Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert won’t nix a resolution recently passed by the Omaha City Council expressing support for a protected bike lane in the downtown corridor.
But Stothert did announce Thursday that the city won’t extend the pilot program for the existing protected bike lane, which is set to end Sept. 30. The decision means the bollards separating cyclists and vehicles will come out and downtown Omaha will be left without a protected bike lane, at least for the time being.
Stothert also announced that she won’t veto a recently passed resolution addressing development of a climate action plan. However, the mayor didn’t sign the two resolutions, indicating she disagrees with their intent.
The city first opened its protected bike lane, known as the Market to Midtown Bikeway, in July 2021. The 2-mile, two-way lane is protected by bollards and set between the curb and parallel parking spaces. It runs along Harney Street from 10th Street to Turner Boulevard.
It was created as part of an 18-month pilot program. That program, Stothert said in a letter to council members Thursday, has provided city officials with enough data for an evaluation and “future decisions about protected bikeways in our urban core.”
An evaluation, her letter continued, will consider Harney Street as well as other east-west streets to consider the safest and most accessible location for a permanent protected bikeway.
While talking to members of the news media Wednesday, Stothert said the city is “seriously committed to all modes of transportation.” That includes a protected bike lane.
The lane was placed on Harney Street in part because of the mix of residences and businesses, she said. But data from the pilot program still needs to be analyzed.
This week, the Omaha Streetcar Authority approved a route concept for the streetcar. A portion of the route would see streetcars running east along Harney Street.
Stothert cited issues in Seattle where cyclists have been injured or killed after bike tires got stuck in streetcar tracks. Those incidents have led to a number of lawsuits brought against the city, she said.
“We do know that it is a huge challenge if you try to run a bikeway along with a streetcar,” she said.
City Council President Pete Festersen, who co-sponsored the bike lane resolution with council member Don Rowe, said Thursday that the council was in unanimous support of the protected bike lane.
“The most important message, however, is that we need to embrace multimodal transportation throughout the urban core and have all these projects work together,” he said.
Tuesday’s resolution urged the Public Works Department and the mayor — along with Metro Smart Cities and Bike Walk Nebraska — to evaluate the pilot program and consider options to extend the project, pending determination of a proposed streetcar route.
The bike lane resolution went on to say a permanent protected bike lane should be placed in or near the urban core. It also urged Public Works and the Mayor’s Office to fund any extension of the pilot project and prioritize funding for a permanent protected bike lane.
Julie Harris, executive director of Bike Walk Nebraska, told The World-Herald Thursday that her group was not involved in the decision to end the pilot program.
The pilot program started after Bike Walk Nebraska approached Metro Smart Cities about the bikeway project and provided full funding for the pilot.
Currently, the bikeway serves about 100 riders per day and has seen more than 50,000 trips since the pilot program launched, Harris said.
Effective immediately, Harris said the organization is ending its partnership with Metro Smart Cities.
“The process of us taking the project to them and not being included in these decisions, that’s where we’re frustrated,” she said. “The process broke down.”
Metro Smart Cities held a meeting Wednesday, but the meeting was not open to the public. Harris said she was unaware that the meeting would result in a final decision on the bikeway. Bike Walk Nebraska officials were not invited to attend the meeting, she said.
The World-Herald could not immediately reach a representative with Metro Smart Cities, which was formed in 2016 to solve mobility and accessibility challenges in the greater Omaha metro area.
An agenda from the advisory committee’s meeting showed a 15-minute block of time allotted to an update on the Harney Street bikeway.
Stothert’s letter to council members indicated that the decision came after consulting the Metro Smart Cities advisory committee.
Harris said she’s grateful to have support from council members and hopes to see a network of permanent protected bike lanes in the city.
“We appreciate very much the staff of Omaha By Design and all of the partners around the table with Metro Smart Cities,” Harris said. “This is not about them. This is about the process that left us out of the conversation of the project we brought to them fully funded.”
Stothert’s letter also said officials are creating a bicycle and pedestrian master plan. It would develop a framework for a comprehensive and integrated network of bike facilities, trail corridors, low-stress routes, and sidewalk and crossing improvements.
“There’s a lot of good information that we got, but we are absolutely seriously committed to having bike lanes in the urban core,” Stothert said Wednesday. “We need to make sure we get them on the right streets downtown, and we need to analyze the data we got from our pilot.”
Kurt Bruning stands in one of his fields of dryland corn near Meadow Grove, Nebraska on Thursday. Bruning said normally this time of year, the corn would be taller than him, but the drought has taken its toll.
Kurt Bruning stands in one of his fields of dryland corn near Meadow Grove, Nebraska on Thursday. Bruning said normally this time of year, the corn would be taller than him, but the drought has taken its toll.
Kurt Bruning holds two ears of corn from his farm. The one on the left is from irrigated land, the one on the right is from dryland corn. Bruning says because of the drought in Nebraska, his irrigated corn is the size of what would normally be his dryland corn.
Nebraska's Quinton Newsome tackles Oklahoma'sMarvin Mims Jr. ona play in the first quarter on Saturday.
From left: Nebraska students Blake Johnson Skyler Schwaninger, Isaiah Pomajzl, dress as Teletubbies before the Nebraska and Oklahoma game on Saturday.
Nebraska's Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph walks out with the team during their game at Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Nebraska's Anthony Grant jumps over Oklahoma defense during the first half of their game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Nebraska's Anthony Grant (center) is tackled by Oklahoma's Billy Bowman Jr. (left) and Justin Broiles during the first half of their game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Oklahoma's Eric Gray escapes Nebraska's Isaac Gifford to score a touchdown during the first half of their game against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Nebraska's Quinton Newsome (left) commits pass interference on Oklahoma's Theo Wease Jr. during the first half of their game against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Nebraska's Trey Palmer (3) makes a catch for a touchdown in the Oklahoma vs. Nebraska football game in Lincoln on Saturday.
