Omaha Streetcar

The Omaha-Council Bluffs streetcar era began operations in 1868. By 1890, the metropolitan area had 90 miles of tracks — more than any city except Boston. The Omaha Traction Company was the dominant private streetcar provider of the time; it was engulfed in repeated labor disputes. On June 14, 1935, Omaha was put under martial law as the result of three days of streetcar strike rioting in which a man was killed and more than ninety persons, including women and children, were wounded.[1] Governor Robert Leroy Cochran ordered arbitration later in the week; however, new riots were reported by the end of the month.[2] 1,800 National Guardsmen were called in to quell the violence. The final count was two people killed and 100 injured. By 1955, the city closed its streetcars in favor of buses.[3] Planning and research for a new streetcar began between 2008 and 2009. A advanced conceptual engineering plan was first announced in 2014 and revised in 2018 by Metro Transit (Omaha), with an estimated cost of 170 million. However, an 8-million-dollar federal earmark for the project was uncessfully sought by Rep. Don Bacon in 2021.[4]

In 2022, a revised plan was announced by Mayor Jean Stothert and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce's Urban Core Committee.[5] The streetcar will be built, operated, and maintained without a property tax rate increase or sales tax increase. It will run on a three-mile route from Cass to Farnam on South 10th street, Farnam west to 42nd Street, and back to 10th Street on Harney. The streetcar will be operational in 2026, and free for all riders.[6] Future expansions north, south, and west in Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa are also proposed.[7] The proposal was endorsed by Governor of Nebraska Pete Ricketts, Union Pacific Railroad President, chairman and CEO Lance Fritz, and Mayor Matt Walsh of Council Bluffs.

• Light rail in the United States
• Transportation in Omaha