OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The future of Omaha’s bus system is being laid out right now, and riders have the chance to be a part of it.
Metro Transit is hosting public meetings with their Metro Next project to hear first-hand what the bus experience is like for those who use them.
“Our riders are the experts," said Lauren Cencic, Metro Transit's CEO. "They live our service everyday, and they have great discussions and ideas.”
New routes, signage, bus stop quality and payment options are all topics that have come up.
Cencic says, though they offered free rides on ORBT for over a year, they are not considering a fare-free system like the one recently adopted in Kansas City.
“With our tight budget, fares are an important part of continuing to be able to operate the level of service that we have and even grow that," Cencic said.
One thing they are considering though is adding more frequent trips, possibly reducing wait times from an hour or 30 minutes, to 15 minutes.
"That really changes the way you move throughout your day, and the way you plan your day," Cencic said.
Metro Transit will be collecting and analyzing community feedback and expects to have a rough draft for the public’s consideration in March.
"This is really looking at taking a step back and putting all of those pieces together in one comprehensive plan so we can see how it all fits together as a system," Cencic said.
You can share your suggestions for the bus system at MetroNEXT | Metro (ometro.com).
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