WASHINGTON — A new study in the works could help Omaha decide once and for all whether to build a streetcar line or look to other alternatives for moving people around the downtown and midtown areas.
The study would cost about $1 million, and city officials hope the federal government will pitch in with half of the cost.
A grant application for the federal funding is due Monday, while Mayor Jim Suttle is seeking private funds to pay for the rest.
“No city funds will come from the general fund,” Suttle spokesman Ron Gerard said.
Still, the City Council would have to sign off before the study can go forward, and the council will most likely scrutinize the proposal. Some members have expressed skepticism toward the mayor's streetcar desires.
Public input would be part of the new study, which would look beyond streetcars.
It would examine six different approaches to Omaha's transit infrastructure, from maintaining existing bus routes to building a light rail system.
Other options include reconfiguring existing bus routes, implementing a rapid bus line — essentially a “train on wheels” — and a streetcar system.
Suttle has said the streetcar proposal could cost $200 million to $250 million but mean $1 billion in development.
City Council President Garry Gernandt said that he has no problem with the mayor's vision but said the city should focus first on basic services such as patching streets, picking up garbage and keeping the parks clean.
“Then you get into looking at the out-of-the-box things,” Gernandt said.
Gernandt said the city's budget crunch means that anything coming before the council will be watched closely, but if the proposed study involves no general fund spending, “that may be somewhat palatable.”
The study would come as the federal government is putting more emphasis on the potential for transit projects to make the country's downtown areas greener and more livable.
To that end, federal transit officials Thursday announced nearly $300 million in transit grant awards for bus, streetcar and trolley projects.
That included about $25 million each for major streetcar projects in Cincinnati; Charlotte, N.C.; Fort Worth, Texas; and St. Louis.
In announcing the awards, officials said competition for federal funds continues to be intense. They received requests totalling $3 billion — about 10 times the amount of available funding.
Suttle has hired a Washington lobbyist to help secure federal funds for a streetcar system in Omaha, but the city and its taxpayers shouldn't expect a free ride.
While discussing the criteria for winning transit funds, federal officials Thursday stressed the importance of local governments demonstrating a willingness to “step up their economic commitment,” even during difficult times for local budgets.
Suttle has tried to make the case that a streetcar would foster economic development, which he says then could lead to lower taxes, but he has some work to do in winning over the council.
Councilwoman Jean Stothert strongly opposes moving forward on any streetcar plan. She said Thursday that federal funding is still taxpayer money and questioned the need for the study, given the economic situation and the fact that the streetcar issue already has been studied.
“I don't know what other information that this study could provide,” she said.
Gerard acknowledged streetcar resistance among some council members but said the mayor would keep making his case and try to unite the city behind it.
“While these other cities are moving forward,” Gerard said, “we can't be staying behind.”
Contact the writer:
202-662-7270, joe.morton@owh.com
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