More than a dozen of Metro Flex vans hit the streets of Omaha

With just a few touches in the Metro Flex OMA mobile app, riders can request a Metro Flex minivan to come pick them up and take them to a bus stop in one of three zones where they operate: North Omaha, South Omaha and parts of west Omaha.

“Metro Flex is really designed to remove barriers to really accessing the larger public transit network. With Metro Flex, we will be expanding some of our service areas and really filling in some of the gaps between our current routes,” said Lauren Cencic, Metro Transit’s CEO, during a press event Tuesday.

The Flex vans mark the most significant upgrade to the city’s public transit infrastructure since Metro’s ORBT buses began running along Dodge Street between downtown and Westroads Mall in 2020. Metro Transit Board President Curt Simon said increased interest among the general public for public transportation helped make the Flex program economically feasible.

“There’s been more interest in public transit in the last decade than there had been previously to that in a long time,” he said.

Each Flex minivan can seat up to five passengers. Some minivans are equipped with wheelchair lifts while others have bicycle racks. Those who need a Flex van with wheelchair service can make that request by calling 402-341-0800 or filling out the accessibility form found in the Flex app.

The Flex buses will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The schedule is subject to change when extreme weather days occur. Cencic said Metro will attempt to give as much notice as possible if Flex vans are slowed by the weather or are unable to travel.

“We always focus on safety first,” she said.

Riders can request a Flex van at no charge through Oct. 14. After that day, riders must pay a $3 fee to travel. The $3 fee includes transfers to or from the bus. Payments must be made digitally either through the Metro Flex OMA app, a QR code in the Umo app, an Umo card, a paper token, or a credit/debit card transaction made via phone call. Metro’s $55 monthly fare passes do not cover Flex fares, Cencic said, since Flex is a “premium service.”

If a transfer to or from a disability-accessible MOBY bus is required, the $3 fee will increase to $4.25. MOBY riders must use Umo to pay the $4.25 fare.

Even though people can make requests for a Flex van pickup on demand, they won’t get private rides akin to Uber. An algorithm will route Flex vans to pick up multiple passengers to facilitate what Metro called “quick and efficient trips.”

“You may get to make some friends along the ride,” Cencic said.

In addition to filling the gaps between the bus stops and where passengers’ destinations ultimately are, the Flex vans will also complement existing bus services for riders in the north zone by providing direct transportation to places such as Eppley Airfield and Open Door Mission. Metro will continue to serve those destinations via the Eppley connector bus between the North Omaha Transit Center and downtown on weekdays.

The three zones are defined as follows:

North Omaha: Generally bounded by Interstate 680 on the north, Cuming Street on the South, Ninth Street on the east and 52nd Street on the west. Outside that area, the zone also includes Eppley Airfield, an area off Locust that includes the Open Door Mission and state correctional work release center, and the ORBT station at 33rd and Dodge Streets, part of Metro’s rapid Dodge Street bus service.

South Omaha: Generally bounded by I-80 on the north, Harrison Street on the south, 13th Street on the east and South 72nd Street on the west. It also includes the area north of I-80 from between 60th and 72nd north to Aksarben Village, as well as Bergan Mercy hospital.

West Omaha: Generally bounded by West Maple Road on the north, West Center Road on the South, 102nd Street or I-680 on the east and 144th Street on the west. Outside that area, it also includes Oak View Mall.

The vans stay within their zones. So to travel outside a zone, riders need to combine their Metro Flex ride with a bus.

All three zones include existing Metro transit centers that connect with a number of Metro’s fixed bus routes, though the Metro Flex vans will take riders to the closest, most convenient stop along bus routes.