Transportation in Omaha - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Transportation in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

includes most major modes, such as pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

, bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

, automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

, bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

, train

Train

A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...

and airplane. While early transportation consisted of ferries

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

, stagecoach

Stagecoach

A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...

es, steamboat

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

s, street railroads, and railroads, the city's transportation systems have evolved to include the Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway System

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...

, parklike boulevards

Boulevards in Omaha

Boulevards in Omaha are part of a park and boulevard system originally designed in 1889 by Horace Cleveland. There are more than one hundred and fifty kilometers of boulevards throughout the city of Omaha, Nebraska today...

and a variety of bicycle and pedestrian trails

Trails in Omaha

Trails in Omaha, Nebraska include of paved trails as well as unpaved trails and paths for recreational usage throughout the city. Popular among bicyclists, runners, hikers and recreational walkers, these trails are included in comprehensive plans for the city of Omaha, the Omaha metro area,...

. The historic head of several important emigrant trail

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s and the First Transcontinental Railroad

First Transcontinental Railroad

The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...

, its center as a national transportation hub earned Omaha the nickname "Gate City of the West" as early as the 1860s.

During a tumultuous pioneer period characterized by its centrality in proximity to the Western United States

Western United States

.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...

, transportation in Omaha demanded the construction of massive warehouses where frontier settlers could stock up and communities west of Omaha got food and supplies to build themselves with. Riverboats and stagecoaches jammed the riverside city with a variety of newcomers, prospectors and shady characters. Early Omaha also landed the Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad

The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....

headquarters, leading to its important place in national railroad lore.

After quickly growing into a city, Omaha failed to pave its streets accordingly. A chaotic transportation system was highlighted by several miles of successful horsecar

Horsecar

A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...

tracks; however, the city only ever had four miles (6 km) of cable car

Cable car

A cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...

service. Several early suburbs were built on reliance of service from these lines, including Dundee

Dundee, Nebraska

The Dundee-Happy Hollow Historic District is located west of Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. It covers the area between Leavenworth Street on the south, Hamilton Street on the north, Happy Hollow Boulevard on the west, and 46th Street on the east. The "heart" of Dundee is located at 50th and Underwood...

, Benson

Benson, Nebraska

Benson is a historic neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Now a pocket within North Omaha, Benson Place was originally platted in 1887 and was annexed into the City of Omaha in 1917.-History:...

and Kountze Place

Kountze Place

The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located between North 16th Avenue on the east to North 30th...

. In the early 1880s an extensive boulevard

Boulevard

A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...

system was built to create a park

Park

A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...

-like atmosphere for drivers throughout the city. The Trans-Mississippi Exposition

Trans-Mississippi Exposition

The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...

in 1889 led to the construction of many new transportation features, particularly the magnificent Burlington Station.

In the 1930s the city's transportation system was marred by violent protests. Transit workers wanted to unionize, and with the main company's management against any effort to change Omaha's reputation as a non-unionized city. After the introduction of bus

Bus

es in the early 1950s, streetcars were closed down, and in the last years of the decade the city began construction on its components in the Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway System

.

Today Omaha's transportation system is growing with the city, and trail

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s for bicycles and pedestrians, as well as public transportation, highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

s and parkways, and other innovations are being developed. The city has a section of the Lincoln Highway

Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...

listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

, and there are more than 100 miles (160.9 km) of Interstate

Interstate Highway System

and freeway lanes, more than any other area in the state of Nebraska.

Pioneer period

Omaha was not projected to become a great city or bigger than its neighbor across the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...

. In 1856 a land speculator reported to his East Coast

East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...

concerns that,

"C. Bluffs is steadily growing down towards the river and someday it will be one great city on both sides the river with Rail Road & foot & Carriage Bridges connecting the two – and this is now the hope and talk of the Bluffers." - J. Barker, 1856.

In August 1859 Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

visited land he had invested in Council Bluffs, and while there did not consider it worth the time to cross the river to the village of Omaha.

Water traffic

In 1804, fifty years before the city of Omaha was founded, the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...

first arrived via the Missouri River. The 1806 Fort Lisa and 1820 Cabanne's Trading Post

Cabanne's Trading Post

Cabanne's Trading Post was established in 1822 by the American Fur Company as Fort Robidoux near present-day Dodge Park in North Omaha, Nebraska. It was named for influential fur trapper Joseph Robidoux...

were important fur trading outposts located in proximity to the river, along with earlier Fontenelle's Post

Fontenelle's Post

Fontenelle's Post, first known as Pilcher's Post, and the site of the later city of Bellevue, was built in 1822 in the Nebraska Territory by Joshua Pilcher, then president of the Missouri Fur Company. Located on the Missouri River, it developed as one of the first European-American settlements in...

in Bellevue

Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 50,137 at the 2010 census. Eight miles south of Omaha, Bellevue is part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Originally settled in the 1830s, It was the first state capitol. Bellevue was incorporated in...

