A traffic study will be under way soon where the Ralston sports and events center is under construction at 72nd and Q Streets.
Ralston officials said the City of Omaha also is interested in what impact arena traffic will have on surrounding streets.
"We asked Omaha what we needed to do to be a good neighbor on this," said Ralston Public Works Director Dan Freshman.
The study will be overseen by Mark Lutjeharms, manager of the traffic engineering division at Schemmer Associates. He is conducting a similar study for the Pinnacle Bank Arena at the Haymarket in Lincoln.
The study will look at access into and out of the arena site as well as the impact of the expected increase in traffic volume on existing businesses and those that will be built in the wake of the arena's opening.
Ralston Police Chief Ron Murtaugh, whose department will be responsible for traffic control during major events at the arena, said that while filling and emptying the parking lots at the arena are important facets of the study, it will be equally important for the city to alleviate congestion generally around the site.
"There's going to be increased traffic at the businesses in the surrounding area," Murtaugh said. "We need to reduce congestion in our area. No study exists showing the traffic flow" around the arena. "We need a baseline to establish a credible plan."
Freshman said the study should begin in the next six to eight weeks.
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