Omaha State Sen. Margo Juarez will hold a town hall Monday to hear from Nebraskans about passenger rail options and possibilities, culminating a statewide tour meant to inform a study that she is backing in the Legislature.
The town hall will go from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Willa Cather Branch of the Omaha Public Library, 1905 S. 44th St. The nonprofit group ProRail Nebraska will also provide information about rail and offer ideas for improving Nebraska’s public transit options.
“Transportation is a priority in our state, and I’m disappointed in the lack of progress we’ve made,” Juarez said at a press release announcing the town halls. “The streetcar coming to Omaha is exciting, but it’s only the beginning. I want communities across Nebraska to see what a great asset passenger rail can be.”
Juarez has held similar meetings in Columbus, Grand Island, Lincoln and North Platte. Nebraska’s stops on Amtrak’s California Zephyr route, which extends from Chicago to the Bay Area of California, are in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Holdrege and McCook.
The Zephyr travels through Nebraska once per day in each direction, either early in the morning or late at night. The train heading west departs from Omaha about 11:30 p.m., and the train heading east leaves about 5 a.m.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation has already splashed water on the notion of passenger rail. The department told the Nebraska Examiner in August that passenger rail currently is “not viable in the state because the development of such a route would pose a significant cost, and there is currently no mechanism to pay for such a project with existing state revenue.”
Still, Juarez and other lawmakers are backing Legislative Resolution 203, which would authorize a study of existing passenger rail infrastructure and gather more public input to inform potential legislation. Juarez has shared anecdotes about the ease of traveling in cities with local rail options and said Nebraskans should have similar options.
“In recent years, interest in rail transit and public transportation has grown in Nebraska, especially among young professionals,” LR 203 states. “In addition to retaining Nebraska’s homegrown talent and meeting the needs of a growing workforce, passenger rail projects are major development opportunities that drive large public and private investment.”
Other lawmakers have proposed bills to rejoin a regional group that studies and seeks to expand passenger rail, but those have not advanced. That group, the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, worked with the Federal Railroad Administration on a long-term vision for Midwest regional rail. Omaha is the one of the furthest west points in their plan, leaving out the rest of Nebraska.
Along with the town halls, Juarez and ProRail Nebraska have an online survey in which Nebraskans can provide input on passenger rail.
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