. The Engineer Cantonment was built by Captain Stephen Watts Kearny's Yellowstone Expedition

Yellowstone Expedition

The Yellowstone Expedition was a frontier expedition authorized in 1818 by United States Secretary of War John C. Calhoun to establish a military fort or outpost near present-day Bismarck, North Dakota at the mouth of the Yellowstone River...

in 1819. The Expedition's craft, the Western Engineer, was the first steamboat to successfully venture up the Missouri River to the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.

The Missouri was the reason Omaha was founded, and continued to be important to the city's growth for many years. In 1853 William D. Brown

William D. Brown

William D. Brown was the first pioneer to envision building a city where Omaha, Nebraska sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth century. Alfred D...

had the first vision for the city, leading him to found the Lone Tree Ferry

Lone Tree Ferry

The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown...

crossing the Missouri River

Missouri River

from Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, Iowa

. Later the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company hired Alfred D. Jones

Alfred D. Jones

Alfred D. Jones was a lawyer, surveyor and politician in the 1900s in the Midwestern United States. In 1846 he platted Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and in 1854 he platted Omaha, Nebraska...

to plat

Plat

A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....

Omaha City, which was among the first settlements in the Nebraska Territory

Nebraska Territory

The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...

. Along with the Lone Tree Ferry Landing in Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...

, other ferries were established in the Omaha area at Florence

Florence, Nebraska

Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...

, Saratoga and Bellevue

Bellevue, Nebraska

. Large steamboats would carry provisions up the Missouri from St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, stocking the warehouses in Jobbers Canyon and loading the trains of the Union Pacific and at the Omaha Quartermaster Depot, which in turn supplied the U.S. Army's Department of the Platte

Department of the Platte

The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho...

.

The Banner State was the first steamboat to land materials for building the city in early 1854, before the city was formally founded. Until 1879 Captain Joseph La Barge was the principal figure among the Missouri steamboat captains in the early years of the city. According to J. Sterling Morton, the golden era for steamboating on the Missouri was from 1855 to 1860, just before the advent of the railroads. In 1857, 174 steamboats carrying 13,000 tons of freight tied up at Omaha wharves. When Omaha became the outfitting center for Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

seekers headed for Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....

in 1859, 268 steamboats arrived at Omaha between March and November.

With railroads becoming the dominant form of long-range shipping and passenger travel in the early 1870s, riverboats like those in Omaha became obsolete. However, as late at 1949 the steamship Avalon was letting passengers in Omaha, before becoming one of the famous St. Louis steamboats in the 1960s.

Railroads

In 1863, ground was broke near Miller's Landing

River City Star

The River City Star is a passenger excursion riverboat that sails on the Missouri River in the United States between Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The boat is docked at Miller's Landing in the NoDo area of Downtown Omaha and is registered in Nebraska for taxes and alcohol licensing...

on the Missouri River for the First Transcontinental Railroad

First Transcontinental Railroad

. Along with local financier Edward Creighton

Edward Creighton

Edward Creighton was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were central to the growth and development of Omaha...

, George Francis Train

George Francis Train

George Francis Train was an entrepreneurial businessman who organized the clipper ship line that sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco; he organized the Union Pacific Railroad and the Credit Mobilier in the United States, and a horse tramway company in England while there during the American...

was the promoter who was mostly responsible for the city landing the railroad. He was made rich from its convenient placement near land that he owned (near Deer Park. The Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad

The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....

has been headquartered in Omaha since its inception in 1867. In 1872, Union Pacific opened the first [railroad] bridge across the Missouri to Omaha.

Trails

In the 1860s and 1870s, the city became a major outfitting center for the major trails that went across Nebraska, including the Oregon

Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...

, California

California Trail

The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California...

and Mormon

Mormon Trail

The Mormon Trail or Mormon Pioneer Trail is the 1,300 mile route that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled from 1846 to 1868...

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s. Jobbers Canyon was built in Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha

for the purpose of outfitting these migrants. Stagecoach lines had arrived by 1858, including the Local Stage Coach Company in 1857, and the Western Stage Company which began its easterly and westerly routes in Omaha. The Pony Express

Pony Express

The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...

and Wells Fargo

History of Wells Fargo

This article outlines the history of Wells Fargo & Company from its origins to its merger with Norwest and beyond. The new company chose to retain the name of "Wells Fargo" and so this article also includes the history after the merger.-Origins:...

lines maintained offices in the city.

Streets

Omaha had terrible streets through the late 1880s, which caused many residents to believe the city was not progressing appropriately. This lack of responsiveness by the city government

Government of Omaha

The government of the City of Omaha, Nebraska consists of the Mayor of Omaha, the Omaha City Council and various departments of the City of Omaha, which in located in Douglas County, Nebraska. The city of Omaha was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1857....

was caused by property owners throughout the city who did not want to pay for improvements. On rainy days stagecoach

Stagecoach

es would sink up to their hubcaps, and residents wore knee

Knee

The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...

-high boots to wade through the mud, and at times rivers ran through the streets.

