Exciting changes have come to Adams Park, thanks to the efforts of the organization Trails Have Our Respect. But for many, the challenge is getting there safely.
“If a kid can’t leave their house and cross 30th Street and Lake Street safely, they’re not going to come out to Adams Park, and that’s a shame,” said Melissa Antinoro with Trails Have Our Respect.
Antinoro was among those attending a public engagement event on Monday, hosted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA), focused on improving traffic safety.
According to MAPA, the greater metro area recorded 268 traffic fatalities between 2018 and 2022. Some recent deadly crash locations include Sorensen Parkway, 102nd and Blondo Streets, and JJ Pershing Drive near Eppley Airfield. These tragedies highlight the need for solutions to align with Omaha’s Vision Zero goal—eliminating traffic deaths.
“Even when you think it’s safe, it may not be,” Antinoro said.
For over a year, MAPA has been analyzing crash data while also gathering input from the community. Keenan Page, with the afterschool and community bike program Bike Collab, values this approach.
“I really appreciate the data-driven approach that MAPA takes and the visualizations,” Page said. “I think that third part of that triangle is that community and lived experience feedback.”
MAPA planners have identified a high-priority network to improve road safety by following a structured approach:
- Pinpointing where traffic fatalities have occurred.
- Identifying areas where infrastructure poses a higher risk.
- Incorporating community concerns about dangerous areas.
With this information, MAPA has developed recommendations to make Omaha’s roads safer.
“It’s down to individual jurisdictions to kind of execute it—to identify those projects that make sense, find funding for them, and implement those projects,” said MAPA planner Jim Borener.
MAPA is laying the groundwork, offering solutions, and working with local authorities to turn these plans into reality.
