, the building on the southeast corner and the Dundee theater and whatever else there is on the northeast corner. There would be big opportunity for mixed use buildings with retail on street level and condos/apartments on the next two or three levels. Kohll's could move back in, as well as any other stores that would be interested. Have on-street parking on 50th as well as on dodge, parallel, not angled. The Dundee theater could re-open into a new building. That would be really cool and if we had light rail would totally happen. That would really reduce the highway feel of Dodge street. Maybe less people would use it only to get to work. I could picture Dodge street in this area as a four lane street with light rail in the middle, no left turns like it currently is, with parking on the street. Can anybody else envision how great that area could be?

[Busguy2010]

I'm going to send this down to Metro and see what happens.

[sakuda]

When I lived on 84th and Q, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous I had to walk to Center street to catch a bus on a Sunday because that's the furthest south it goes.

I live right next to Mutual of Omaha and it seems, at least for me, most of the available jobs are out in west O. Right now I work at Lone Star which is already a far jaunt, and they're moving to 175th in like a month.