Public transportation

In 1867 Ezra Millard

Ezra Millard

Ezra Millard was a U.S. politician who was mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1869 to 1871. He was also brother to Joseph Hopkins Millard, another mayor of Omaha and name sake of Millard, Nebraska....

, Andrew J. Hanscom

Andrew J. Hanscom

Andrew Jackson Hanscom was a pioneer Omaha, Nebraska lawyer, politician and real estate broker.-Biography:...

, and Augustus Kountze

Augustus Kountze

Augustus Kountze was a pioneer banker, politician, philanthropist and railroad supporter in Omaha, Nebraska, Kountze, Texas and New York City...

formed the Omaha Horse Railway Company to provide horsecar

Horsecar

service in the city. By the late 1870s the line had five miles (8 km) of track, 10 cars, 70 horses, 20 employees and 495,000 passengers annually. The Omaha Cable Tramway Company

Omaha Cable Tramway Company

The Cable Tramway Company of Omaha, Nebraska started in 1884 and ended in 1895. was the only cable car line ever built in Omaha, and had only four lines of tracks in operation.-History:...

was the city's only cable car

Cable car (railway)

A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping this cable as required...

, and started in 1884 and ended in 1895 after consolidating with the Horse Railway as the Omaha Street Railway Company. In 1896 the new company disbanded as competitors moved in. An electric car

Electric car

An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...

was built by Eurastus Benson between Omaha and Benson

Benson, Nebraska

Benson is a historic neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Now a pocket within North Omaha, Benson Place was originally platted in 1887 and was annexed into the City of Omaha in 1917.-History:...

specifically to promote that suburbs development during this time.

Streets

In 1880 only a quarter mile of Omaha's estimated 118 miles (189.9 km) of streets were paved. In 1883 Andrew Rosewater, brother of newspaper owner Edward Rosewater

Edward Rosewater

Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, was a Republican Party politician and newspaper editor in Omaha, Nebraska...

, became city engineer and began an ambitious project to modernize city streets. By 1886 the city had 44 miles (70.8 km) of paved streets, including asphaltum, Colorado sandstone

Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

, Sioux Falls granite

Granite

Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...

and wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

en blocks.

In 1889 Horace W.S. Cleveland proposed that the city of Omaha develop a series of "broad ornamental avenues, known as boulevards or parkways" designed "with a tasteful arrangement of trees and shrubbery at the sides and in the center", similar to the comprehensive plans of European cities in the mid-19th century. His plan was accepted by the city's Parks Commission, resulting in the construction of Omaha's Prettiest Mile Boulevard in 1892, and dozens of other boulevards in the through to the present. Today, Fontenelle

Fontenelle Boulevard

Fontenelle Boulevard is a roadway in the Omaha boulevard system located on the north end of Omaha, Nebraska. The boulevard shares its namesake Logan Fontenelle with several local institutions and fixtures, including Fontenelle Elementary School and Fontenelle Park.-About:Originally called Boulevard...

and Lincoln

Lincoln Boulevard (Omaha)

Lincoln Boulevard in Omaha, Nebraska was built in the early 1890s as part of the city's boulevard system under control of the Board of Park Commissioners...

boulevards are among the many remnants of the early plan; Sorenson Parkway

Sorenson Parkway

The Sorensen Parkway is a modern link in the boulevard system in Omaha, Nebraska. The Parkway flows west from North 30th Street to North 90th Street, and has been viewed as the northern boundary that defines the area called North Omaha.-About:...

is a modern version of the historical plan. Saddle Creek Boulevard, currently known as Saddle Creek Road, which was originally the westernmost boulevard in the system.

Bridges

While the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge

Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge

The Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge is a rail truss bridge across the Missouri River connecting Council Bluffs, Iowa with Omaha, Nebraska.-History:...

was the first railroad bridge across the river, the 1400 feet (426.7 m) Douglas Street Bridge opened in 1888 as the first road bridge. The East Omaha Bridge was originally opened in 1893, and rebuilt a decade later in 1903. The Mormon Bridge

Mormon Bridge (Omaha)

The Mormon Bridge are two truss bridges that cross the Missouri River connecting Pottawattamie County, Iowa with Florence in the north end of Omaha, Nebraska via Interstate 680 .-About:...

was first attempted to be built across the river in 1932, and failed; it was finally successfully constructed in 1952. The South Omaha Bridge opened in 1936. The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben

Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben

The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, , is a 501 civic and philanthropic organization in Omaha, Nebraska.-History:The organization was formed in 1895 in an attempt to keep the Nebraska State Fair in Omaha after receiving an ultimatum to provide entertainment "other than saloons, gambling houses and...

operated the Douglas Street Bridge

Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge

The Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge was a truss bridge that was the first road bridge to cross the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa...

as a toll bridge

Toll bridge

A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...

from 1938 to 1947 and in 1986 the old girder bridge

Girder bridge

A girder bridge, in general, is a bridge built of girders placed on bridge abutments and foundation piers. In turn, a bridge deck is built on top of the girders in order to carry traffic. There are several different subtypes of girder bridges:...

was be the new I-480

Interstate 480 (Iowa-Nebraska)

Interstate 480 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, a mere long, that connects Interstate 80 in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, with Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The portion of I-480 in Nebraska has been named the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, named in honor of the former President, who was a...

in 1966. The Saddle Creek Underpass

Saddle Creek Underpass

The Saddle Creek Underpass is located in the Midtown area of Omaha, Nebraska. Built to accommodate Dodge Street traversing over Saddle Creek Road, the underpass was constructed in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration...

