Three new transit centers, which function much like airport hubs, will bolster Metro Area Transit’s ability to move people throughout Omaha in multiple directions.

Trio of Omaha Transit Centers Takes Shape

Crisscrossing Omaha by bus is about to become a bit easier. Three new transit centers will begin welcoming riders in the coming weeks, the end result of a transit alternative analysis study commissioned by Metro Area Transit (MAT) that concluded in December 2003. 

MAT’s current service configuration focuses on a traditional downtown route structure with a secondary emphasis on multi-directional travel, said Curt Simon, MAT executive director. The new trio of transit centers, which function much like airport hubs, will bolster the system’s ability to move people throughout the city in multiple directions. 

“Thirty years ago, everyone used to work downtown, so a transit system that focused on this traffic pattern made sense,” Simon said. “As Omaha has developed, there are now clusters of people who live, work and shop in different sectors of the city. Our goal is to provide riders with a way to get to and from these different sectors.”

In February 2005, a Metro Area Transit Feasibility Study was initiated to identify specific transit center sites, coordinate the federal grant application, and provide design and construction specifications for the individual transit centers.

The new transit centers are:

• Benson Park, located at 72nd and Military behind Baker’s;
  
  
• Westroads Mall, located at 102nd and Nicolas streets; and
  
  
• South Omaha, located on the Metropolitan Community College campus near the new Omaha Public Library branch under construction. 
  
  

Each transit center includes a number of passenger amenities, including dedicated lighting, scheduling information, enhanced protection from inclement weather, off-street transferring activities and electronic message displays.

Benson Park will feature a center island platform with traffic flowing in both directions, said Linda Barritt, MAT program director. It will be served by Routes 5, 8, 14 and 18. Westroads and South Omaha, which will serve as end-of-the-line stops for many riders, will feature one-way traffic flow.

The centers were developed through partnerships with the City of Omaha Departments of Planning, Public Works, and Parks, Recreation and Public Property; Dillon Companies Inc., which operates the Baker’s chain; and Metropolitan Community College. 

Clarence Nichols, chair of the Benson-Ames Alliance Steering Council, views the Benson Park Transit Center as a neighborhood asset. “It will help move people in and out of the alliance area and will assist us in our efforts to revitalize this historic part of the city.”

The three transit centers are scheduled to open within the next 30 days. With each in varying stages of completion, exact dates of operation have yet to be set, Simon said. 

Simon said a fourth transit center near the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s midtown campus is currently under review.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the three transit centers is set for Thursday, Aug. 30, at the Westroads location. The event will feature remarks from Mayor Mike Fahey and other dignitaries, as well as architectural renderings and photos of the construction process for each site.

For more information about the ribbon cutting, contact Barritt at lbarritt@omamat.org.  For more information about MAT, visit omamat.org/.