Last spring, a New York Times article questioned how Omaha takes care of their city streets. The Omaha city council updated the policy for maintaining the roads this week, in an effort to help the $300 million dollar problem the city is facing and the 300 miles of substandard roads.
SEE RELATED: New York Times article highlights Omaha's road problem
This gravel road near 90th and Center was the feature in the New York Times Article.
“They just tore it up, and they didn't tell us they were going to tear it up,” said homeowner Katherine Troia who has lives on that street for 50 years.
Her neighbor Yulia Lierler said they don’t even wash their windows anymore, “Now it is just dust clouds, just dust clouds reaching all the way to the house.”
The new city policy will deal with those gravel roads, giving homeowners the chance to pay 50% of the cost to repave their road, and the city paying more in lower income neighborhoods.
“I would rather the city pay that, we pay taxes and all, but I can see the point of the city,” said Lierler.
Troia said her neighborhood is moving forward with repaving her street, “I am waiting, and I can hardly wait until this is done, this has been so bad.”
Lierler said the new policy could work but the city needs better communication on how property owners can re-pave their gravel roads.
“It’s not like the city is advertising, here are the steps as neighbors you can do, and you we will get your road,” she said.
The city did comment and say that homeowners can start the process to re-pave by taking out a petition to find out how many people are willing to participate, but 3 New Now could not find that information on the website.
