Designing a Modern Streetcar in Nebraska’s Largest City

• The new 3-mile streetcar route is expected to spur billions in development.
• The streetcar will be free to ride and arrive every 10 minutes along 16 level-boarding stops.
• Streetcar vehicles will be 100% low floor and capable of off-wire operations — a first in the United States.
• The project also includes two bridge replacements and a vehicle maintenance facility.

The Omaha Streetcar will carry passengers along a 3-mile route between downtown Omaha, popular districts and growing neighborhoods. The new transit option, expected to begin operating in 2028, will provide free, quick and easy access to the places people want to go while spurring economic growth. 

By 2040, development spurred by the streetcar is projected to reach $3.9 billion. More than $1.3 billion in new development has already been announced along or near the streetcar route. The projects include large residential buildings, new commercial space and a new downtown Omaha skyscraper. 

HDR has supported the streetcar from its earliest phases, including feasibility studies, alternatives analysis, conceptual engineering and evaluating different funding mechanisms. We led preliminary design, defining the streetcar’s route, stop locations and vehicle specifications. Throughout the final design, we worked through challenges relating to utilities, coordination with other projects, managing multiple stakeholder needs, project schedule and physical constraints of existing roads.

We are also helping the Omaha Streetcar Authority inform, educate and engage stakeholders about the construction and design of the project through one-on-one meetings and open houses. HDR also provides a 24/7 information line for the project.

Customized Solutions for an Innovative Approach 

Riders will be able to take the streetcar to popular destinations like the CHI Health Center arena, the Riverfront, the Old Market, Midtown Crossing and the Blackstone district without worrying about finding a place to park. In addition to the new streetcar, Omaha Streetcar Authority’s project also includes 16 stop locations, two bridge replacements and a new vehicle maintenance facility.

The streetcar will arrive every 10 minutes at its 16 level-boarding stops. 

The streetcars running along the Omaha route will be hybrid vehicles capable of on-wire and off-wire operations, which was important given the narrow urban corridors and parks along part of the route. To allow for more seating flexibility and to make the vehicles more accessible for passengers, a 100% low floor vehicle was selected for the project. These vehicles, which have no steps on the interior of the vehicle for passengers, have not been used off-wire before in the United States. Using the project team’s knowledge of the streetcar market, the Omaha Streetcar Authority contacted manufacturers both within and outside the United States and discussed the project’s goals and physical constraints in the corridor. The project required having a level boarding doorway at the two center doors of the vehicle to interface with the platform. After a competitive procurement for new vehicles, Omaha Streetcar Authority selected the lowest and best offer for six streetcars meeting the project’s specifications and budget. 

Mapping the Course Ahead 

Construction of the streetcar requires excavation approximately 3 feet into the ground along the entirety of the route. To support the streetcar’s progress, HDR’s utility coordination team embarked on a comprehensive GIS-based mapping effort to expedite conflict reviews and provide a platform for relocation design and other corridor management efforts. The team developed an ArcGIS-powered platform that provides a comprehensive view of the area’s complex utility network comprised of 19 different providers.

Team members cut more than 800 potholes across the project footprint to collect photographic and quantitative data like pavement thickness and utility depth for the utilities at each location. It was one of the most comprehensive verification endeavors ever undertaken for a project of this scale in Nebraska.

The team also utilized an innovative 360-degree street-view imagery system to support time-specific inquiries and enhance the detail available for reference during planning discussions.

Since utility conflicts were identified during design, the hub is expected to minimize disruptions to businesses and residents during construction of the streetcar. The platform also enhances the project’s sustainability by providing better data to support potential reuse of bricks excavated from existing roadways.

Vehicle Maintenance Facility

HDR also designed the vehicle maintenance facility that will house the operations and maintenance contractor and serve as the offices of the Omaha Streetcar Authority. The downtown Omaha two-level facility will be on a 1.93-acre site that lacked developable value due to its proximity to freeway overpasses and railroad tracks.

The facility will have a service and inspection bay, a repair bay and a wash bay for daily cleanings of the streetcars and maintenance. The service and inspection bay has a maintenance pit for vehicle undercarriage access, a mezzanine for rooftop access to the vehicles and a bridge crane to remove equipment from the roof of the vehicle.