Omaha hires bike coordinator

Two weeks after signing off on a budget that includes higher taxes and major budget cuts, Mayor Jim Suttle has created a new city position that pays about $65,000 a year.

However, no city money is being used to fund the position. The job: a bicycle-pedestrian coordinator who is charged with making Omaha’s streets safer for cyclists and walkers.

Suttle said Wednesday that despite a tough budget year, citizens want Omaha’s quality of life to improve.

"We have to go on with our lives," the mayor said. "(Taxpayers) want to see a city that provides opportunities for everyone."

Carlos Morales of Los Angeles started his job Tuesday. Morales will work on increasing the number of bike lanes and pedestrian areas across the city.

Suttle said the goal is to reduce public reliance on cars to get around the city.

"The position will enable us to craft a vision for a pedestrian-friendly and bikeable city," Suttle said at a press conference.

Morales’ salary is $65,597 annually, and he will work in the city Planning Department.

The city has been planning to add the position for about two years, said Catherine Mello, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

Suttle acknowledged that some taxpayer money will be used to pay the salary — it just won’t come directly from City of Omaha taxpayers.

The city partnered with four entities to fund Morales’ position. Half of his salary, about $32,000, will be covered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, which relies on federal, state and local funding. Another $13,000 will come from a federal grant awarded to the Douglas County Health Department to promote wellness. The remaining $20,000 will be paid through funding from Alegent Health and Live Well Omaha, a local coalition of organizations working to improve local residents’ health.

Morales will receive city benefits, but their cost will be covered through the partnership with the four entities.

Suttle said he hopes that Omaha someday will boast "complete streets," roadways with features that benefit all users — cars, bicyclists, walkers, bus riders and others.

Morales most recently worked as an assistant coordinator of bicycle outreach and planning for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. There, he said, he helped create a bicycle parking network to install more bike racks across the city.

Morales said city government has a role in encouraging alternative forms of travel, including cycling and walking.

"I feel that everyone," he said, "has a part in this."

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