By Colin Gurney
Many Omaha residents don’t consider local public transit as a key city issue, but it’s a different story for those who use the buses.
Omaha is a hilly, sprawling city. Residents with cars have few issues when driving on city streets, but those without cars must rely on other ways to get around.
During the winter, the city bus is the only option for many who would otherwise walk or bike to work. However, the Omaha Metro Bus System isn’t always reliable.
Johnny Redd, a UNO student, has experience riding the Omaha buses and said that improving local public transit should be a priority.
“I would say there’s no silver bullet,” Redd said. “It’s all about small, incremental change. I think what we need to do is normalize public transportation, especially in a city like ours that is so spread out and so reliant on cars.
Redd said that putting money into public transportation will help the parts of Omaha that need it most.
“One of the biggest barriers to overcoming the problems with public transit,” Redd said, “is getting rid of the stigma that comes with it. A lot of people think that if you ride the bus, then you’re poor. A lot of the time, that’s true, but there’s nothing wrong with being poor.”
