Omaha Exploration

As an advocate of the Omaha Streetcar, I wanted to share a little about similar Midwestern streetcars that I’ve personally ridden over the last several months: KC Street Streetcar in Kansas City, the QLine in Detroit and Cincinnati Bell Connector. All were controversial projects that have proven successful in terms of both ridership and extremely economic development.

The Cincinnati Bell Connector opened in 2016. The 3.6-mile track runs from Smale Riverfront Park to Findlay Market. With more than 1M people riding the streetcar in 2024, it contributed $1.4B to economy to date.

The Detroit Qline opened in 2017. It has shown significant growth since becoming free to ride in 2020. The 3.3-mile track runs from downtown to midtown. With more than 1M people riding the streetcar in 2024, it contributed $10M to the economy to date.

The Kansas City Streetcar opened in 2016. The 2.2-mile track runs from River Market and Union Station. With nearly 2M people riding the streetcar in 2024, it contributed $1.8B to the economy to date. An 3.5-mile expansion is currently underway.

Omaha is among the 46 U.S. cities that currently operate or are planning to build a modern day streetcar. Omaha’s streetcar will be similar to those in Kansas City and Cincinnati and is expected to open in 2028. The 3.2-mile track will run from downtown (RiverFront Parks/ Old Market) to midtown (Blackstone/Med Center) with 13 stops. It has contributed $1.5B to the economy with an expected $3B within 15 years. Economic development and the increased property taxes within the district are expected to pay for the projected $459M cost. Its maintenance will be paid for by revenue generated by city owned parking meters and garages.

Among the projects underway along the streetcar route are the following:

• The $443M, 677-foot, 44 floor Mutual of Omaha Headquarters downtown at 14th and Farnam.
• The $163M, 700-unit Duo apartments – a conversion of the former Central Park Plaza downtown at 15th and Farnam.
• The $45M, 180-unit yet-to-be named apartment complex in Blackstone at 35th and Farnam.

For anyone that may have missed it, Mayor John Ewing announced at his press conference that revenue from the streetcar project is expected to provide more than $100M towards the building of affordable housing in and around the streetcar corridor. Read more at the Omaha Streetcar Authority page.

Content written by Omaha Exploration. Feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion. Until then, keep exploring!

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