When a Bikeway is a Symbol of a Need for Change

Written By Trilety Wade

The history of the Market to Midtown bikeway is convoluted, long, and intriguing. But since this article is less about its history and more about how its temporary closure is a symbol of the need for either the restored Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator position or a more robust Active Living Advisory Committee, I will suggest you do as much deep digging as you’d like into the history on your own. Beyond that, here’s the briefest, barest of bones timeline for the bikeway:

Since 2022, when Sherwood provided philanthropic funding to keep the bikeway open,  the City has been transparent that the bikeway would close once construction of the streetcar began. That brings us to September 3, 2024, when the bikeway was closed because construction of the streetcar project had commenced.

Overall, the Market to Midtown bikeway was a success, both during its pilot status and after it was philanthropically funded. The one-year evaluation showed that it increased cycling along that route and indicated that it was used for transportation and commuting, not just recreation. There was also a 69% increase in bikeshare use for stations along the bikeway.

Additionally, during open house events for the development of Omaha’s Active Mobility Plan (adopted by the City Council on 7.23.24), local residents pointed to the bikeway as a popular place to cycle, specifically,

“The Riverfront Trail and the Market to Midtown Bikeway (the pilot protected bikeway on Harney Street) stand out as two of the most commonly identified favorite places to bike.”

From its opening in 2021 to its closing in 2024, the Market to Midtown bikeway was Omaha’s only on-street, protected bikeway. (Confirmed by Public Works/Vision Zero).

City of Omaha leaders recently announced that a new, two-way protected bikeway will be built in conjunction with the new streetcar. Specifically,

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

This new bikeway is expected to be completed in 2028, three years from now. So, while this is a “temporary” loss of infrastructure that will be replaced in a few years with something even better, it is still a loss of infrastructure for multiple years.

So What’s the Issue?

While many residents understood the Market-to-Midtown bikeway would be closed during the construction of the streetcar, I’m not sure folks understood that the closure would be so long and that no like-for-like alternative would be provided.

The City of Omaha continues to collaborate with Metro Smart Cities, which

“is an initiative focused on starting pilot projects aimed toward solving transportation and mobility issues — spearheaded by a group of collaborative, regional partners in the Greater Omaha metro area.”

Both Metro Smart Cities and the City of Omaha have identified alternative routes for cyclists to use until the new protected bikeway is complete in 2028. Currently, the only east/west alternatives to the Market to Midtown bikeway are the bike lanes on eastbound Leavenworth and westbound St Mary's Ave.

Suggested alternative bike routes via Metro Smart Cities

However, none of these alternative routes provides the same protected and safe infrastructure as the Market-to-Midtown bikeway, which will be discussed in more detail later in this article.

Residents, cyclists, and multimodal advocates' main gripe is the three-year loss of the city's only protected bikeway.

First, the Positives

But before we get to the complaints, it’s important to understand that not all people have a problem with the temporary loss of infrastructure, as you can see in this transcript of a KETV Channel 7 news story:

“The Market-to-Midtown Bikeway on Harney Street will close Sept. 3 as utility companies start construction, according to the city. Every morning, Kurt Goetzinger pedals out of his Benson neighborhood before hopping on the Market-to-Midtown Bikeway to get to his job downtown. "When the bike path, the bikeway came in, it was very exciting because we're protected from traffic," Goetzinger said. While Goetzinger will have to find a new way to get to work for now, he agrees the wait will be worth it."But if what they do plan to put in, if it does come to fruition and if it's done right, I think we'll all celebrate that because we'll have something that's really workable," Goetzinger told KETV Newswatch 7 Tuesday.”

Another person I spoke with in passing said they’d seen a rider on a Heartland B Cycle riding uphill on Farnam Street in the third of four lanes near 25th Street. They said the rider looked comfortable and at ease, even though the bikeway is now closed.

Now the Concerns

Others, however have issues with the bikeway’s closure as you can see in this section of the transcript from a KMTV Channel 3 story,

“Though the new route is coming with some upgrades, Hayes says the timeline of the project shows a lack of concern for community needs "We have a cyclist coming down the track right now like it's clear that we need this infrastructure and that people are safer when they have it. But when that's not available and it just happens when you get around to, it puts more people at risk and halts progress," said Hayes.”

Secondly, at a meeting last week, I chatted with a commuter who had just avoided being hit twice while riding along Harney Street.

The timing and the sometimes treacherous situations that cyclists will have to endure in the interim are the main complaints of residents. People aren’t mad about the future infrastructure; they’re frustrated that they weren’t provided with a safer alternative while the new infrastructure is being developed.

