Bike Omaha
May 01, 2008
If you live in Omaha, there’s never been a better time to brush the cobwebs from your bike and explore the city.
This spring marks the launch of several initiatives designed to encourage bicycle use and raise Omaha’s profile as a bike-friendly community. “We need to start thinking of our streets as public places,” said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design. “There should be comfortable space for bicyclists as well as motorists, transit passengers and pedestrians.”
New Bike Loop Project Announced
May 12-16 is National Bike to Work Week. In celebration of the designation, Activate Omaha hosted the 2008 Mayor’s Bike Ride May 12. During the event, Mayor Mike Fahey announced plans for a new 20-mile bike loop project in the metro. Funded locally by the Peter Kiewit Foundation and a second private foundation, the loop will connect the Riverfront Trail to the Keystone Trail (east-west) and the Creighton campus to Henry Doorly Zoo (north-south). Implementation is set to happen during the next 12 to 18 months. Additional information about the project will be provided as it becomes available.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee to Form
Fahey also announced the city’s support of the formation of the first Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee at the May 12 event. The group, set to form in the next several months, will act as an advisory board to proposed infrastructure projects regarding bicycle and pedestrian issues.
Bicycle Commuter Challenge Under Way
The mayor’s bike ride also kicked off the third annual Omaha Metro Bicycle Commuter Challenge. During the event, which runs through August, employees from participating companies ride their bicycles to work. Last year, 410 participants from 29 teams logged more than 109,000 miles during the 14-week challenge, said Tammie Dodge, project manager for Activate Omaha.
Bicycle Map Available
In another effort, Activate Omaha has developed the 2008 Omaha Metro Area Bicycle Map. Close to 5,000 maps will be printed and distributed to bike shops, libraries and other metro area locations later this month.
The map, developed by RDG Planning & Design, was funded by a private grant. It uses a color-coded system to classify streets based on their traffic levels, space for cyclists and other factors. It also notes specialized paved paths like the Keystone Trail as well as the city’s steepest hills. For more information, send an e-mail to info@activateomaha.org.
MAT Bike Racks Installed
In yet another effort, Metro Area Transit is equipping 130 buses with bike racks this summer. Each rack, which holds two bikes, will be mounted on the front of the bus.
The bike rack program is being funded with federal grant money for transit projects related to the construction of the Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge between Omaha and Council Bluffs.
In the coming weeks, MAT officials will be testing two kinds of racks. The goal is to have all the racks purchased and installed so riders can use them this summer and fall. For more information about MAT, visit www.metroareatransit.com.