, over which is the Dodge Street Overpass, was completed in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Administration

The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

. Over 1175 cubic yards (898.4 m³) of dirt were excavated to lower Saddle Creek Road sufficiently to pass under the overpass, which is still in use today. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1992, it is part of the Bridges in Nebraska Multiple Property Submission as well.

Highways

In 1889 Otto Baysdorfer built Omaha's first auto, an electric car

Electric car

. The "Ottomobile" was the first of nearly a dozen car manufacturers eventually started in Omaha. The Ottomobile weighed 265 pounds, had two cylinders, and could achieve a speed of 15 miles per hour. An "Automobile Row" developed along Farnam Street and featured dealers, garages, and parts stores.

The original Lincoln Highway in Omaha

Lincoln Highway (Omaha)

The Lincoln Highway in Omaha, Nebraska runs east–west from near North 183rd Street and West Dodge Road in towards North 192nd Street outside of Elkhorn. This section of the Lincoln Highway, one of only twenty miles that were paved with brick in Nebraska, is one of the most well-preserved in...

was designated through Omaha in 1913. Crossing the Missouri River

Missouri River

into Omaha on the old Douglas Street Bridge, it traveled west on Dodge Street, then meandered across the state following section

Section (United States land surveying)

In U.S. land surveying under the Public Land Survey System , a section is an area nominally one square mile, containing , with 36 sections making up one survey township on a rectangular grid....

lines. Some of these sections were built exclusively to accommodate the highway. Important buildings on the Lincoln Highway in Omaha included the Hupmobile Building

Hupmobile Building

The Hupmobile Building is located at 2523 Farnam Street in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1917 on the city's historic Auto Row, the building is the last preserved Hupmobile dealership in the United States...

, the Nash Building at 902-912 Farnam and 901-911 Douglas streets, and the Blackstone Hotel

Blackstone Hotel (Omaha)

The Blackstone Hotel, currently known as the Blackstone Center, is located at 302 South 36th Street in the Blackstone neighborhood of the Midtown area in Omaha, Nebraska...

at Farnum Street and 36th Street. Additionally, the Rose Blumkin Performance Arts Center at 20th and Farnum Street and the Farnum Street Automobile Row, from 30th to 40th Streets were both important landmarks.

In 1930 49,128 autos were registered in Omaha; ten years later 65,489 were registered to drive on local streets.

After truck

Truck

A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...

s became popular in the 1910s, the Omaha Stockyards grew exponentially. Cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

, hogs

Pig

A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...

and sheep were shipped cheaper by truck than by trains. In 1919 27% of livestock at the Stockyards was shipped by truck; by 1940's it rose to over 75%. In 1955 the Stockyards became the biggest livestock distribution center in the United States, and almost all of the cattle was shipped by truck.

Airport

The aforementioned Baysdorfer provided Omaha with another invention by successfully flying an airship

Airship

An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...

in the city in 1889. In 1929 a bond was passed that would construct the Omaha Municipal Airport in East Omaha

East Omaha, Nebraska

East Omaha is a geographically designated community located in Omaha, Nebraska. Located three miles from downtown Omaha, East Omaha is the site of Eppley Airfield, Omaha’s main airport, and Carter Lake...

. This was thought to embody the city's hope for the future; however, air travel did not become popular in Omaha until the 1960s. The land was swampy and had to be filled in with silt taken from the bottom of Carter Lake. Northwest Airlines started service between Minneapolis and Omaha in 1930.

In the late 1940s Eppley Airfield was completed. In 1959 the airport was named for Eugene C. Eppley

Eugene C. Eppley

Eugene C. Eppley, , also known as Gene, was a hotel magnate in Omaha, Nebraska. Eppley is credited with single-handedly building one of the most successful hotel empires, by the 1950s the largest privately owned hotel chain in the United States.-Career:Eppley was born in Akron, Ohio and was...

, the Omaha Eppley Hotel magnate. Eppley's estate donated $1 million to be used to convert the Omaha Municipal Airport into a jet port.

Public transportation

The Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company

Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company

The Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company, known as O&CB, was incorporated in 1886 in order to connect Omaha, Nebraska with Council Bluffs, Iowa over the Missouri River...

was founded in 1886 in order to span the Missouri River

Missouri River

. In the late 1880s the city had five franchise

Government-granted monopoly

In economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...

companies providing transit services within city limits. They included the Omaha and Southwestern Street Railway Company, which provided services to Kountze Place

Kountze Place

, Dundee

Dundee, Nebraska

, Bemis Park and the Gold Coast

Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska)

The Gold Coast Historic District is located in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, this historic district covers approximately a 30 block area roughly bounded by 36th, 40th, Jones, and Cuming Streets...

neighborhoods. Short lines ran with limited purposes: one went only to a baseball field at the end of its line, while another ran to and from a park.

