ORBT buses are designed to make a statement that they are new and different. Hence the orange and gray design, not Metro transit's standard blue and white.
ORBT will be a new system called bus rapid transit, operating between downtown Omaha and Westroads Mall.
People boarding an ORBT at platforms will have no steps to navigate. A full ride is expected to take 26 to 28 minutes.
ORBT will be a new system called bus rapid transit, operating between downtown Omaha and Westroads Mall.
Metro is preparing Omaha’s new ORBT rapid transit bus system for its 2020 launch. The ORBT station canopies are being built by Dimensional Innovations in Overland Park, Kansas. The ORBT stations will have Wi-Fi, ticket kiosks and raised boarding platforms.
Omaha is taking steps toward better mass transit.
The biggest change in the works is Metro transit’s ORBT bus line. After delaying ORBT’s start from April to September, Metro is taking the time to acclimate Omaha to the idea of bus rapid transit — a popular feature in other major cities.
The new system also will mean changes for some existing Metro riders. On Thursday, the transit agency announced it will end Dodge Street’s Route 2 when ORBT starts this fall.
What is the ORBT system and how will it work? We’ve got answers to your questions.
What is ORBT?
ORBT is the new bus line coming to Omaha later this year. ORBT stands for Omaha Rapid Bus Transit — it’s meant to be a quicker, more efficient bus ride than the regular Omaha bus lines. Metro transit has delayed the project, but the new line is set to start by mid-September.
What is “Rapid Bus Transit”?
In mass transit, the system is commonly called “Bus Rapid Transit,” but Omaha switched around the words to come up with a catchy name. Bus rapid transit functions something like a streetcar or light rail line while still working within the confines of existing streets and automobile traffic.
The Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, name is a play off Light Rail Transit, or LRT. At its best, Bus Rapid Transit is like rail on wheels. The buses typically look more sleek, hold more people and load at platforms. Buses arrive more frequently at a given stop, but make fewer stops along the route. Ideally, buses drive on special dedicated lanes and use technology to hold traffic lights longer, so the trip is more rapid, as the name implies.
That’s the ideal system. Omaha’s system will be something less than full Bus Rapid Transit.
Evan Schweitz, transit planner for Metro, loads a bike onto an ORBT bus. The bike rack on ORBT buses, with room for five bikes, is located inside the bus, not outside on the front of the bus.
How will Omaha’s system work?
It’s a single line that will run between downtown Omaha and Westroads Mall to take advantage of the population and employment centers along that corridor.
The line will run up and down Dodge Street, cutting over to Douglas Street eastbound into downtown, then looping back around.
The stations will be on both sides of Dodge Street at 90th, 84th, 72nd, 62nd, 49th, 42nd and 33rd Streets. Other stations will be along Douglas Street eastbound at Park Avenue and 24th, 19th, 15th and 10th Streets; and up Dodge Street at 12th, 15th, 20th and 24th Streets and Park Avenue.
(For now, you mostly see stations on the north side of Dodge. The south side will have stations, too. Construction just hasn’t gotten that far yet.)
What will the ride schedule look like?
Part of the idea is you don’t have to check a schedule. Metro says an ORBT bus will arrive at a platform every 10 minutes between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays. A full ride end to end is expected to take 26 to 28 minutes.
OK, what’s the catch?
Some transportation experts call Omaha’s system “bus rapid transit-light.” Omaha won’t have totally dedicated lanes to speed a bus along, or a side slip lane to get a bus through a pinch point or a tough intersection.
So will the buses get stuck in traffic like anyone else?
Sure, sometimes. But the ORBT buses have some traffic advantages. The system will have semi- dedicated lanes east of 30th Street to speed the ride in and out of downtown. And the ORBT buses will have the technology to hold a traffic signal a little while. Still, if an ORBT bus is deep in a long line of traffic, it will have to wait like any other driver.
What makes the buses different?
The bright orange color, for one. Metro transit chose an orange and gray design over Omaha’s standard blue and white. The point is to show that the rapid transit system is new and different.
The buses (Metro bought 10) also are 50% longer than a regular bus, with seating capacity for 46 people and standing room for 18 more. They’re long enough that they have an accordion hinge in the middle that flexes as the bus turns corners. The buses have three doors, and riders will be able to enter and exit through any one of the doors.
Buses have a bike rack inside, with space for five bikes, and onboard Wi-Fi.
Will people ride ORBT?
Day one, the projections forecast 2,700 riders daily.
In other cities, bus rapid transit has been quite popular. So popular that real estate developers invest in new shops and housing within walking distance of BRT stations.
Already in Omaha, an apartment developer at 46th and Dodge Streets said ORBT helped pique his interest. In anticipation of heightened development interest, the Omaha City Council updated the city’s master plan to encourage “Transit Oriented Development” along the ORBT line. The city wants to make sure future development fits with established neighborhoods.
Transit advocates also believe Omaha has pent-up demand for mass transit improvements — and ORBT is Omaha’s largest mass transit investment in decades.
A survey from the Greater Omaha Chamber found that only 9% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of the region’s transit. The survey also found that 38% of respondents would like to use transit to get to school or work, compared to 5% who use it now.
What makes the stations different from the current bus stops?
They’re modern and sleek-looking, and will be made to speed buses on their way.
The stations will have a raised platform for loading, so people can walk straight onto the bus without stepping up (and without stepping down as they depart). The buses and their three doors will line up with the specially built platforms.
Stations will have Wi-Fi, too, and ticket kiosks so riders can buy tickets ahead of time.
Contractor Dimensional Innovations of Overland Park, Kansas, is building the station canopies off-site. They will be installed starting in April or May.
Why is construction taking so long?
Metro got a late start in the construction season last year, which the agency partly attributes to a shortage of qualified contractors at the time because many companies were involved in flood repair projects. The Weitz Co. started construction in August.
After construction started, workers found that the utilities under the street were more complicated than expected. The platforms also have a unique design; the work involves a lot more than installing a bus shelter.
How much will this cost?
Metro says the total project will cost $37 million, which is higher than the transit agency first expected. Metro received a $14.9 million federal transportation grant in 2014 and has reallocated other federal funds. Other donors include the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, Mutual of Omaha, the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the Metropolitan Utilities District.
How much will a ride cost?
$1.25 per ride for an adult or $55 for a 30-day unlimited ride pass, the same price as Metro charges now.
Metro is planning to upgrade its payment system to accept smart cards and mobile pay as options. People also can buy paper tickets as they do now.
The ticket machines at ORBT stations are meant to help people pay ahead of time, so they’re not putting cash into the fare box on board.
If I don’t live close to a station, how will I get to one?
The Westroads station is a park-and-ride location at the transit center there. You can drive your car there and park it all day. Metro also is working out other park-and-ride locations along the line.
You can ride your bike to a stop and load it on board with you. Metro is working with Heartland B- cycle to add bike share stations to some ORBT stations.
But the spacing will be difficult for some people who live in midtown or Dundee.
What about Metro’s Route 2 line that runs down Dodge Street between downtown and Westroads?
Riders like this route because it makes a lot of stops on Dodge Street — more than ORBT will. Route 2 currently has about 1,200 to 1,300 riders daily.
But Thursday, Metro announced it will discontinue Route 2 when ORBT launches.
Metro says 85% of riders on Route 2 board or depart within a quarter-mile of an ORBT station, and about 90% of riders will have their nearest station change by three blocks or less.
After ending Route 2, Metro will extend Route 4 to the Regency shopping center, bridging a gap between Westroads and Regency Parkway. Plus, Metro just added plans for ORBT to stop on the north and south sides of 77th and Dodge Streets near the Keystone Trail. These won’t be full ORBT stations, but Metro wants to monitor ridership there.
Public meetings to discuss those changes are scheduled for March 10, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Nebraska State Office Building, 1313 Farnam St.; March 11, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at UNO’s Thompson Alumni Center, 6705 Dodge St.; and March 14, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Flagship Commons food court at Westroads Mall.
