In an effort to promote enhanced transportation planning to accommodate all users, the City of Omaha Planning Department announced today that Carlos Morales will serve as the City’s new Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator. The position is funded by grants and community partners and is not part of the City’s general fund. Those partners include the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA), Alegent Health with Live Well Omaha, and the Douglas County Health Department through a federal grant.
From left to right: Executive Director of LiveWell Omaha Kerri Peterson, City Planning Director Rick Cunningham, Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Carlos Morales, MAPA Executive Director Paul Mullen, Director Healthier Communities, Alegent Health, Mikki Frost and Mayor Suttle.
As Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, Morales will be tasked with developing and managing policies and programs that further promote a multi-modal transportation network for Omaha, with increased focus on the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians. This includes, but is not limited to, trails and bicycle parking facilities, bike lanes, share lane markings, signage, bike racks, and enhanced crosswalks and signals.
Morales will lead efforts to incorporate balanced transportation principles into the City of Omaha and regional master plans, which include goals for non-motorized transportation and accessibility. In addition, Morales will work with the many technical and advisory transportation stakeholders, including local governments and regional partners, such as MAPA and Metro (formerly MAT).
“We are ready to take the next step forward to make Omaha a city that not only supports, but encourages, alternative modes of transportation, including bicycling and walking,” said Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle. “With the support of our partners, the City will have the ability to further incorporate the needs of all citizens into local and regional transportation planning and promote a healthy community.”
“I can’t wait to hit the ground running and help the City of Omaha promote and facilitate pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure,” Morales said. ”I look forward to working with all the technical advisory committees, City staff and local advocacy groups to make Omaha a great place to walk and bike.”
“Alegent Health has been a supporter of Live Well Omaha Kids, a community coalition to address childhood obesity,” said Mikki Frost, Director Healthier Communities, Alegent Health. “We are happy to work with the City and community partners to support the position because we know that the character of our built environment affects our health status. A community with opportunities for families to safely walk, bicycle or use mass transit is a healthier community, with lower incidents of obesity and negative health consequences.”
“We look forward to working with Carlos not only on bicycle and pedestrian projects in Omaha but we feel he will be able to provide valuable input in incorporating pedestrian and bicycle principals in MAPA’s multi-modal regional plans,” said Paul Mullen, Executive Director of Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA). ”MAPA’s commitment to partner with the City of Omaha, Alegent Health and Live Well Omaha to support Omaha’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator shows how the public and private sectors continue to work together to provide a quality of life in the metro area that is second to none.”
“This represents an unprecedented opportunity to sustainably change our environment, thus positively impacting the health of our community,” said Kerri Peterson, Executive Director of Live Well Omaha. “We are making an investment by re-thinking how community design will give people options to incorporate physical activity into their everyday lifestyles.”
Morales comes to Omaha from Los Angeles, California, where he served as the 
Assistant Coordinator for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Bicycle Outreach and Planning. For the past three years, Morales has worked in LA to facilitate bike lanes and bike parking, pedestrian accessibility and a general reduction on auto dependence.
Morales has a Master of Arts in Urban Planning: Transportation Planning from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts in International and Environmental Studies from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
The Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator position was approved by the Omaha City Council on June 9, 2009. His first day was September 7.