Onto a Search. . .

My concerns set me on a search to find out more, so I first contacted Jeff Sobczyk, Omaha’s Vision Zero Coordinator, but he said he wasn’t involved in the discussions regarding removal of the bikeway, so he suggested I contact someone else in Public Works.

A representative from the Public Works Department explained that the City and Metro Smart Cities consistently communicated that the bikeway would be closed once construction of the streetcar began. They also explained that due to constraints on budget, time, and existing infrastructure, it was not possible to provide an in-kind alternative to the Market-to-Midtown bikeway. Further, I was reminded that the bikeway remained in place two years beyond the projected pilot timeline, thus it was not considered a loss of permanent infrastructure.

Additionally, Public Works brought up that the bicycle network that is identified in the recently adopted Active Mobility Plan is not yet in place, and that network will steadily improve the multimodal experience in the City.  Specifically, Goal 2 of the Active Mobility Plan states that:

Goal 2 from the recently adopted Active Mobility Plan

I agree that achievements deserve celebration as much as setbacks deserve criticism, so I appreciated that Public Works also cited some cycling improvements that have taken place in the urban core in the last few years, such as:

A closer look at the alternatives

I thought this would close the book on my queries but then decided to take a closer look at the alternatives.

As is shown on the Metro Smart Cities website (the photo of the map in a previous part of this post) and as was communicated to me by Omaha’s Vision Zero Coordinator, there are two east/west alternatives that the City suggests riders use until the new bikeway is opened in 2028:  The bike lanes on eastbound Leavenworth and westbound St Mary's Ave.

Let’s look at these in more detail on MAPA’s Metro Area Bike Map. (Shout out to Owen from MAPA, who suggested I turn on the “imagery hybrid” basemap, which makes for a better viewing experience!)

Leavenworth:

The eastbound route on Leavenworth, from 31st to 13th,  labeled as Bike Omaha System, includes a painted bike lane that runs along the south side of Leavenworth.  

Detail view of the bike lane along Leavenworth at 24th Street via the Metro Area Bike Map

The main concern from riders regarding riding on Leavenworth is driver behavior. Specifically,

-          Drives who speed

-          Drivers who drive erratically

-          Drivers entering or crossing the bike lane

-          Drivers “dooring” cyclists - Specifically, Alex Mendoza (local commuter and member of the Metro Transit Advisory Committee) said this: “Others look at Leavenworth (as an alternative) but are concerned with being door'd as the bike lane is next to parking. Leavenworth feels narrower and not as bad to bike, except for the cars parked at the curb.”

“Dooring” is when a driver opens their door into the path of a cyclist who is using a bike lane adjacent to a parking lane. Wikipedia explains the definitions and dangers of dooring best!

Beyond drivers just checking their mirrors, they can also employ what’s called “the Dutch reach” to keep everyone safe.

You can find everything you need to know about the Dutch Reach here!

Some states have adopted resolutions which include the Dutch reach technique in Drivers’ Manuals.

If you are doored, please call the police (especially if you might be injured) but also document this to the City. I’d recommend alerting your city councilperson, the Mayor’s hotline, as well as the Vision Zero Coordinator. Many safety solutions are data-driven, so provide the data that may not be captured elsewhere. Remember to provide all specifics, such as time, location, what happened, etc.

While experienced riders may have an alright time riding Leavenworth, they are still wary of driver behavior. However, for inexperienced cyclists like myself, this isn’t the best bet. So, you have to know your limits and what you’re most comfortable with.

St. Marys:

The westbound route on St. Mary’s, from 17th Street to about 30th Street, labeled as a part of the Bike Omaha System, includes a painted bike lane that runs along the north side of St. Mary’s Avenue. Similar to Leavenworth Street, much of this section includes on-street parking that increases the risk of being doored. Also similar to Leavenworth, cyclists have identified driver behavior as an issue of safety.

Detail view of the westbound bike lane on St. Mary's Ave, via the Metro Area Bike Map.

Specifically, Alex Mendoza said, 

“From my experience as a driver, regularly I see drivers going faster than the posted speed limit and many times crossing into the bike lane out of poor control of their vehicle or planning to turn right.”

My advocacy and research in transportation has taught me that as important as data is, perception and subjective feelings are also important, which is why this quote about cycling on St. Mary’s Avenue from Alex is so stunning to me:

“From my experience as a rider, the hill feels much steeper than Harney. Or maybe the feeling is that as I'm moving slower going uphill (at all) without protection on St Mary, it feels like time is moving slower, thus feeling steeper.”

