Credit: BMRR
It’s unfortunate that days after the State of the Union Address, in which President Obama emphasized the value of building a high speed rail network for the nation, New Hampshire’s legislature will be considering a bill that could send the Granite State off the rails. On Tuesday, February 1, the NH House of Representatives’ Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on H.B. 218, which proposes to eliminate the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority — the body responsible for advancing the state’s much-needed passenger rail efforts.
The legislation, if enacted, couldn’t send a worse message. At a time when the federal government is working to reverse decades of neglect for the nation’s rail system, and when other New England states are actively planning and investing in rail expansions and upgrades, New Hampshire stands to miss out on the many benefits of rail — jobs, sustainable economic development, cleaner air, less traffic congestion, and more affordable transportation options.
The New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority is making important progress on the NH Capitol Corridor rail project — a new rail service that would connect Concord, Manchester, Nashua and Boston with one another, and with the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. New Hampshire should be supporting the work of the Rail Transit Authority, not seeking its elimination.
Help send a message to the New Hampshire legislature that NH citizens, and New Englanders who visit New Hampshire, want rail as part of a clean and balanced transportation system. Call your New Hampshire representative, or members of the Transportation Committee, and urge them to support rail, and the NH Rail Transit Authority, by voting against HB 218. Let’s keep New Hampshire on track!
Henry
Where are we going, back to the outdated mindset of the 1960s in which roads and cars were the answers to all our transportation problems? How nonsensical to propose elimination of the Rail Transit Authority. We should be trying to emulate the State of Maine in their forward-thinking establishment of the Downeaster and the upcoming extension of that route. Trains will only become more important in the future, not less. More than 200,000 people already use trains in New Hampshire.
John Dough
No. Evidently, we’re going back to the outdated mindset of the 1860s, except that instead of entrepreneurs making money, states will be bleeding money.
NH should be emulating the common sense displayed by the new governors in Wisconsin, Ohio and New Jersey, who decided the federal money wasn’t worth the endless subsidies.
200,000 people use trains in NH?! Prove it.
MIke Egan
Well at first I can think of a few Billion reasons to oppose this rail system…and it’s dollars…mine… trains can’t self fund itself so that means government subsidies. And does It also mean Union Government workers working the trains ?
Remember the story two summers ago where Hooksett NH residents called and were concerned about a Train Locomotive idling for two days on the tracks because the train crew had to have a shift change and they don’t shut off the diesel engines ??
A Train to the Manchester Airport ? From where does that come ?? There are no rail tracks into there…you are talking millions of dollars to get that set up.
And where does one get a train to the airport ?? ANd how does one get to these train stations to get to the airport ?? Take their car there ??
IS the Downeaster over in Dover making money or even breaking even ??
IF you can show how this is all financially feasible you’ll gt a lot more people on board to back these proposals.
Cheryl
I commute daily between my home in Manchester to Cambridge. Initially, I was driving my car into town, but gave that up to start using the commuter bus (Boston Express). For me, the benefits outweight any possible inconvenience I endure getting back & forth. One less car on the road means I’m reducing my carbon footprint, saving my car the additional 500 miles a week, extra maintenance, tires, gas, and most importantly, my sanity! (The drive up & down the I93 corridor is no piece of cake!!!)
However, if there were a commuter train between Manchester & Boston, I’d be on it! We could take a few lessons from the European countries. Connecting towns & cities will be necessary as our population grows & our resources lessen. Letting go of our cars is a difficult concept for Americans, but the alternative (IMHO) is worse.