Omaha Streetcar Breaks Ground

The Omaha streetcar project officially began street work last week with “potholing,” a process that drills into the roadway to identify utility lines and other underground features, reports Steve Liewer in the Omaha World-Herald. “Mapping underground utilities is a critical part of designing the streetcar line, said Austin Rowser, Omaha’s deputy public works director.”

The controversial project was launched in 2022 with the intent of bringing back the city’s former streetcar system, once the second-largest in the nation, and is funded by tax increment financing (TIF). The project came under fire from Warren Buffett, who called it too expensive and permanent. A third-party analysis projected that the streetcar would cover its costs.