It shows that a painted bike lane also “feels” less safe than a buffered/protected bikeway, and further shows how nuanced our perceptions are. . . that when you are unsafe, time feels like it goes slower. I loved that observation.

When I drove St. Mary’s Ave, I noticed similar issues as Alex, and I also saw a cyclist and a wheelchair user making full use of the bike lane.

How’s the Ride Now

After the Market to Midtown bikeway closed, Alex Mendoza rode with others from the head of the Field Club trail to downtown, here is his objective, smart, and helpful take on the ride, which also drives home the fact that the cycling community is incredibly diverse regarding comfort and skill of riding, which is why infrastructure for all levels of ability is needed:

Traffic was fairly light. We weren't too overwhelmed with being stuck in traffic for too long. In some ways riding in the street felt safer in some downtown areas. When I was in the road drivers had a better chance to see me than if I was just in a painted bike lane. When I was taking up the lane, drivers were better about passing with more space between them and me. With that said, I know many adults who refuse or hate driving in road traffic because of how dangerous it feels (and can be) and how difficult it can be to check your surroundings when you need to quickly.

For me it wasn't terrible, however, things like small holes/cracks/uneven surfaces can be scary. If the bike wheel hits one of those in just the right spot, it can cause the rider to quickly change direction or even lose balance and fall - not the most pleasant when riding between or in front of vehicles. Sand, rocks, and other particles on the road are just as troublesome.

Others have recommended riding on the sidewalk, but those conditions can be worse for a cyclist, not to mention the lack of adequate lighting.

Having a protected bike lane doesn't necessarily resolve the physical road conditions but does remove the ride from the path of vehicle traffic. It also makes riding/rolling much more inclusive to all ages and abilities.

We do not deny that the City has suggested alternative routes with protections like existing shared areas, marked/painted bike lanes, and bike lane signage. We are simply stating that these alternatives still do not provide the protections that the Market-to-Midtown bikeway, Omaha’s only protected bikeway, provided for three years, and that city leaders could have been more astute about acknowledging this.

Improved Communication?

Which brings us to the topic of communication and messaging. . .

While the city has shown that it would NOT have been feasible to provide a like-for-like alternative to the bikeway during the construction of the streetcar and its associated multimodal safety infrastructure, I believe that communication coming from City leadership regarding the bikeway could have been improved, which would not only have made this current transportation transition easier but could have continued to build bridges.

Quick Shout Out and Aside: Regarding bridge-building, the City, and specifically Public Works, deserves credit for making efforts to build and repair bridges between the City and the multimodal community, specifically via quarterly meetings between the Public Works Department and the non-profit advocacy group, Mode Shift Omaha.

For the entire year that I served on Omaha’s Vision Zero Technical Advisory Committee, I constantly brought up the issue of communication between the City and its residents, as well as the topic of “optics”. During that time, I even wrote a post that spoke to these issues after the City’s proposal to construct safe roundabouts on Farnam was voted down by Omaha City Council.

While the City and Metro Smart Cities were indeed clear, for several years, about the bikeway’s future closure, my opinion is that city leaders could have been more aware and careful with their messaging these past couple of months. Considering that several dozens of cyclists gathered and rode together in September of 2022 to protest the closing of the bikeway, City leaders could have been more discerning in their messaging since the topic had previously been controversial.  

Basically, Sometimes a Message Needs a Good Massage

For instance, here’s just a smattering of what was quoted from city leaders regarding the closure of the bikeway:

Regarding the reference to the RiverFront, those are parks used for recreation whereas the bikeway was used also for transportation.

Many of the quotes above were repeated in several media and news stories. And while celebration is indeed in order, I believe so too is some acknowledgment of the difficulties in the interim. Most of the talking points from leaders were on the “Future,” specifically 2028 when the new bikeway is projected to be open, but there weren’t any statements on the “present” and “near future: conditions for cyclists. While the old adage of “it’s not what you say, but how you say it,” holds true, it can also be true that sometimes it’s just as much WHAT you say. Especially when it comes to messaging that could be controversial even in a small segment of your community. (Caveat that maybe I missed a news story or quote that did just this, and if so please alert me!)

Would the cycling community that is affected by this closure have felt any less frustrated or overlooked if their concerns had been publicly acknowledged? Maybe leaders could have spoken to the fact that while the future holds great things for Omaha cyclists, there is still now a 3-year period where Omaha - again - has zero fully protected bike lanes. Could something as simple as the message below have been an anodyne to frustrated residents?

