Trails in Omaha, Nebraska include of paved trails as well as unpaved trails and paths for recreational usage throughout the city. Popular among bicyclists, runners, hikers and recreational walkers, these trails are included in comprehensive plans for the City of Omaha, the Omaha metro area, Douglas County, and long-distance coordinated plans between the municipalities of southeast

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

History

In 1887 the Omaha Bicycling Club was responsible for expanding Athletic Park at North 20th and Lake Streets to include a bicycle racing track, and there were other early trails throughout the city. However, Omaha was completely devoid of trails for several years during the 20th century leading up to early 1989. That year the city began developing the Keystone trail, and since then the city of Omaha has developed approximately of paved recreational trails, and another of trails are scheduled for completion within the next eight years. On September 28, 2008, the trails in Omaha were connected to trails in Council Bluffs, Iowa by way of the new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. A 15- to wide S-shaped bridge spans more than across the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

, connecting Omaha's Riverfront Trail with Playland Park in Council Bluffs.

Benefits of the trails

A recent study focused on the benefits of Omaha's trails found that respondents generally perceive the trails to be economic benefits, with almost two-thirds of those surveyed reporting the trails would increase the selling price of their home. There is no widespread concern for safety issues on the trails, as trespassing, theft and vandalism by trail users are relatively infrequent events. A large majority of residents living along the trails think there is a positive relationship between the trails and neighborhood

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

Future development

There are many plans for the trails in Omaha. A local organization is calling for more east-west connecting trails, as most of the city east of 72nd Street has few trails of note. There are also plans to connect Omaha to the MoPac Trail running east from Lincoln on a system called the Mo-Pac East Trail. Currently extending northeast towards over the Platte River on the Lied Platte River Trail Bridge near

South Bend South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

, the trail will eventually connect with the 144th Street Trail. The trails are also included in a plan called the Quad State Trail Project. This plan envisions linking numerous cities in

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

and

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, including connecting Omaha to St. Louis, Kansas City, Topeka and Lincoln via of trails, 450 of which already exist.(2005
"Quad-state trail system mapped—over of trail linking MO, KS, NE, IA"
''Missouri Bicycle News.'' Retrieved 9/20/07.

Trails

References

Bibliography

* Greer, D.L. (2000)
Omaha Recreational Trails: Their Effect on Property Values and Public Safety
'. University of Nebraska at Omaha. Retrieved 9/20/07. * RDG Martin Shukert and Ciaccio Dennell Group. (1994)

' Nebraska Energy Office and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

External links

Omaha Bike Map

OmahaTrails.com

– University of Nebraska at Omaha website.
Omaha Area Trail Map

Midwest Cycling Community
website.

website. {{OmahaTransport Transportation in Omaha, Nebraska Tourist attractions in Omaha, Nebraska Geography of Omaha, Nebraska Protected areas of Douglas County, Nebraska