Omaha city leaders change position on bicycle transportation issue
Active Living Advisory Board formed
A possible change in plans could put a job back into the budget for bicycle transportation.
The Omaha Mayor’s Office discussed several options -- including a city planning position called the balanced transportation coordinator -- to serve as a point person on how to get around the city.
Video: Bike position could return to city budget
Several weeks ago, the city’s bike-pedestrian coordinator was eliminated.
A decision hasn’t been made yet, but the chair of the newly-formed Active Living Advisory Board, and members of the City Council, said the position is necessary.
“I think we're sort of on the brink of maturing to that next phase now,” said Julie Harris, who heads Mayor Jean Stothert’s new committee.
The committee was formed after the budget eliminated the coordinator’s role.
"It's important and good to have somebody sort of focusing on these other issues,” Harris said. “A lot of times, cities get planned around the car and it's just good to have sort of that second set of eyes on things."
In proposed budget amendments, City Councilmen Chris Jerram and Ben Gray would hire an “active living manager” to focus on multimodal issues.
"I think we've got to put it out there and I think we have to have that discussion," Gray said.
Gray hasn’t heard of the mayor’s possible hire Thursday, but said he may not push as hard for that part of his “no tax cut proposal” if someone from Stothert’s office lets the council know the plan.
"I would want to hear that No. 1, there's going to be a point person and that's all they're going to do,” Gray said. “And No. 2, as they're coordinating with this advisory committee that they're expanding and growing the momentum already started."
Harris said she looks forward to the day when Omaha has a complete plan.
"Where we can sort of have a common knowledge of where we're going (and) have a plan in place so that when opportunities come up we can take advantage of those things," Harris said.
Gray said his goal is about keeping the momentum started four years ago alive.
He said it’s critical to his district when it comes to transportation and how the city will look like in the future.