“While we are excited for what is on the horizon, we acknowledge that this closure will affect all the riders who used the Market-to-Midtown bikeway. We understand this affects all of you and ask you to bear with us during this transition, and please contact the Mayor’s Hotline regarding any infractions you see on alternative routes.”

Obviously, I’m putting my own spin on this, but sometimes – just like in a relationship – people just need to feel seen, heard, and acknowledged.

A New Messenger?

So if this message isn’t coming from local leaders, who could it come from instead? At first thought, some may propose messaging like this could come from the Vision Zero coordinator. But while there have been strides in Vision Zero since the plan was adopted in November of last year, such as the new Progress Tracker pictured below, the Vision Zero coordinator has many, many other responsibilities. Additionally, Vision Zero is still a new enough initiative in the city that its communication schedule and platform are not substantial at this point.

What person or entity could be a much-needed centralized point of communication for the multimodal community? Someone with access to and contacts in the multimodal community. Someone who could increase safe pedestrian and cycling activity through the city. Someone concerned citizens could contact and who could do the work of making connections.

Who would this amazing person or committee be?

Well, as I drove Leavenworth just east of Saddle Creek road, where several cars had wheels parked on the sidewalk, it occurred to me that maybe the answer isn’t in the leaders doing anything differently but in reinstating the Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator position!! Or maybe by making the Active Living Advisory Committee (ALAC) more robust and active. ALAC is a committee that Mayor Stothert started via an executive order in 2014 to serve as an alternative to the former bicycle and pedestrian coordinator position that she did not seek funding for in the 2015 budget.

Did you even know that Omaha actually had a Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator at one time? We did! In fact, as I was completing a graduate certificate degree from Tufts University, I read about the position in one of my textbooks.

See these screenshots from chapter 39 of the textbook “Implementing Physical Activity Strategies,” edited by Pate & Buchner (footnote) and published in 2014. The chapter explained how Alegent Health provided partial funding for a bicycle and pedestrian transportation coordinator, and

"the city leveraged this funding and funded the remaining salary cost through the local area metro transit budget. This is a huge step for the city's planning department, as it is the first time a staff member has been dedicated to addressing bicycle and pedestrian issues”

The black "“X” was made when I angrily crossed out this paragraph in the textbook as I was reading it in 2020. I did update the publisher that a few things in the chapter about Omaha were no longer accurate.

This 2014 OWH article touted the strides made in bicycling infrastructure and described a bike tour led by then-coordinator Carlos Morales. The most convincing statement from this article though is this quote from Steve Clark of the League of American Bicyclists:

Mayor Stothert decided to eliminate the pedestrian and bicycle coordinator position for the 2015 budget, citing budgetary concerns and her belief that the position’s purpose had been met, as you can see in this 2014 article from the Omaha World-Herald titled “10 Minutes with the Mayor: Stothert discusses eliminated bike coordinator job.”

This article requires a subscription, so here are some screenshots.

The Mayor decided to “sign an executive order to create The Mayor’s Active Living Advisory Committee, a group meant to revive a now-defunct bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee. . . . The mayor plans to have a representative from her office, along with the Planning, Public Works and Parks Departments on the committee, as well as citizen members.”

Local protests came in response to the Mayor’s decision. Hundreds gathered on a rainy day at Stinson Park to protest the elimination of the Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator position. One of the speakers at the protest was then-councilperson Chris Jerram, who said this through a megaphone:

“Advisory councils are a great first step,” Jerram said. “Carlos was a great first step but we need to make this bigger, and better until our community is a Complete Streets Active Living community and with your help we can do it.”

The City adopted Complete Streets the next year, 2015, which takes into account cycling and pedestrians needs, just as the Active Mobility Plan and Vision Zero Action Plan do. But Plans are not point people or modes of community-building.

A Decade Later. . .

So, it’s ten years on, and we have no bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, but we do still have ALAC, whose mission is to, “provide community input and recommendations to the City to create safe, accessible transportation and recreation options” and whose duties are to “provide community input and recommendations to the City to create safe, accessible transportation and recreation options.”

ALAC was created in conjunction with the elimination of the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator position because the Mayor cited a need for more voices. Specifically, she said, as reported by KETV in 2014:

“'‘It was never meant to be a permanent position,” Stothert said. We will create a board of volunteers and they can advise me on it.” The mayor said she already has a draft of an executive order for the committee. On Wednesday, the mayor told KETV NewsWatch 7 that she signed the order to establish an Active Living Advisory Board. "

“We need more people to give us input,” Stoterht said. “I always think if we can engage the community more and get more input, that’s the better way to go and we can do it without having to fund a city position to do it.”

