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Metro Transit (Omaha)

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Metro
Founded1972
Headquarters2222 Cuming St.
LocaleOmaha, NE
Service typebus service, paratransit, park and ride, bus rapid transit (future), streetcar (future)
Routes34 bus
Fleet135 buses
Websitehttp://Ometro.com

Metro Transit, 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 Council Bluffs, Iowa. Operated by the Omaha Transit Authority, a governmental subdivision of the State of Nebraska, Metro's board consists of a five-member board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Omaha City Council as well as the Douglas County Commissioners.

The first board was sworn in and took office on May 30, 1972.[1] The agency receives funds from local, state and federal sources.[2] The city has equipped its buses with bicycle carriers, catching up with neighboring cities of Des Moines, Iowa, Denver, Colorado and Kansas City, Missouri On August 23, 2010 Metro Area Transit was rebranded as Metro. .[3]

The service hours of the entire system are generally from about 4:30am-1am on weekdays, 5am-midnight on Saturdays, and 6am-9:30pm on Sundays, with many routes operating a shorter span. The busiest lines (the #2 and #18) run every 15 minutes during weekday rush hours and middays, and every 30 minutes during weekday evenings and weekends. Service on the #4, #13, and #15 operates every 15 minutes during weekday rush hours, every 30 minutes during weekday middays, and every 60 minutes during weekday evenings, with service every 30-60 minutes on weekends. [4] The remaining routes run every 30-60 minutes when they do operate (Some routes are rush hour-only, some are weekday-only, and some are Monday-Saturday)

Route list

Normal routes:

№ Name Route Frequency
Peak Midday Evening Saturday Sunday
Green Circulator Dodge - 17th - Mike Fahey - 14th 6
Council Bluffs Blue Downtown - Broadway - 16th - Avenue G - 8th - Broadway - Frank - East Pierce - North Avenue - Kanesville Boulevard - Railroad Avenue - College - Iowa Western Community College (back Valley View Drive - McPherson - Bennett - Madison - South 1st - Broadway - ... - Downtown) 60 60 90
Council Bluffs Yellow Downtown - Broadway - 7th - South Expressway - 30th Avenue - Manawa Center Drive - 35th Avenue - Metro Drive - Veterans Memorial Highway - South 24th - Middle America Drive - Arena Way - Mid America Center (back Bass Pro Road - 23rd Avenue - South Expressway - 6th - 5th Avenue - 8th - Avenue G - 16th - Broadway - Downtown) 30-60 60 90
2 Dodge Street Downtown - Dodge - Westroads Transit Center 15 15 30 20-30 30
3 North 40th / South 42nd Street North Omaha Transit Center - 30th - Ames - 42nd - Bedford - 45th - Military - Hamilton - 40th - Farnam - 42nd (back Harney - 40th) - L Street - 33rd - MCC South Transit Center 30 30 60 30 60
4 Maple Street Downtown - 16th - Cuming - Radial - Maple - 102nd - Westroads Transit Center 15 30 60 30 60
5 90th Street North Omaha Transit Center - 30th - Ames - 42nd - Curtis - 72nd - Benson Park Transit Center - 72nd - Crown Point - 90th - Burt - Westroads Transit Center 30 60 60
8 60th / Blondo Street North Omaha Transit Center - 30th - Ames - 40th - Grand - Fontenelle Boulevard - 42nd - Redman - Hartman - 52nd - Kansas Avenue - Henninger Drive - 60th - Villa de Sante - 60th - Blondo - 85th - Cass - Crossroads Mall 60 60 60
11 Leavenworth Street Downtown - Leavenworth - 60th - Pacific - 67th - Pine - 72nd - Mercy Road - Bergan Mercy Transit Center 30 30 60 60 60
13 South 13th / L Street Downtown - 13th - L Street - 30th - MCC South Transit Center, with every other bus continuing along 33rd - L Street - 60th - Q Street - 72nd - Mercy Road - Bergan Mercy Transit Center 15/30 30/60 60 30/60 60
14 108th / Fort Street MCC Fort Campus - 30th - North Omaha Transit Center - Creighton Boulevard - Bedford - 52nd - Maple - Military - Templeton - Fort - 99th - Walmart - 99th - Military - 108th - Davenport - 114th - Dodge - Westroads Transit Center 30 60 60
15 Center Street Downtown - Farnam - 42nd - Center Street - 67th - Mercy Road - Bergan Mercy Transit Center, where the route splits into 15/55 and every other bus contining along 78th - West Center Road - Oakview Mall 15/30 30/60 60 30 60
16 Abbott Drive / North 16th Street Downtown - 10th - Abbott - Eppley Airfield - Abbott - 16th - Sprague - North Omaha Transit Center 30
18 72nd Street / Ames Avenue Downtown - 20th - Florence - Ames - North Omaha Transit Center - Ames - 72nd - Mercy Road - Bergan Mercy Transit Center 15 15 30 30 30
24 24th Street North Omaha Transit Center - 30th - Ames - 24th - Q Street - 30th - MCC South Transit Center - 30th - 30th & Harrison (back Harrison - 27th - Y Street) 30 30 60 30 60
26 North Omaha Circulator North Omaha Transit Center - 31st - Ames (back 30th) - 24th - Titus - Minne Lusa Boulevard (back Vane - 24th) - Martin - Redick - 42nd - Curtis (back 36th) - Fontenelle Boulevard - Sorensen - 30th - North Omaha Transit Center 60 60 90-120 120 120
30 30th Street Downtown - Douglas - 30th - North Omaha Transit Center - 30th - 31st & Ferry 30 30 60 30 60
35 North 33rd Street Downtown - Dodge - 30th - California - 33rd - Lake - 40th - Pratt - 36th - Paxton Boulevard - North Omaha Transit Center 30 30 60 60 60
36 South Omaha Circulator Downtown - 16th - Vinton - 32nd - Ed Creighton - Park - St Marys Avenue/Leavenworth - 16th - Downtown 30 30 60-120 120 120
55 Q Street Downtown - Farnam - 42nd - Center Street - 67th - Mercy Road - Bergan Mercy Transit Center - Mercy Road - 78th - Center Street - 84th - Q Street - 120th - I Street - 110th & J Street (back 108th) 30 60 60

