By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – By 2035, the population for the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro area is predicted to reach 950,000.
The increase in populace will mean the need for changes to the metro's current transportation systems. The public is being asked for their input on the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan through a series of open meetings. The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency is holding the meetings to explore opportunities to enhance transit service. Spokesman Greg Youell says MAPA would like to maintain the metro's reputation as a 20-minute city.
Youell says there will be a variety of projects including arterial widening, signal improvements as well as bicycle and pedestrian improvements. He says, "this is definitely stepping it up and I think it's in response to what we've already been hearing on public surveys that people want to have a truly balanced, multi-modal system."
Public meetings on the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan take place this week and next. For more information, the website is www.mapacog.org.