MAPA Study Options to Address Traffic Issues in Busy North 30th Street Corridor: “A lot of it comes down to safety”
OMAHA, Nebraska (KMTV) — The sound of passing traffic on 30th Street is disturbing businesses and residents in northern Omaha.
“Most of the time, trailers run as fast as cars,” said Roger Bennett, owner of Rogers Hair Design.
For Bennett, speed is of the utmost importance.
“My biggest concern is with my older clients who have very slow reaction times because it happens so fast,” Bennett said.
Bennet also lives there, constantly experiencing noise and speed.
“Yes, big trucks, especially cattle trucks, and other things that drive by shake the house a lot,” Bennett said.
In Friday’s final report, the Omaha-Council Bluffs (MAPA) Metropolitan Area Planning Agency released possible traffic relief options, but it’s important to note that nothing will come of those options right away.
“Nothing has been developed, this is just a kind of feasibility study and the next steps will depend on the elected officials,” said Cort Barber, MAPA transport planner.
Emphasizes safety.
“A lot of this comes down to security, but it also needs to make sure we move goods and people efficiently,” Barber said.
After talking with community members, business owners, and companies such as OPPD, MUD, and many others, four options were drawn up.
Among them is the improvement of the 30th Street corridor. Creation of a new corridor along roughly 28th Avenue. And two options for a potential bridge across the Missouri River that could ease truck traffic from the surrounding area.
“Doing something on 30th Street seems like a no-brainer, it makes a lot of sense, there are other road options. The 28th Avenue option isn’t as expensive as the bridges, but the bridges are very, very expensive. ” Barber said.
These various options range in price from $6.5 million to just under $400 million.
“We are open to communication with anyone who is interested in learning more about this,” said Barber.
Meanwhile, Bennett said, “If they could just slow it down, it would make a huge difference.”
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