I live farther west or north or south. Why isn’t the line extended farther?
If ORBT works, this will be just the first of other rapid transit lines to follow. Future plans envision the possibility of additional lines running along South 24th Street and Fort Crook Road into Bellevue; North 30th Street; north and south on 72nd Street, then connecting with 84th Street through Sarpy County; and West Center Road, connecting with Saddle Creek Road, up to Maple Street and back to Westroads.
Metro is looking to the Greater Omaha Chamber’s ConnectGO initiative to help set priorities for future lines.
Where can I learn more?
Visit rideorbt.com or @rideORBT on Twitter. Construction updates are at rideORBT.com/construction.
Photos: Omaha streets and how they got their names
Dodge Street
Dodge Street: Dodge was believed to be named for U.S. Sen. Augustus Caesar Dodge, of Iowa, who championed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 — along with Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, for whom Douglas Street is named. The 1854 act established the two territories, opened new lands, repealed the 1820 Missouri Compromise and allowed new settlers to decide whether they would allow slavery. But, over the years, it became less clear of the origin of the street name, and many took issue with what they called Augustus Caesar Dodge's pro-slavery stances. And so, in 2016, an effort was launched to officially name Dodge Street in honor of Civil War Brig. Gen. Grenville Mellen Dodge and his brother, real estate pioneer N.P. Dodge. Those efforts were approved by the city, county and state in 2016.
Jones Street
Jones Street: Alfred D. Jones did Omaha City’s first survey in 1854. It was said that, as Omaha’s first postmaster, the lawyer carried the mail in his hat.
Johnny Rodgers Street
Johnny Rodgers Street: Marlin Briscoe, left, and Johnny Rodgers pose for a photo before a ceremony to rename a section of Burt Street, between 30th and 33rd Streets, Johnny Rodgers Street on July 30, 2015. Read more
Capitol Avenue
Capitol Avenue: This route led from the Missouri River to the second Nebraska territorial capitol, located on top of a hill near 20th and Dodge Streets. That building was replaced by Omaha High School in 1872, then by the school’s second building, which was completed in 1912. Omaha High School is now known as Omaha Central High School.
Mike Fahey Street
Mike Fahey Street: Fahey, pictured in 2009 at the ceremony renaming seven blocks of Webster Street from 10th Street to Creighton University as Mike Fahey Street, was the city’s longest-serving mayor since the City Charter was approved by voters in 1956.
A.V. Sorensen Parkway
A.V. Sorensen Parkway: Omaha businessman Axel Vergman Sorensen, mayor from 1965 to 1969, chaired a convention in 1956 that wrote the city’s current governing charter.
Farnam Street
Farnam Street: Originally the main drag in Omaha, Farnam Street was named for railroad promoter Henry Farnam.
Bob Gibson Boulevard
Bob Gibson Boulevard: Bob Gibson speaks after the unveiling of the street named after him in 1999. Deer Park Boulevard near Rosenblatt Stadium was renamed Bob Gibson Boulevard after the former St. Louis Cardinal pitching great and Hall of Fame member. Read more
Neal Mosser Boulevard
Neal Mosser Boulevard: The stretch of Cuming Street from 30th to 33rd Streets was named after longtime Tech High basketball coach Neal Mosser in 2005. His coaching tenure stretched from 1948 to the late 1960s, and he was recognized as a positive influence on countless athletes, including Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson and NBA star and Olympic gold medalist Bob Boozer.
Bud Crawford Street
Bud Crawford Street: Larimore Avenue between 31st Avenue and 33rd Street was designated Terence "Bud" Crawford Street. The professional boxer was born and raised on that stretch of Larimore. Read more
Millard Avenue
Millard Avenue: Ezra Millard was president of the Omaha National Bank, which he organized in 1866. In 1871, he bought the land that was to become Millard.
