<< return
Bike & Ride Program Rolling in Midtown, Throughout Omaha
Whether you're looking to save a few bucks at the gas pump or shed a few pounds, Midtown commuters and their peers throughout the city now have a new option. Metro Area Transit (MAT) officially "rolled out" its Bike & Ride program on Monday, Sept. 29.
Each of MAT's 130 buses are now equipped with a front-mounted bike rack. Each rack can hold two bikes and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
"The interest has been phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal," said Linda Barritt, MAT's marketing and program director.
Groups that encourage either a healthier lifestyle or environment are ecstatic about the bike rack addition. Activate Omaha partnered with MAT and Omaha by Design to help promote Bike & Ride.
"It's a great thing for the city and a great thing for the overall health of our community," said Tammie Dodge, Activate Omaha's project manager. "This is another excellent opportunity to make biking easy and accessible."
Daniel Lawse, co-chair of the Green Neighborhood Council of the Green Omaha Coalition, called the program "a fantastic improvement to Omaha's bus system."
"Anytime you can add a new mode of transportation to somebody's options, it makes our community that much more resilient to high energy costs," said Lawse. "Having bike racks on buses increases the mobility of Omaha residents who use public transportation, and it may encourage new people to use public transportation due to the new options available."
Maybe you'd like to bus to work and cycle home or tap the program to explore Omaha's trail system. Regardless, instructions for using the racks are posted on the MAT Web site.
"It's simple. Anyone can do it," said Dodge. "It's actually easier than racking my bike on my car. The rack on the bus is lower, so I don't have to lift my bike as high."
Also listed on the Web site is a list of do's and don'ts. First and foremost, said Barritt, "Don't forget your bike on the bus." Just in case, she encouraged prospective rack users to put permanent identification on their bikes or know their serial number.
"The more they've done to identify their bike, the more likely they're going to get their bike back if it is stolen."
There is no charge to use the rack, riders will pay standard fares: $1.25 for regular fixed route service with $.05 transfers. Express ridership is $1.50 per trip.
Businesses and organizations interested in promoting the program among employees or members can arrange on-site demonstrations. Simply e-mail a request through the MAT Web site.
"We want everyone to enjoy the experience," said Barritt. "We're really, really excited for our wheels to move their wheels."
Of MAT's 37 bus routes, 18 service the Midtown area, including Route 2, the Dodge St. route, which is MAT's busiest. MAT's Midtown Transit Center is located near 43rd & Douglas streets.