Grow Omaha
Transportation

This column has previously covered streetcar utility work in general, so let’s take a look at a critically important upcoming project: the 38th & Farnam Street area. The top priority of streetcar construction work is to limit the impacts of construction as much as possible for the nearby businesses and residents. One of the keys is to keep Farnam Street open as much as possible. However, for this project, a complete closure for a small amount of time will actually reduce longer-term impacts. In this case, it will be necessary to completely close Farnam Street between 37th Street and 38th Avenue (just west of 38th Street) for almost four weeks. This closure begins Monday, October 20.The complete closure will enable the project to be finished faster. A partial closure of Farnam Street in this area would have meant dealing with reduced accessibility for over three times as long. There will be two options to move through the area during this time: Dodge Street to the north and Dewey...

Construction wraps up on the Kansas City Main Street extension as cars are testing the full serviceAs underground utility improvement work continues on the Omaha streetcar corridor, we still have another three years of various forms of construction, including the long-anticipated mainline track construction that will begin in early 2026. Since mainline construction starts soon, it is a good time to take a look at other streetcar systems that have recently been under construction to see what businesses along the lines have done to get through the challenging time and into the more rewarding service opening. We can then use some of these good practices from other cities in Omaha (or maybe we already are), and this will also give us a better idea of what is coming down the track. Streetcar construction has different impacts to communities compared to other forms of transit. One thing in common among all types of transit construction are the stops or stations, which is how people get on...

The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development team has announced the Midtown Small Business Resiliency Grant Program. This business support program is designed to provide financial assistance to small businesses that are most impacted by construction from the Omaha Streetcar. The program is based on extensive coordination with property owners, the City of Omaha and other stakeholders. The goal has been to distribute funding in an equitable and efficient way that helps businesses weather the disruption and remain viable through the construction period. This process has taken months of effort and has culminated in a program that, similar to Chamber economic initiatives, can make a big difference for businesses that have already invested in the Omaha community. While the City of Omaha can’t pay for business impacts and does not offer a relief fund for businesses impacted by disruptive projects, the City is supportive of the initiative. The goal of the grant program is to...