A giant American flag hanging between two ladders from Omaha firetrucks is reflected in the sunglasses of Omaha firefighter Bruno Caro during POW/MIA Day at Memorial Park on Friday.
Dr Rudi Mitchell, left, and Pam WhiteBear participate in a wreath-laying ceremony during POW/MIA Day at Memorial Park on Friday.
Jim Meier, bottom, watches as Heritage Nursery plants trees at Memorial Park on Friday.
Nebraska's Casey Thompson looks for an open receiver before being sacked by Georgia Southern's Anthony Wilson, right, in the second quarter at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Season ticket holders Laura Buchman, left, and her husband Ed Duncklee wait on the start of the Nebraska and Georgia Southern outside of Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Nebraska’s Madi Kubik celebrates a point during their game against Stanford at Devaney Sports Center on Tuesday.
Nebraska’s Madi Kubik tips the ball during their game against Stanford at Devaney Sports Center on Tuesday.
Nebraska’s Lindsay Krause blocks the ball during their game against Stanford at Devaney Sports Center on Tuesday.
Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts answers questions about the firing of Head Coach Scott Frost on Sunday.
Nebraska's Marques Buford Jr. (1) makes a catch fo an interception in the Georgia Southern vs. Nebraska football game in Lincoln on Saturday.
Georgia Southern's Gerald Green (4) rushes in the Georgia Southern vs. Nebraska football game in Lincoln on Saturday.
Aurora's Carlos Collazo (2) escapes a tackle by Ashland-Greenwood's Drake Zimmerman (11) during the game on Friday.
Omaha Gross' fans celebrate a touchdown during the game against Elkhorn on Thursday.
Nebraska's Nate Boerkircher scores a touchdown early in the third quarter against North Dakota on Saturday.
Doug Larson holds the certificate and flag he was given after he graduated from Veterans Treatment Court at the City-County Building on Thursday.
Creighton, left, celebrates wining the third set over Nebraska at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Nebraska's Bekka Allick prepares to hit the ball at Creighton's Kendra Wait, top right, and Kiana Schmitt, bottom right, in the second set at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
A record crowd of 15,797 watch Nebraska take on Creighton at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Creighton's Ellie Bolton (from left), Norah Sis, and Sky McCune watch the pregame video before their game against Nebraska at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Creighton's Kendra Wait celebrates a point during their game against Nebraska at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Creighton's Sky McCune bumps the ball during their game against Nebraska at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Nebraska's Bekka Allick (left) tries to block Creighton's Kendra Wait during their game at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Nebraska’s Whitney Lauenstein (left) and Nicklin Hames celebrate a kill during their game against Creighton at CHI Health Center on Wednesday.
Nebraska players run onto the field before their game against North Dakota at Memorial Field on Saturday.
Nebraska’s Anthony Grant tries to escape North Dakota’s defense during the 2nd half of their game at Memorial Field on Saturday.
Nebraska’s Trey Palmer celebrates after catching a 31-yard pass during the 2nd half of their game against North Dakota at Memorial Field on Saturday.
Nebraska’s Marques Buford Jr. tries to bring down North Dakota’s Isaiah Smith during the 2nd half of their game at Memorial Field on Saturday.
Nebraska's Casey Thompson (11) looks up at the replay after being sacked for the second time in the first quarter of the North Dakota vs. Nebraska football game in Lincoln on Saturday.
Nebraska's Anthony Grant fist bumps Walt (right) and Gus Rasmussen after scoring a touchdown during a game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday.
Amanda Fink wears Husker themed cowboy books she purchased in Nashville before a game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday.
Creighton’s Kendra Wait (left) and Kiana Schmitt try to block the ball during their game against USC at Sokol Arena on Friday.
Creighton’s Kiara Reinhardt (center) and her teammates celebrate a point during their game against USC at Sokol Arena on Friday.
Elkhorn South's Cole Ballard (5) rushes with Millard South's Bryson Zimmerman (51) on his tail in the Millard South vs. Elkhorn South football game at Elkhorn High School in Omaha on Friday.
Creighton’s Keeley Davis celebrates after scoring a point during their game against USC at Sokol Arena on Friday.
kelsey.stewart@owh.com, 402-444-3100, twitter.com/kels2
Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Kelsey covers health and fitness for The World-Herald. Follow her on Twitter @kels2. Phone: 402-444-3100.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
The company contracted to demolish the W. Dale Clark Library could receive an additional payment of nearly $400,000. That pushes the total payment north of $1 million.
The Omaha City Council voted in support of keeping the city's first protected bike lane a day after officials approved the route concept for the city's future streetcar system.
Douglas County confused 230,000 property owners this week by mailing them a postcard with a major mistake. Now it's working to clean up the mess.
Nebraska voting rights advocates kicked off a campaign against a ballot measure that would require people to show valid photographic identification before voting.
"I don't feel like it's taken an extraordinary amount of time to get this done," Mayor Jean Stothert said regarding Omaha's climate action plan. "But we want to get it done right and correct."
The route concept for Omaha’s future streetcar system was approved after a change to reduce the impact on busy 10th Street in downtown Omaha.
Metro Smart Cities, the group tasked with developing Omaha's climate action plan, is expected to approve a request for proposals at a meeting Wednesday. The meeting will not be open to the public or press.
A $20 million project will allow Omaha’s Papillion Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility to profit off its biogas production and contribute to the renewable energy market.
A press release from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert's office outlines the W. Dale Clark Library's final days.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.