Can we afford to create a multimodal transportation system in Omaha? Can we afford not to? The current system, that emphasizes moving cars is very expensive in terms of costs and safety. A multimodal system that supports streets made for everyone to use, no matter what mode, can attract and retain people of all ages to our city and save a lot in road widening and maintenance, environmental , and health costs.
This chart gives an indication of the financial costs of the current car-centric system, which emphasizes road widening, compared to the costs of investments in projects that improve safety and accessibility for other modes. The costs are either actual (highway and 96 street widening) or estimated (initial cost for the bike loop, one-time capital and annual operating costs for BRT, one-time cost for putting in the protected bike lane, and cost for putting in paved trail).
Per mile costs of transportation projects in the Omaha-area