August 01, 2009
Carpool Challenge 2009
The official Metro Rideshare Carpool Challenge 2009 is under way. The six-week challenge began July 20 and runs through Aug. 28. For more info, visit www.metrorideshare.org.
CSO! Plan Update
Omaha is one of more than 772 cities nationwide required by an unfunded federal mandate to reduce sewer overflows resulting from its combined sewer system.
Clean Solutions for Omaha (CSO!) will host a public meeting Tuesday, Aug. 18, to present and discuss the city’s long term control plan. To meet the required water quality guidelines, the city must reduce the average number of annual raw sewage overflows into the Missouri River and Papillion Creek from 52 to four. The event will be held at the OPS TAC Building, 3215 Cuming St., from 6:30 to 8:00pm.
The plan, available for review at www.omahacso.com, must be submitted to regulators Oct. 1, 2009. Copies are also available at all Omaha Public Library locations, the Omaha Department of Public Works, the Neighborhood Center and the offices of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, call the CSO! Hotline at 402.341.0235.
Groundbreaking Aug. 27
The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for its courtyard and parking plaza project Thursday, Aug. 27. The event will begin at 2:00pm at the corner of 13th and Howard streets.
The project – situated in one of the city’s most visible locales – will create a pedestrian-friendly, interactive, public green space for visitors and residents, effectively serving as a recognizable western gateway to the historic Old Market. The courtyard and parking plaza design will reduce the number of available spaces in the parking lot from 81 to 41.
The plaza will contain environmentally friendly native grasses, wildflowers and trees; a large LED display; moveable tables and seating; bicycle racks; free Wi-Fi; new lighting; a water fountain; and a kiosk to be used for special events.
Construction, at a cost of approximately $755,000, is expected to be completed by the end of October. Corporate and individual donations, private foundation grants, and governmental entities’ cash and in-kind contributions will fund the project.
“We’re hoping this will serve as a model for future city parking lots,” said David G. Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. “We want to show that creating a welcoming, inviting environment for visitors and pedestrians can co-exist with the demand for downtown parking.”
The chamber’s plan builds on the continuing projects and vision of Omaha by Design and the Omaha Downtown Improvement District Association, which initiated green efforts on the state office building grounds as well as new streetlights and trees for downtown pedestrian traffic.
For more information about the project, visit www.omahachamber.org.