Permanent Protected Bikeway Planned; Harney Route to Cl ...

(August 20, 2024)

The Market-to-Midtown Bikeway on Harney Street will close after Labor Day as utility companies begin construction related to the Omaha streetcar.

The bikeway pilot ended in 2022, but it remained open after a donor offered to pay for operations and maintenance until streetcar construction started.

The bikeway will close Tuesday September 3. Digital message boards along the route will alert bikeway users to the closing date. Barricades will be placed at intersections along the bikeway to ensure safety. Removal of the bikeway will take approximately one week.

"Closing the current bikeway now is necessary to keep cyclists, pedestrians and workers safe as construction begins," said Mayor Jean Stothert. "The initial Market-to-Midtown Bikeway pilot provided important information that we are using now to design and build the permanent, better bikeway."

The new, permanent protected bikeway will utilize both Farnam and Harney streets connecting across 17^th Street. The two-way bikeway will be built on the south side of Farnam from Turner Boulevard to 17^th Street, cross 17^th Street on the west side of the street, and continue east to 10^th Street on the north side of Harney. (The bikeway will be on the opposite side of the street from the streetcar tracks.)

Design is underway, in coordination with the streetcar, to create the first multi-modal transit corridor that includes a protected bikeway, streetcar, busses, traffic lanes, sidewalks and parking. Plans include medians and buffers, and aesthetic enhancements including landscaping, wayfinding, and public art.

"Metro Smart Cities is proud of its innovative partnership with the City of Omaha, which made possible the city's first two-way, protected bikeway. As we transition from the temporary bikeway, we look forward to the return of the Market-to-Midtown Bikeway in an enhanced configuration built upon the feedback received and lessons learned," said Omaha by Design Executive Director and Metro Smart Cities Board Member Scott Dobbe. "The new, permanent bikeway will set the standard for safety, accessibility, and design of multi-modal infrastructure in the region."

The permanent protected bikeway is currently funded through a combination of public and philanthropic dollars. The proposed City of Omaha 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Plan includes $7.6 million dollars for the bikeway with an estimated completion date in 2028.

"Much like The RiverFront parks that were closed for several years during construction, major projects require careful planning and take time to complete. Creating the City's first truly multi-modal corridor will also take time. Construction will be phased in coordination with construction of the streetcar. Our plan is to build and open a new bikeway as soon and as safely as possible," said Mayor Stothert.

A public meeting will be announced in 2025 for public feedback.

To learn more about the project, visit the website.

MARKET-TO-MIDTOWN BIKEWAY CHRONOLOGY

APRIL 13, 2021 - CITY COUNCIL APPROVES AGREEMENT FOR "LIMITED-TERM PILOT PROJECT"

The Omaha City Council approved an agreement with Metro Smart Cities to install and maintain the Market to Midtown Bikeway. The agreement required Metro Smart Cities to provide snow removal and street sweeping, operate a hotline to encourage public input, and respond to complaints, suggestions and requests for maintenance.
https://cityclerk.cityofomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/images/agenda/ID_21_04_13/RES-2021-0400.pdf

JULY 28, 2021 - RIBBON-CUTTING TO OPEN THE BIKEWAY

One of the initial projects of Metro Smart Cities, the objective of the 18-month bikeway pilot was to identify best practices and develop plans for future protected bikeways, including the possibility of permanent bike infrastructure.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 - BIKEWAY PILOT EXPIRES

The City announced the bikeway pilot agreement with Metro Smart Cities would not be extended and that data from the pilot would be used to evaluate options for future protected bikeways in the urban core. The evaluation would look at current and planned development in the urban core, implementation of the Vision Zero strategy, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and the streetcar route on Harney, previously approved by the Omaha Streetcar Authority.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 - DONOR PROVIDES FUNDS TO KEEP BIKEWAY OPEN

A donor provided funding that allowed the bikeway to remain open pending streetcar construction. The donor also paid to study alternate routes in the urban core and recommend a conceptual design for a permanent protected bikeway.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024 - REMOVAL OF TEMPORARY BOLLARDS WILL BEGIN

Bike lane markings will be removed and the street will be restriped to the former traffic lane, curbside parking, crosswalks, and Metro bus stops. Metro Smart Cities will pay for removal of the bikeway.

Following removal of the bikeway next month, lane closures along Harney will continue for utility work, similar to the construction currently underway on Farnam. The first phase of work will be the relocation of underground telecommunications fiber lines, followed by upgrading aging utilities located under the current and future bikeway. These upgrades and relocations will limit future limitations to users of the bikeway.

EXISTING BIKE LANES

Numerous bike lanes in the urban core and extending to neighborhoods north and south remain available:

One-way bike lanes

• Leavenworth, 13th Street to 31st Street (East Bound)
• St Marys Avenue, 17th Street to 31st Street (West Bound)
• 13th Street, Capitol Avenue to Harney Street (North Bound)
• 14th Street, Capitol Avenue to Leavenworth Street (South Bound)

Bi-directional bike lanes

• 16th Street, Capitol Avenue to Cuming Street
• 24th Street, Cass Street to Franklin Street
• Park Avenue, Martha Street to Mason Street
• 24th Street, Leavenworth Street to J Street
• 16th Street, Leavenworth Street to Vinton Street
• 32nd Avenue, Wright Street to Martha Street

Bi-directional buffered Bike lanes

• 17^th Street, Capitol Avenue to Farnam Street
• 30th Street, Nicholas Street to Ruggles Street

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