OMAHA, Neb. — The city of Omaha has introduced new initiatives to reduce the strain on businesses along the streetcar corridor.
Members of the Streetcar Impact Alliance met with the mayor’s office Wednesday afternoon to discuss ways to help businesses stay operational. Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. said the most intense phase of construction is currently underway.
“The work underway is the largest reconstruction and relocation of 100-year-old-plus utilities in Omaha history,” Ewing said. “It includes replacing waterlines installed in the 1880s, relining similarly aged sewers, upgrading gas lines, and expanding electrical and telecom capacity to support future development. There’s no doubt this kind of deep work brings impact and disruption.”
Ewing emphasized that now is the time to support businesses along the corridor through both city initiatives and community efforts.
“We will be providing parking for $1 a day at garages for route business employees and customers,” he said.
The participating garages include:
1516 Douglas St.: 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends for validated businesses enrolled in the program
899 Farnam St.: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays for validated businesses enrolled in the program
A third garage will offer a similar program for the general public:
1215 Capitol Ave.: 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends when no events are scheduled
Rates: $1 at the gate, $3 for event pre-pay, and $5 at the door
The validated parking initiative is one of three requests the Streetcar Impact Alliance submitted to the city three weeks ago.
“We’re definitely counting this as a win,” said Clark Ross, owner of Mercury and founder of the alliance. “Parking is a major issue in Omaha, especially downtown with all the ongoing construction.”
Ewing added that the city is also working to improve navigation through construction zones.
“The city will continue updating digital wayfinding through Google, Apple Maps, and Waze on a daily basis to reflect lane and road closures,” he said. “We’re also improving communication, including text message alerts about construction activity.”
Residents and business owners can begin signing up for these alerts starting Thursday, March 19, via the streetcar website.
The mayor also directed construction crews and streetcar partners to regularly monitor safety and cleanliness in affected areas.
“That was another concern for us,” Ross said. “Blocked walkways, debris everywhere, and pedestrians being put at risk.”
Despite these efforts, Ross said financial support remains the biggest concern for businesses.
“If we don’t receive funding soon, we’ll start seeing businesses close, and residents may leave because they’re just as frustrated living here as we are trying to operate,” he said.
Ewing noted that while the city is exploring additional relief options, direct financial assistance is not allowed under state law.
“After multiple discussions with the city attorney, we’ve confirmed that providing direct financial support is not permitted under state statutes,” he said.
Ross said the alliance plans to approach the governor’s office next to seek state-level funding to help businesses survive until construction is completed.
Ewing added that the project is currently ahead of schedule, with conditions expected to improve later this spring.
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