The Omaha World-Herald is reporting that the Omaha Police Department is looking to exclude some active transportation options from the area around the stadium for next year’s College World Series.
Lt. Darci Tierney, an Omaha police spokeswoman, said the rickshaw cycles were an issue the department has noticed.
With the CWS in its new north downtown location, even regular vehicle traffic can tie up the streets around the ballpark.
Tierney said the cycles stalled the traffic flow around the stadium. The department also is concerned about people’s safety because the riders step into the street to load onto a cycle.
With the limited parking available around the stadium, especially with the fan zone and the vendors and the beer gardens, aren’t private automobiles the real culprits of traffic problems? If we ban cars from the same zone, and only allow rickshaws, carriages, charter and public buses, to ferry attendees from outer parking locations, wouldn’t that be a real solution to any traffic problem?
Let’s let our elected officials know where we stand on encouraging active transportation. Call the mayor. Call your city council representative and let them know if you are in favor of excluding human powered transportation from an athletic event, or if you prefer policies that encourage a diverse range of options for transportation and commerce.