By 1901 local businessman Gurdon W. Wattles consolidated several of the older horsecar and cable car companies to create the Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company, which later became the Omaha Traction Company

Omaha Traction Company

The Omaha Traction Company was a privately-owned public transportation business in Omaha, Nebraska. Created in the early 1900s by wealthy Omaha banker Gurdon Wattles, the company was involved in a series of contentious disputes with organized labor....

. After receiving a 30-year franchise from the city of Omaha, the company established a mass transit system that covered the entire city, including commuter trains and interurban

Interurban

An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...

Traction Company strike

Wattles was vehemently opposed to unionization, and in 1909 fought strikes

Strike action

Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...

in favor of unionization with hired policemen and rampant violence. By 1934 the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees was organized in Omaha.

However, by April 1935 the fragile truce between pro-open shop

Open shop

An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment...

management and pro-union forces broke. A long, violent strike ensued. Strikebreaker

Strikebreaker

A strikebreaker is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who are not employed by the company prior to the trade union dispute, but rather hired prior to or during the strike to keep the organisation running...

s were hired, and within four days the company rolled out heavily fortified streetcars, complete with windows covered by heavy wire and armed guards on board. While few cars attracted passengers, the cars encountered little resistance. The company resisted calls for arbitration

Arbitration

Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...

from the Omaha City Council

Omaha City Council

The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2009. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district...

, and continued employing strikebreakers. In early May violence broke out, with rifle attacks, violent beatings and bombings across the city. In June riots broke out throughout the city with mobs burning streetcars, looting and two deaths. The city government lost control of the violence and called in the National Guard, which sent 1,800 troops while Governor

Governor of Nebraska

The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...

Robert Cochran

Robert Leroy Cochran

Robert LeRoy Cochran was a Nebraska Democratic politician best known for being the 24th Governor of Nebraska.-Biography:...

declared martial law

Martial law

Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...

and ordered the streetcars to stop running. After the governor intervened and Wattles allowed arbitration, a number of agreements were made. However, no changes occurred, and strikebreakers stayed on the job. The violence ended, court cases ensued, and the situation slowly faded away. The Omaha Traction Company never unionized.

Omaha Belt Line

The Omaha Belt Line was formed in 1883 by the Union Pacific; some shady dealings by Jay Gould

Jay Gould

Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...

brought the Belt Line into the control of the Missouri Pacific Railroad

Missouri Pacific Railroad

The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...

by 1885, when it was constructed with Union Pacific materials under the control of the MoPac. Stations along with Line included the Florence Depot

Florence Depot

The Florence Depot at 9000 North 30th Street in the Florence community of Omaha, Nebraska. Originally built in 1887 at 28th and Grebe in downtown Florence, the Depot closed in 1966...

, Webster Street Station

Webster Street Station

The Webster Street Station was a train station located at Webster and North 15th Streets in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Located on the Omaha Belt Line, which was operated by the Omaha Road and the Missouri Pacific Railroad as a local railroad passenger depot, the station was built in 1887...

and the Ralston Station. Operated by that company until the early 1960s, today the Line is largely abandoned, with a section redeveloped into the recreational MoPac Trail

MoPac Trail

The MoPac Trail is a rail trail in Nebraska. It is a bicycling, equestrian and walking trail built on an abandoned Missouri Pacific Railroad corridor which runs for 26 miles from Lincoln, Nebraska to Wabash, Nebraska.-History:...

Streets

Starting in 1950 the city has continuously developed and redeveloped its major streets, particularly relying on them for east-west traffic. Major east-west thoroughfares in Omaha include Fort, Ames, Maple, Blondo, Dodge

Dodge Street

Dodge Street is the main east–west street in Omaha, Nebraska. Numbered as U.S. Route 6, the street starts in Downtown Omaha and connects to West Dodge Road around 78th Street. From there it continues westward through the remainder of Douglas County....

, Pacific, Center, L, Q and Harrison streets. Major north-south thoroughfares in Omaha include North

North 24th Street

North 24th Street is a two-way street that runs south-north in the North Omaha area of Omaha, Nebraska. With the street beginning at Dodge Street, the historically significant section of the street runs from Cuming Street to Ames Avenue...

and South

South Omaha Main Street Historic District

The South Omaha Main Street Historic District is located along South 24th Street between M and O Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989...

24th streets, 30th street, Saddle Creek Road, and 72nd, 84th, 90th, and 120th streets. South 10th Street

South 10th Street

South 10th Street is a two-way street that runs south-north from Downtown into South Omaha, Nebraska. With the street beginning at Dodge Street, the street immediately dissects Gene Leahy Mall and borders the ConAgra Campus and the Old Market. Its southern reaches are widely regarded as the heart...

is important in South Omaha.