Limited rush hour routes (number of trips in both directions unless stated otherwise):

№ Name Route № of AM
peak trips 		№ of PM
peak trips
34 West I Street Downtown - Gerald Ford Freeway - MCC South Transit Center - 33rd - L Street - 90th - J Street - 96th - I Street - 120th & I Street 1 to west 1 to east
92 Dodge Express Downtown - Dodge - First National Bank - Dodge - Village Pointe 4 4
93 South 84th Street Express Downtown - Gerald Ford Freeway - Interstate 80 - 84th - Tara Plaza 2 2
94 West Center Express Downtown - Gerald Ford Freeway - Interstate 80 - Interstate 680 - Center Road - Lakeside Hospital 2 2
95 Bellevue Express Downtown - 13th - Fort Crook - Harvell - Galvin & Harvell (back Galvin - Harlan - Fort Crook) for AM to the north and PM to the south
Downtown - Gerald Ford Freeway - Kennedy Freeway - Comhusker - Harvell - Galvin & Harvell (back Galvin - Harlan - Fort Crook) for AM to the south and PM to the north 		3 3
96 Q Street Express Downtown - Gerald Ford Freeway - Interstate 80 - 84th - Q Street - St. Gerald's Park & Ride 2 2
97 Millard Express Downtown - Gerald Ford Freeway - Interstate 80 - I Street - 120th - Q Street - 153rd Street Park & Ride 4 4
98 Maple Village Express Downtown - Dodge - 72nd - Blondo - 117th - 117th & Miami (back Miami - 120th - Maple - 108th - Fort - Parkview - Terrace - Maplewood - 90th - Blondo - ... - Downtown) 2 2

Former Routes

  • 1 Dundee/Underwood Hills (Discontinued August 20, 2012; alternate service became available on route 2, serving Dodge Street, route 8, serving Blondo Street, and route 18, serving 72nd street)
  • 7 South 16th/24th (Discontinued May 31, 2015, replaced by extended Route 24 and new Route 36)
  • 9 South 20th/Vet's Loop (Discontinued May 31, 2015)
  • 10 South 6th-10th Streets (Discontinued April 24, 2011)
  • 17 Railroad Ave/Sunshine Loops (Discontinued April 24, 2011)
  • 22 West Dodge Circulator (Discontinued May 31, 2015)
  • 25 Bedford/Pratt Loop (Discontinued May 31, 2015)
  • 31 Florence
  • 32 Grover/Vinton (Discontinued May 31, 2015)
  • 40 Hanscom Park (Discontinued December 2010)
  • 41/42/43/44/45 Council Bluffs
  • 48 Crosstown South (Discontinued June 3, 2013)
  • 50 Bellevue Circulator Express
  • 60 Bellevue Circulator Express
  • 77 Bluffs Run
  • 80
  • 99 Express
  • 111 (combination of the 1 and the 11)

Transit Centers

Transit Centers in Omaha are an important part of Metro's "hub and spoke" system. Since 2006, many transit centers have been built or removed. Those removed were the Crossroads Transit Center in 2006, and the Stockyards Transit Center in South Omaha which was replaced by Metro College Transit Center in 2007. Others added were the new Westroads Transit Center near Westroads Mall, and Benson Park Transit Center in the Benson neighborhood. Two other major meeting places recently upgraded to transit Center status are the Bergan Mercy Transit Center in south central Omaha, and 76th Street Transit Center near Crossroads Mall. Both are not currently equipped with all of the amenities typically expected with a transit center, but are planned for upgrade. As of December 2012, Omaha's most used transit center, North Omaha Transit Center, has been rebuilt. Finally, Downtown Omaha's planned 16th street renovation will see the 16th Street Transit Mall Removed. Currently being phased out as construction nears, a new Downtown Transit Center is planned for the area. A list of the currently active transit centers follows:

Bergan Mercy Transit Center (75th Street & Dorcas Street, near Bergan Mercy Hospital)

  • Routes: 11, 13, 15, 18, 55

Benson Park Transit Center (72nd Street & Military Road, behind Baker's Grocery)

