Change to one-way streets in Farnam Street triggers debate

OMAHA, Nebraska (WOWT) – There has been debate about Omaha’s part-time one-way street for many years.

On sections of Farnam Street, traffic is directed in one direction during the morning rush hour, but on the way home the one-way street changes to the other direction.

6 News reports that despite all the discussions, nothing has changed and driving on parts of Farnam Street is still scary and confusing.

Imagine drivers from other cities approaching this sign. It might take them a minute to figure out what to do. Driving on Farnam Street from Happy Hallow to Saddle Creek has been a problem for years.

The neighbors wanted to fix the problem and make Farnam accessible in both directions throughout the day.

There have been meetings and studies that have shown that in Farnam, on 50th and 52nd Streets, the accident rate is twice the city average.

Neighbors wanted a change, and city officials proposed directing traffic in both directions throughout the day, but with roundabouts like those used in other parts of the city to calm traffic.

However, residents of this directional change zone fear that roundabouts would destroy the charm of this historic district.

The issue was brought to the Omaha City Council. Officials said roundabouts were the safest and only option to consider. The neighbors didn’t want that. The change plan was rejected, and this is where we are now.

No changes at Farnam, same problems.

A dashcam video from 6 News shows that traffic continues to flow in the wrong direction even when the road becomes one-way.

Some of the wrong-way drivers are clearly visible and easy to avoid. OPS says no children on board, the driver is just learning the route.

In other cases, it may be a little more difficult to avoid a wrong-way driver.

“It’s been like this since we got here,” said Wayne Conradson. “When we moved here, my kids were little. They would hear noise and run to the corner.”

Wayne Conradson and his family have lived in the area for 50 years. He says the accidents on Farnam are not limited to 50th and 52nd streets.

“You drive up and down the street, people turn the wrong way in the morning and in the afternoon,” Conradson said. “I don’t know where they got their statistics that those two places are the problem. No, it’s all along the street.”

Like many of our neighbors, Wayne believes a roundabout would only make the situation worse and that continuous two-way traffic would be the solution. However, he doesn’t know if that will ever be an option.

“Well, we could start complaining again,” Conradson said. “I don’t know if it does any good, but then it just disappeared. I never heard anything about it again after that.”

Your neighbors may not have noticed, but anyone driving in the turn-by-turn zone will still have to contend with the confusion.

Conradson told 6 News that the change in direction on Farnam is still a topic of discussion in the neighborhood.

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