Highways

The first long segment of Interstate 80 in Nebraska

Interstate 80 in Nebraska

In the U.S. state of Nebraska, Interstate 80 runs west from Omaha to the Wyoming state border, ultimately terminating in San Francisco, California. When it completed construction of the stretch of Interstate 80 spanning the state on October 19, 1974, Nebraska was the first state in the nation to...

to be opened was a fifty mile section between Dodge Street in Omaha and the West Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska

The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....

interchange in 1961.

Construction of the freeway in North Omaha in the 1970s faced many hurdles. Built immediately after the construction of I-480, this 4 miles (6.4 km) section was originally supposed to be designated as Interstate 580. However, the city refused to invest the additional money the federal government required in order to gain the designation. Coupled with social unrest in the 1970s, the highway is blamed for causing a 30 percent housing loss and major increase in crime. The freeway became the route of U.S. Highway 75 and is known locally as the North Freeway.

Today, Omaha is well connected to the Interstate Highway System

Interstate Highway System

. The city has eleven highway exits along Interstate 80. From that Interstate drivers can connect to Nebraska Highway 50, US 275

U.S. Route 275

U.S. Route 275 is a north–south United States highway. It is a branch of US 75, originally terminating at that route in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The highway's northern terminus is in O'Neill, Nebraska, at an intersection with U.S. Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 281. Its southern terminus is near...

/NE 92

Nebraska Highway 92

Nebraska Highway 92 is a highway in Nebraska. Its western terminus is at the Wyoming border west of Lyman, Nebraska and its eastern terminus is in Omaha at the Missouri River, where it enters Iowa. Nebraska Highway 92 is part of a continuous 4-state "Highway 92" which begins in Torrington,...

, I-680

Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska)

Interstate 680 in Nebraska and Iowa is the northern bypass freeway for the Omaha, Nebraska-Council Bluffs, Iowa metropolitan area. I-680 spans from its western terminus in western Omaha to its eastern terminus near Neola, Iowa. For a stretch, I-680 is co-signed with Interstate 29...

and I-480

Interstate 480 (Iowa-Nebraska)

/US 75

U.S. Route 75

U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...

. Continuing north, I-680 connects with I-29 near Crescent, Iowa

Crescent, Iowa

Crescent is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 537 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crescent is located at ....

and reconnects with I-80 near Neola, Iowa

Neola, Iowa

Neola is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 845 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Neola is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

; I-480 cuts through Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha

to connect with I-29 in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs, Iowa

. The North Freeway also veers from I-480, and in 2005, the Nebraska Department of Roads

Nebraska Department of Roads

The Nebraska Department of Roads is the state government agency charged with building and maintaining the state and federal highways in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The main headquarters of the agency is located in Lincoln, the capital city...

began a project to bring the I-480/US 75 interchange up to Interstate standards. Construction is expected to be complete in 2009, and it is unknown if the North Freeway will receive an Interstate designation upon completion of the project.

There are a number of important arterial roads throughout Omaha. U.S. Route 75

U.S. Route 75

comes south through Omaha from Fort Calhoun

Fort Calhoun, Nebraska

Fort Calhoun is a city in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 856 at the 2000 census.Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station is built on...

along North 30 Street, North Freeway, I-480 and Kennedy Freeway, exiting through Bellevue

Bellevue, Nebraska

. U.S. Route 6

U.S. Route 6

U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...

crosses into the city from Council Bluffs on I-480, also called the Gerald R. Ford Freeway in honor of the Omaha native son. It then follows Dodge Street, until it intersects South 204th Street, when it runs south towards Gretna

Gretna, Nebraska

Gretna is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,355 at the 2000 census. In 2008, its population was estimated to be 6,572. Gretna has the fastest rate of growth of any Nebraska city since 2000.-History:...

. Nebraska Highway 64

Nebraska Highway 64

Nebraska Highway 64 is a highway in Nebraska. There are two segments to the highway. The western segment lies in Butler County between U.S. Highway 81 and Nebraska Highway 15. The eastern segment goes through Saunders and Douglas counties between U.S. Highway 77 and U.S. Highway 75.-Western...

assumes the route of the former Military Road northwest out of Omaha, following Maple Road and West Maple Road to converge with US 275 at Waterloo

Waterloo, Nebraska

Waterloo is a village in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 459 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Waterloo is located at ....

. US 275 becomes Nebraska Highway 92

Nebraska Highway 92

after crossing the South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge

South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge

The South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge was a continuous warren through truss bridge over the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska with Council Bluffs, Iowa via U.S. Highway 275.Omaha floated a $2 million bond issue for the bridge in 1931...

, following Missouri Avenue, which then becomes "L" Street. At South 132nd Street, at which point it veers northeast to follow the old Mormon Trail

Mormon Trail

The Mormon Trail or Mormon Pioneer Trail is the 1,300 mile route that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled from 1846 to 1868...

along Industrial Road when it joins West Center Road, crossing the Platte River

Platte River

The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...

and continuing westward.