  • Routes: 5, 14, 18

Metro College Transit Center (27th & Q Street, near Q Street and Highway 75 and at Metropolitan Community College South Campus)

  • Routes: 3, 13, 24, 34

North Omaha Transit Center (30th Street & Boyd Street, near 30th Street and Ames Avenue)

  • Routes: 3, 5, 8, 14, 16, 18, 24, 26, 30, 35

Westroads Transit Center (102nd Street & Nicholas Street, near West Dodge Road and Interstate 680 and Westroads Mall)

  • Routes: 2, 4, 5, 14, 92

Park & Ride Lots

92 West Dodge Express

  • First National Bank - Please park in the surface lot near the Metro sign. 14010 FNB Parkway, Omaha NE 68154
  • Village Point - Please park in the lot west of the Village Pointe Cinema near the Metro sign. 17404 Burke St, Omaha NE 68118

93 Tri-Communities Express

  • Tara Plaza Park and Ride Lot: (Hogan Dr & Tara Rd - Papillion)

94 West Center Express

  • Oak View Mall - Please park in the lot west of Dillards near the Metro sign. 3030 Oak View Drive, Omaha NE 68144
  • Lakeside Hospital - Please park in the lot east of the hospital near the Metro sign. 16901 Lakeside Hills Court, Omaha NE 68130

95 Bellevue Express

  • No Frills (Childs Road & Hwy 75, north east section of parking lot)

96 Q Street Express

  • St. Gerald's West (96th & Q)

97 Millard Express

  • Boulder Creek - Please park in the row nearest to S Street near the Metro sign. 14132 S Street, Omaha NE 68137
  • Bag 'N Save - Please park at the south end of the lot near the Metro sign. 15370 Weir St, Omaha NE 68137

98 Maple Village Express

  • Bag 'N Save - 2650 N 90th St (90th and Maple Streets)

For a map of Metro's Park & Ride lots see : http://goo.gl/maps/DuHX0

Proposed Changes Spring 2015

In response to customer surveys conducted in October 2012, Metro has re-evaluated all routes in the Omaha area.[5]

The top three requests were:

  1. More service on weekends
  2. Later service on week nights
  3. More frequent service on week days

Many routes will see extended night service until midnight or later, and all weekend routes will run at least once an hour.

However, some routes have been modified or discontinued in order to re-distribute resources where we can serve the most customers.

The following routes are proposed for elimination:

  • Route 7
  • Route 9
  • Route 22
  • Route 25
  • Route 32

The following transit centers are proposed for elimination, in lieu of on-street transfers:

  • Midtown Transit Center
  • 76th Street ("Crossroads") Transit Center

Most of the other routes, including the other express routes, are proposed for service improvements. Some routes have been realigned, and the route frequency has improved. These changes are still subject to board approval. Support or opposition to these amendments should be made in writing to Metro Transit Omaha by December 31, 2014. The implementation date is TBD, but likely early April 2015.

Rebranding

In an effort to shed the stigma associated with the Metro Area Transit name, the new Metro brand was adopted on August 23, 2010. Along with their new light blue outlined "M" logo, the message of an organization that is modern and looking to the future was conveyed. In just a short time after the rebranding, Metro worked hard to keep good on their pldege to provide better service, and a large amount of improvements were made.

  • Just prior to the rebranding, 9 new 2009 Gillig low-floor buses arrived in Omaha. Although not publicized, these buses were the first new buses in Omaha since 2000.
  • The first major change with the rebranding was the acquisition of 24 new 2010 Gillig low-floor buses. These buses traveled Omaha for at least six months with no advertisements or brand due to conditions unsuitable for affixing graphics. By the end of March, 2011, all of Metro's fleet sported the Metro logo.
  • In May 2011, every one of Metro's bus stops were replaced with new signs that reflected the rebrand. With these stops, a feature new to Omaha was added. At all transfer points, a special stop designated "transfer" was added, along with the route numbers that serve the transfer stop. Prior to adding the new Metro stops, several styles of bus stop sign dotted the metro, with some dating back to the 1970s.
  • One month later in June 2011, Metro launched 9 new New Flyer Low Floor Restyled buses. These were Omaha's first new non-Gillig brand transit buses since 1994.
  • Later in December 2011, Metro joined Google Transit. This was an upgrade from Metro's own trip planner which has been described as cumbersome.
  • Early in 2012, Metro upgraded Benson Park Transit Center and Westroads Transit Center. Signs with QR codes were added for people with smart phones to access more information. As well concrete improvements were made.

See also

References

  1. ^ "History", Metro. Retrieved 6/29/08.
  2. ^ "Metropolitan Area Transit" Archived 2008-10-30 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Office of Financial Management and Budget. Retrieved 6/29/08.
  3. ^ Shaw, T. "Omaha's making room for bicycles on buses" Archived 2012-09-08 at archive.today,Omaha World-Herald. April 21, 2008. Retrieved 6/29/08.
  4. ^ https://www.citylab.com/solutions/2015/05/omaha-just-designed-a-way-better-transit-system-for-zero-cost/393620/
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2014-05-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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