The ALAC Board is currently comprised of six men:

  • Mark Stursma, Planning Director at City of Papillion,

  • Pell Duvall of Duvall Consulting,

  • Evan Schweitz of Metro Transit,

  • Jacob Weiss of HDR,

  • James Boerner of Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, and

  • Benny Foltz of Heartland Bikeshare.

    All six committee members are astute, welcoming, and passionate. While representatives from City departments, such as Parks, Public Works, and Planning, all attend the meetings, they are not listed as members on the ALAC website. Based on this KMTV news story from 2019, at one point ALAC had 13 committee members at that time (some are city representatives, and if there are still city reps on the board then they should be identified on the ALAC website):

UPDATE: I was notified by Public Works that this KMTV story incorrectly identified the members of the Vision Zero Task Force as the members of ALAC. CORRECTIOIN: The following people have served as past members: Julie Harris, Ben Turner, Andy Wessel, Michelle Bandur, Chris Rolling, Alan Kohll, Tom Everson, Tameshia Harris, and Jason Rose.

ALAC Today

ALAC’s monthly meetings are open to the public but are not open to public comment. You can attend both in-person or virtually, and I have done both as an interested member of the public and as a representative of SOS. Meeting agendas and minutes are all listed on the website, tho at times, there can be a one to two-month lag between meetings and minutes being posted. I encourage you to read the minutes and attend a meeting.

As a member of the public you can request to have an item included on the agenda, and the committee is welcoming to presenters and is intended to be an open line of communication to the Mayor. However, that open line of communication was not always deemed as reciprocal. The relationship between the committee and City leadership was strained in 2020 over the removal of a bike corral in Benson. At that time, two committee members went on record in a January 2020 OWH article saying they wished the city would have run the removal past the committee, or at least asked for input.

While ALAC is intended to be a recommending board, it appears - based on their website - that only one formal recommendation has been made by ALAC to the Mayor. Specifically the recommendation from October 2017 to make Omaha a Vision Zero City. This recommendation was followed and appreciated by Mayor Stothert. * (See update at end of post re more recommendations)

I do know however that ALAC submitted a signed letter to the Mayor on November 9, 2023, supporting the adoption of the Vision Zero Action Plan. This recommendation is unfortunately not listed on the ALAC website, but see the screenshot below for a copy of what was submitted to city council.

Full disclosure, I applied to be on the ALAC board on October 11, 2021. I believed my experience would make me a great asset to the committee. Additionally, even tho I’m a middle aged White woman, I figured I could still bring some diversity to the White male board. On February 23, 2022, I was notified that I would not be appointed to ALAC. I am unsure whether or not someone from South Omaha was ever appointed.

Is ALAC currently functioning in the way it was promoted and intended?

Can this committee of six members who meet once a month really serve the bicycling, pedestrian, and active living needs of our growing community?

Is this committee providing the multiple voices that the Mayor said she wanted when she created the committee?

While ALAC can provide support, they’d have to be much more robust to provide any of the services or goals of that a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator could.

I believe if ALAC had more members, more recommendations, and more connections to the community, it could be an improved asset to the Mayor’s office as well as provide a stronger bridge to the multimodal community.

For instance, maybe ALAC could have made recommendations or suggestions to city leaders regarding communication about the bikeway and alternatives to the bikeway.

How Do We Proceed?

I don’t have the answers, I just know that my research into some confusion and frustration over a temporary loss of infrastructure sent me on a journey that led me to a belief that our entire community could be strengthened and improved if we either had a restored bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, or a more robust ALAC board that functioned as originally promoted.

What are your thoughts on all this!? Should restoration of this position be discussed with city and community leaders? Can ALAC serve as a point-of-contact for concerned cyclists and pedestrians? Where do we go from here to continue to improve opportunities for active living in Omaha while also improving bonds between city and residents?

Lastly, since many of the issues cited with the alternative routes were also about driver behavior, we can not underestimate the need for a bolstered Traffic Unit.

Comment below!

  • The cover image is a still from this GoPro video of Alex Mendoza’s ride along Harney Street the day the bikeway closed.

  • UPDATE: Mark Stursma, Chair of ALAC, emailed me to clarify they have made more recommendations than are on the ALAC site, specifically “Recent letters of recommendation include the following topics: Active Mobility Plan, 84th Street ATIIP grant application, Vision Zero Action Plan, Street Connectivity in the Sundance Subdivision, Transit Oriented Development Policy, lane widths, and bicycle parking minimum requirements in zoning.”

Trilety Wade
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Spraying the Paint, a Morning with the Crosswalk Crew (Part 2)