In 2005 a portion of the Lincoln Highway in Omaha

Lincoln Highway (Omaha)

was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

Traffic monitoring

Beginning in fall 2007 there will be more than 30 traffic camera

Traffic camera

A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, these are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, motorways, autoroutes and expressways, as well as arterial roads, and are connected with optical fibers buried alongside or even under the road,...

s operating on Omaha area freeways, including one at I-80 near Gretna and another on West Dodge near 120th Street. Operated by the Nebraska Department of Roads

Nebraska Department of Roads

, the sensors and cameras are not used to catch speeder

Speeder

A speeder is a maintenance of way motorized vehicle formerly used on railroads around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and...

s or for other traffic enforcement. The state also operates an extensive traffic operations center that utilizes the cameras to monitor Omaha traffic pattern

Traffic pattern

Traffic pattern can refer to*Information traffic patterns*Airfield traffic patterns...

s. Similar to traffic monitoring centers in Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska

and North Platte

North Platte, Nebraska

North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the southwestern part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River...

, the one in Omaha is the biggest and has the greatest capability to provide traffic information.

Public transportation

The Omaha Traction Company, which operated as the Street Railway Company, changed its name to the Omaha Transit Company when streetcar service ended in the city in 1952. After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Omahans preferred their automobiles and new highways. When the Urban Mass Transit Act of 1964 was passed, Omaha's private transit companies were not able to apply for federal subsidies

Subsidy

A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...

available to public transit operators. The Omaha Transit Company ceased operations on June 30, 1972, when the City of Omaha assumed authority for public transportation in the city. City Transit Lines, another private company in Omaha, went out of business on that day as well. The Metro Area Transit Authority was created by the Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska Legislature

The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....

, consisting of a five member board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by Omaha's City Council and the Douglas County Commissioners. It acquired the assets of the Omaha Transit Company and selected assets of the City Transit Lines of Council Bluffs, along with more than $3,000,000 in federal funding. The Authority operates today as Metro Area Transit

Metro Area Transit

Metro , previously known as Metro Area Transit is the local mass transportation provider in Omaha, Nebraska. Metro currently operates around 135 buses throughout the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, including the communities of Bellevue, Ralston, LaVista and Papillion in Nebraska, as well as...

, or MAT.

Today the Authority supervises the level of service, miles and hours of operation within Omaha, and maintains individual service contract

Contract

A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

s with local authorities outside Omaha. Currently, MAT has three contracts, including the cities of Council Bluffs, Bellevue and the Tri-Communities of Ralston

Ralston, Nebraska

Ralston is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,314 at the 2000 census. Ralston is geographically surrounded by Omaha, Nebraska but is a separate city. Since Ralston's population is below 10,000, state law technically allows for Omaha to forcibly annex Ralston...

, LaVista and Papillion

Papillion, Nebraska

Papillion is a city in Sarpy County in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is a suburb to the southwest of neighboring Omaha, and is the county seat of Sarpy County. The population of Papillion was 18,894 at the 2010 census. In 2009, Papillion was named the #3 best place to live in the United States by...

.

MAT recently completed three new transit centers, which function much like airport hubs. Located at Benson Park

Benson Park

Benson Park is located at 7028 Military Avenue in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The park includes an ice rink, a lake and pavilion, as well as a scenic picnic area.-History:...

, Westroads Mall

Westroads Mall

Westroads Mall is an enclosed shopping mall with over 135 stores located in Omaha, Nebraska at the intersection of 100th and Dodge Streets. It is the largest mall in the state of Nebraska, with 14.5 million customer visits annually....

and in South Omaha, they are designed to bolster the city's public busing needs. These join existing centers in Midtown

Midtown Omaha

Midtown is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that is a culturally, socially and economically important area of the city. It is home to major research centers, national corporations, several historic districts, and a number of historic residences.-About:...

and North Omaha.

Light rail

In recent years the city of Omaha has grown exponentially, and with a renewed focus on public transit, there have been plans for new streetcars and light rail

Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

in the city, including a movement initiated by former mayor Hal Daub

Hal Daub

Harold John "Hal" Daub, Jr. is a politician and lawyer affiliated with the Republican Party.-Background:...

, which in a 2003 City Council action, failed to reach approval by only one vote. The currently proposed streetcars would cost $55 million and run in a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) loop through Downtown Omaha

Downtown Omaha

and NoDo

Nodo

Nodo may refer to:*NASA Orbital Debris Observatory, a telescope and astronomical survey operated by NASA from 1995 to 2002*NoDo, an area of downtown Omaha, Nebraska*No-Do, late 20th century Spanish newsreels*NoDo, the first update to Windows Phone 7...

. It would cost about $2 million per year to operate and would serve almost 7,000 passengers in its first year. One route would run the cars from Creighton University

Creighton University

Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...

near 20th and Webster streets, proceeding east to 10th Street, passing by the Qwest Center and moving south to Jackson Street in the Old Market. After that it would then move west to 16th Street and then north to Farnam before returning to 10th Street.

