Costco gas station in west Omaha causes backup traffic, city encourages changes
The city stepped in to encourage changes that drivers will see soon
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Gas prices are coming down but that hasn’t slowed customers filling up at Costco in west Omaha.
The traffic backup creates a waiting line on a public street and that’s a safety concern. The city stepped in to encourage changes that drivers will see soon.
Gas prices a lot cheaper than most pumps causes the frontage street outside of Costco to often fill up.
“Something really needs to be done and if it means Costco has to have their employees out there and not let them in if it’s full, this is ridiculous look at our car,” said Jenny McCormick.
In the accident report, the witnesses describe westbound congested traffic and one vehicle went around the backup and collided with another car turning left while leaving the parking lot.
“Yeah, they T-boned me,” said Tim McCormick.
One crash and many complaints about close calls lead City Engineer Todd Pfitzer to demand Costco make some wholesale changes on traffic flow into the gas pumps.
The city engineer sent plans to stack up gas customers in the Costco parking lot and remove landscape for entrance on the north side of the pumps.
“And they’re going to have to run for like 50 cars back here so you will get in line back here and when you get to the front of the line, you’ll have access over here. And so you won’t have this any longer, because they’ll be bringing them in from the other direction and the flow will change so they won’t be stacked back out onto the access drive any longer, said Pfitzer.
One Costco gas customer buys into the change of direction.
“Yeah safety wise for sure because even when I was waiting in line there, I was three deep and there were cars going around trying to turn,” said Steve Major.
Changes to the way gas customers approach Costco pumps should reduce traffic backups from spilling over onto the West Dodge frontage street.
The city engineer says Costco could start work on the changes this week and be completed by the weekend.
No response so far for comment from Costco about the traffic backup relief plan.
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