Public transportation in Nebraska is a vital part of the solution to the state’s economic, energy, and health care challenges through providing an alternative in congested urban areas and serving as a lifeline to rural communities. Every $1 invested in public transportation generates approximately $4 in economic returns.
Nebraska Public Transit is a program administered by the Nebraska Department of Transportation. NDOT’s Local Assistance Division is responsible for coordinating public transportation activities in Nebraska’s 93 counties and provides technical assistance as requested. NDOT receives money from the Federal Transit Administration and state transportation funds to fulfill requirements set forth by Nebraska Revised Statute 13-1204.
In 2013, NDOT and the University of Nebraska developed a project to assist with improving and promoting public transit across Nebraska. NDOT sponsors the project collaborating with the Nebraska Safety Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney College of Business & Technology and the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Public Affairs and Community Service.
The team combines experts in the fields of business, safety, technology, research, and public policy to work diligently toward a safer, more efficient, and more reliable public transportation system for everyone. The project focuses on the unique mobility challenges faced by our state’s rural residents, many of whom rely on public transportation as a critical point of access to social and economic resources.
The current, five-year portfolio of projects includes:
