JONAH LAGRANGE/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Construction in Omaha closes down roads at the intersection of Farnam & 13th St. by campus.
The City of Omaha’s Streetcar Project, expected to finish in 2028, is meant to make Omaha “more connected, more accessible, and even more vibrant,” according to the Omaha Streetcar website. In the process of its construction, however, it may have had the opposite effect.
Even as the temperatures continue to drop, local businesses around Creighton have continually felt the heat from the project. In 2025, following the expansion of Creighton’s Jaypass to the wider Omaha Metro system, students had greater access to businesses like Bad Seed Coffee, a shop that used to serve customers on 25th and Harney.
The Streetcar Project necessitated the demolition of the Harney Street Bridge. Following the subsequent rerouting and detours in the streets, co-owners of Bad Seed Brenna and Matt McCrary made the hard decision to close it down. Their last day of business was in September.
City officials are aware of the effect that the Streetcar project is having on local businesses. On December 10th, 2025, Mayor Jon Ewing held a press conference addressing the concerns of small business owners.
“We know that many small businesses have been affected by the Streetcar construction program. Nothing I say today can ease the impact on their bottom line, and ongoing frustrations our businesses owners and customers have experienced during this process. I can tell you we are listening,” he said.
One of the ways that the city has transformed listening into action is through the “Future Riders Passport Program”, a program that encourages citizens of Omaha to visit businesses that have been affected by the project. Participating businesses in the program offer stamps to passport-carrying citizens, and if a certain number of stamps are collected, the passport can be submitted for a prize. The top prize is a “dreamy staycation.” The program runs until March 31, according to the Streetcar website.
But the efforts brought by programs like the Future Riders Passport Program have yet to be effective. Emily, a manager at Smokin Oaks at Midtown crossing, said that the construction has hurt their business.
“You can only get to us now from Dodge Street. There’s not a lot of parking, because of the construction. They’re not making the parking free, so people aren’t happy because they have to pay, considering the extra walking they have to make.”
Smokin’ Oaks participates in The Passport Program, which is supposed to mitigate the loss to business. But even though they’ve got the passports to show for it, Emily says it hasn’t drawn many people in.
“As far as people coming up and asking for the stamps, I’ve gotten like five or six.”
As the construction continues to develop, more businesses in Omaha are affected. Whatever the full impact the Streetcar Project is yet to be realized – 2028 is two years away.