[Busguy2010]

I want to know what everybody thinks of this idea. Will it work to improve public transportation in and around Omaha?

In the Omaha Metro, METRO Transit is the only provider of public transportation. They are limited to serving only in a designated area within Douglas County, which does not include all of the metro area. Currently, in order for service to be provided to places outside of their boundaries, a special contract needs to be agreed to between METRO and the city seeking service. As long as the contract is current, Metro provides service to the city with the contract and that city must pay for all expenses intailed with their service. These current, contract based based services limit current participating surrounding cities and deters potential new "out of city services" because it is expensive to pay out-right for every bus route a surrounding community calls for.

In order to make service to surrounding communities cheaper and less complicated, we should drop the contracts and develop a Regional Transit Authority.

Here's how the RTA would operate. The current operating area for METRO would remain and would be the main district for services and we would pay the same in taxes for bus service. But, here's where it would be different. The RTA would encourage surrounding cities/counties to join the district. When a city joins the Regional Transit District, they will impose the same transit tax at the same rate as here in Omaha and, as long as the city is part of the Regional Transit District, METRO will be allowed to-without a special contract for every route-provide services to that city. All cities to join the RTD would become one, esentially, and whenever a new transit tax is considered or imposed, it would effect the entire RTD. Having a Regional Transit District greatly reduces the complication of crossing county lines and would allow better services to more places with the increased money flow from the added taxes to participating communities all going to METRO. This RTA could also clear the way for the development of rail lines to Lincoln and or Fremont, along with potential light rail routes that cross over county lines

So, what do you all think. Would it work? Would it be a better way to provide public transportation to the Metro, or would it be worse than the current contract system?

[iamjacobm]

I would obviously help. Now would residents of the small cities be willing to agree to the added cost of their taxes for a service that the vast majority wont use?

[alexm23]

Are you from Chicago?

Regional Transportation Authority

[Busguy2010]

Originally Posted by iamjacobm

I would obviously help. Now would residents of the small cities be willing to agree to the added cost of their taxes for a service that the vast majority wont use?

Mainly, it would be to make it cheaper for Sarpy county as a whole to have bus routes. Ralston, LaVista and Papillion already pay for route 93, Bellevue payed for the 17, 50, 60, and 95 in the past. People complain about lack of bus service in Sarpy County, so as long as they realize bus service isn't free, then this would be the perfect way to get better service to that area. It's not urgent right now, but in the future, other cities will consider joining as their residents are looking to commute to Omaha more and more as their populations grow. Eventually, hopefully every necessary city/county will join to make commuter rail lines possible, and that will better fuel public transportation use and even more cities may join.

Wouldn't it mainly be the city's decision, anyway? If a city nearby realizes this is a cheaper way to pay for more service, of course they'll hear what their city's residents has to say, but it would be the city, not it's residents that have the final say, right?

[Busguy2010]

Originally Posted by alexm23

Are you from Chicago?

Regional Transportation Authority

I actually didn't previously know how other citys go about providing their public transportation services. Is the way I described basically how the Chicago area is served?

[iamjacobm]

Yeah I was more playing devils advocate. I think it would be all around better.

Honestly I think it is an interesting prospect for your proposed RTA to include Lincoln. Lincoln is now considering privatizing some or all of its bus system. I wonder if Metro went in with a deal to have almost satellite service for Lincoln if that would work. For as bad as Omaha's bus system can be at times Lincoln's is even worse and for a college town a good bus service can really be taken advantage of. They could even work out some sort of long range bus line on weekends for students.

[Busguy2010]

Originally Posted by iamjacobm

Yeah I was more playing devils advocate. I think it would be all around better.

Honestly I think it is an interesting prospect for your proposed RTA to include Lincoln. Lincoln is now considering privatizing some or all of its bus system. I wonder if Metro went in with a deal to have almost satellite service for Lincoln if that would work. For as bad as Omaha's bus system can be at times Lincoln's is even worse and for a college town a good bus service can really be taken advantage of. They could even work out some sort of long range bus line on weekends for students.

I think something like that could work, eventually. With the addition of a commuter rail line between Omaha and Lincoln, it wouldn't even be so much satellite, either. Lincoln is Far enough away for people to question that, but since it's so big and holds so much opportunity, that the distance is less of an argument. Though, honestly, I don't see Lincoln being served by METRO until theres a more attractive, faster and more massive form of transportation than a bus running between here and there. Lincoln could gain train service under the condition that once that service is in place, they join the RTA. In the case that they get commuter rail service before they join the RTA, thus being exempt from start up and construction costs, they just give METRO their company in return.