Carol Van Metre Lane
Carol Van Metre Lane: Named in honor of the late Carol Van Metre, who worked to help ensure that the children of Omaha had parks and fields in which to play. It winds east from 24th Street at Woolworth Avenue and leads to Columbus Park, the Columbus Community Center, and Van Metre Field, which is named for Carol’s husband, Dave. Read more
College World Series Avenue
College World Series Avenue: The section of 13th Street between Cuming Street and Mike Fahey Street was renamed College World Series Avenue in 2011 as a permanent reminder that TD Ameritrade Park is the home of the CWS. Read more
Dave Rimington Street
Dave Rimington Street: Mayor Mike Fahey with football great and philanthropist Dave Rimington, an Omaha South grad, during the dedication of the 20th Street to 24th Street section of L Street as Dave Rimington Street in 2002. Rimington redefined the center position at Nebraska, winning two Outland Trophies and a Lombardi Award before launching a seven-year NFL career. Read more
Boyd Street
Boyd Street: James E. Boyd was twice mayor of Omaha in the 1880s. The Irish immigrant became governor of Nebraska in 1890.
California Street
California Street: Gold seekers headed west for California landed near this street after crossing the Missouri River.
Cuming Street
Cuming Street: Secretary of the Nebraska Territory and acting Gov. Thomas B. Cuming convened the first Nebraska Territorial Legislature in Omaha in 1854, making Omaha the capital.
Harney Street
Harney Street: At the outbreak of the Civil War, Gen. William S. Harney was commander of the Department of the West.
Kyle Wayne LeFlore Street
Kyle Wayne LeFlore Street: The block of 29th Street between Fowler Ave and Meredith Ave was renamed Kyle Wayne LeFlore Street in honor of Sgt. LeFlore on July 20, 2018. LeFlore was slain in Omaha while on holiday vacation from the military. Read more
Marlin Briscoe Way
Marlin Briscoe Way: Marlin Briscoe, the first black starting quarterback in the NFL and an Omaha South High School graduate, was honored with a street named in his honor. Read more
Military Avenue
Military Avenue: This part of the original Overland Trail twisted through Omaha and Benson starting in 1857. It was used to move military supplies to Fort Kearny and by settlers heading to the Northwest. In 1994, part of Military Road near 82nd and Fort Streets was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Minne Lusa Boulevard
Minne Lusa Boulevard: Minne Lusa is a Native American term meaning “clear water.” A Florence pumping station was on the street. An elementary school of the same name is located near Minne Lusa Boulevard today.
Paxton Boulevard
Paxton Boulevard: William A. Paxton, known as the “real founder of South Omaha,” organized the Union Stockyards Company. He co-founded Paxton & Gallagher Wholesale Grocery, became co-owner of the Paxton & Vierling Iron Works and served in the Nebraska legislature. The Paxton Hotel was named for him.
Poppleton Avenue
Poppleton Avenue: Andrew Jackson Poppleton, a member of the first territorial legislature, was involved in deciding the territorial capital’s location. The attorney successfully represented Standing Bear in the Ponca chief’s 1879 trial. Poppleton served three times as mayor of Omaha.
Saddle Creek Road
Saddle Creek Road: This one sounds like it could be a tall tale, right? Details are sparse, but a man was apparently heading west out of Omaha to make his fortune mining gold. He didn’t get very far before a saddle fell off his wagon and into a creek that then flowed in the area. Hence the name Saddle Creek.
Woolworth Avenue
Woolworth Avenue: Attorney James Woolworth helped develop South Omaha’s stockyards. He wrote and published “The History of Omaha” in 1857. The city was only three years old.
Fred Astaire Avenue
On May 11, 2019, the day after what would’ve been dancing and acting legend Fred Astaire’s 120th birthday, Omaha honored its native son with his own street. The Fred Astaire Avenue sign is visible on 10th Street at Martha Street, less than a block from the house where Astaire was born. The family moved from Omaha to New York City in 1905.
jeff.robb@owh.com, 402-444-1128
Jeffrey Robb
Jeff Robb dives into data for The World-Herald. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyrobb. Phone: 402-444-1128.