Air

Today Eppley Airfield sits on 2650 acres (10.7 km²) and handles approximately 400 flights a week. There are two concourse

Concourse

A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...

s that hold 20 gate

Gate

A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...

s. The airport handled more than 4.4 million passengers in 2007, and as of September 2008, Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...

is the largest carrier handling approximately 24 percent of passengers. United

United Airlines

United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...

is the second-largest carrier, handling approximately 19 percent of passengers. Currently all regularly scheduled flights from Eppley Airfield terminate within the United States.

Airline

Airline

An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...

s serving Omaha include American

American Airlines

American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...

, Continental

Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...

, Delta

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...

, Frontier

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines, Inc., is an American airline headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The carrier, which is a subsidiary and operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings, operates flights to 83 destinations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica and maintains hubs at...

, Midwest Airlines

Midwest Airlines

Midwest Airlines was a U.S.-based airline and was also an operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. operating from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport...

, AirTran, Southwest

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...

, United

United Airlines

and US Airways

US Airways

US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....

Trails

Omaha was completely devoid of trails leading up to early 1989. That year the city began developing trails, and since then the city of Omaha has developed approximately 67 miles (107.8 km) of paved recreational trails, and another 35 miles (56.3 km) of trails are scheduled for completion within the next eight years.

Paved and unpaved trail

Trail

A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

s and paths are used for recreation

Recreation

Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...

al and commuter purposes throughout the city. Popular among bicyclists, runners

Running

Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...

, hikers and recreational walkers

Pedestrian

, these trails are included in comprehensive plans for the city of Omaha, the Omaha metro area, Douglas County

Douglas County, Nebraska

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 463,585 people, 182,194 households, and 115,146 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,401 people per square mile . There were 192,672 housing units at an average density of 582 per square mile...

, and long-distance coordinated plans between the municipalities of southeast Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

.

The Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge

Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge

The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is a footbridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. It opened on 28 September 2008....

will connect Miller's Landing to Council Bluffs in 2009. A riverfront trail will run the length of the river from the South Omaha Bridge to N.P. Dodge Park.

Water traffic

An anomaly in the city's transportation is the River City Star

River City Star

, a passenger excursion paddleboat

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

that sails between Omaha and Council Bluffs. The boat is docked at Miller's Landing

River City Star

near the Qwest Center, near mile marker 617 on the Missouri River.

Marina

Marina

A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....

s for public usage are operated by the Omaha Parks and Recreation Department. Dodge Park

Dodge Park

N.P. Dodge Memorial Park, or simply Dodge Park, is a recreational area located at 11001 John J. Pershing Drive in North Omaha, Nebraska. Located on the Missouri River, the park is a haven for fishing, water skiing, and boating, as well as hiking throughout its riparian forests. Baseball fields,...

, located in North Omaha, has 326 slip

Slip

- In science and technology :* Slip , an aqueous suspension of minerals, and frequently deflocculant.* Slip , a positional displacement in a sequence of transmitted symbols...

s, while the new Riverfront Marina in Downtown Omaha has 31. Levi Carter Park

Levi Carter Park

Levi Carter Park is located at 3100 Abbott Drive in East Omaha, Nebraska. It was named after one of Omaha's original industrialists, Levi Carter, who ran a white lead smelter in the area.-History:...

, which has a long history as a water haven, offers non-restricted boating for jet ski

Jet ski

Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name is a valid trademark registered with the...

s, recreational boat

Boat

A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...

ing and water skiing. No wake boating allowed available at Lake Cunningham

Lake Cunningham

Lake Cunningham Park is an artificial lake in East San Jose, California, near the Eastridge Mall and Eastridge Transit Center. It is not a geological feature recognized in the Geographic Names Information System . It is located on Capitol Expressway and stands next to Reid-Hillview Airport...

, Standing Bear Lake

Standing Bear Lake

Standing Bear Lake, also known as Dam Site 16, is a park located at 6404 North 132nd street in West Omaha, Nebraska.The park has a lake with boating in the summertime, and ice skating in the winter...

or Zorinsky Lake; however, these lakes offer opportunities for sailing, fishing and pleasure boating. Cunningham Lake offers a small marina where rental boats are available.

The Port of Omaha

Port of Omaha

The Port of Omaha is a port of entry in the United States with facilities on the west side of the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska. The official address is located at 5229 Boeing Court in East Omaha. The Port was formally sanctioned by the U.S. Congress in 1888.- About :Founded immediately on the...

was located downtown where Miller's Landing

River City Star

is now. In addition to handling outbound barge

Barge

A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...

shipments of grain

GRAIN

GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...

, it also handled inbound shipments of steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

and asphalt

Asphalt

Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...

.

The Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates from the city.

External links

1856 drawing of the steamer Omaha landing Mormon settlers at Florence
Florence, Nebraska
Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...
Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA)'s Official Carpool and Rideshare Website
Local Transportation Guide for Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.