# Omaha Metro Transit reports strong ridership growth, approves facility upgrades  
**Published:** 2026-05-04T18:17:04.000Z  
**Source:** [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-23-metro-transit-board-approves-facility-upgrades-and-clean-audit/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/omaha-metro-transit-reports-strong-ridership-growth-approves-facility-upgrades

Omaha's Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority reported record ridership growth and approved nearly $2 million in facility improvements during an April board meeting, underscoring the agency's expanding role in the region's transportation network. Fixed-route ridership reached more than 307,000 trips in March, an 11% increase over February and the highest March ridership since 2016, according to [reporting from Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-23-metro-transit-board-approves-facility-upgrades-and-clean-audit/).

The agency's rapid bus transit line, ORBT, recorded 56,000 riders during the month, continuing a trajectory that [recently surpassed 2 million lifetime rides](https://www.ometro.com/metro-news/orbt-celebrates-two-million-rides/). More passengers now take the bus along Omaha's Dodge Street corridor using ORBT than at any time in the past decade.

Board members also approved a $1.43 million boiler replacement project with Grunwald Mechanical and a $465,652 administration building upgrade project. The board further accepted the agency's fiscal year 2025 audited financial statements, with independent auditors reporting no internal deficiencies, compliance concerns or material weaknesses.

The strong ridership performance comes as Metro continues expanding service across the region. On April 19, the agency implemented route and service-area changes that expanded Micro Flex coverage near Regency and south of Center Street. Transit officials highlighted discussions with the Omaha Inland Port Authority regarding transit access to [North Omaha's planned Innovation District](https://siliconprairienews.com/2025/06/as-omaha-plans-innovation-district-residents-ask-who-is-it-for/), a $30 million development project aimed at spurring economic growth.

CEO Lauren Cencic noted increased demand across multiple transit services, including record participation in the K-12 ridership program, which allows eligible students to ride free. The board expressed support for increasing engagement with the Transit Advisory Committee through additional meetings designed to improve interaction between transit users, staff and board members. Metro serves approximately 3.6 million riders annually and is on pace to surpass pre-pandemic ridership levels.

## Sources

- [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-23-metro-transit-board-approves-facility-upgrades-and-clean-audit/)
- [ORBT celebrates Two Million rides](https://www.ometro.com/metro-news/orbt-celebrates-two-million-rides/)
- [North Omaha Innovation District planning](https://siliconprairienews.com/2025/06/as-omaha-plans-innovation-district-residents-ask-who-is-it-for/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Flatwater Free Press, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://flatwaterfreepress.org/april-23-metro-transit-board-approves-facility-upgrades-and-clean-audit/.