Passenger Trains > Train Service Study to Manchester/Concord NH

I thought this was an old proposal, but here we have another study--and a few statements by politicians that are uninformed.

www.unionleader.com/article/20141121/NEWS09/141129817&template=mobileart

I live in NH and I am tied into the politics of the place. The new House speaker is pretty far right, probably really a libertarian. He will not support any funds for rail--or anything else, honestly. While the people want it and the towns served want it, and while the Downeaster gets some of its best loadings in Dover, Durham, and Exeter, NH, the anti-tax, anti-government views in NH will make it very difficult to move on this.

In the end, it would be as successful as the Downeaster if NH would just let it happen. The issue is that politicians often have trouble with cost/benefit if they cannot see it in the dollars and cents. The subsidy per passenger, for example, is all they see. They conclude this loses money and walk away.

Meanwhile, we were able to find the funds to widen I-93...pretty sure there is no new revenue to the state from that. Shall we look at dollars and cents and forget the cost/benefit of I-93? Oh, right. That's somehow different...

Is this something the county or counties involved could finance? Waiting for the state could be a lost cause. Os, it could be something the counties could use to start a joint authority, like the MBTA or Chicago's RTA. A regional but not state wide authority.

Here in NJ, many towns offer steeply discounted parking fees for residents at the NJ Transit train and bus park/ride facilities. Out of town patrons pay more for parking, or are restricted to more distant lots, or are on waiting lists for space.

Nashua might throw some money at it, actually. I do not see any other communities stepping up. Manchester wants it, but the mayor there is not a huge supporter.

We shall see.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is this something the county or counties involved
> could finance? Waiting for the state could be a
> lost cause. Os, it could be something the
> counties could use to start a joint authority,
> like the MBTA or Chicago's RTA. A regional but not
> state wide authority.
>
> Here in NJ, many towns offer steeply discounted
> parking fees for residents at the NJ Transit train
> and bus park/ride facilities. Out of town patrons
> pay more for parking, or are restricted to more
> distant lots, or are on waiting lists for space.

Counties in MA don't have independent legislative or spending authority - pretty sure NH is the same way. Both states have regional authorities which serve specific cities and towns, but these are created and funded by the state legislature (which may assess some of the cost back to the localities served). New England is big on local governance.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is this something the county or counties
> involved
> > could finance? Waiting for the state could be
> a
> > lost cause. Os, it could be something the
> > counties could use to start a joint authority,
> > like the MBTA or Chicago's RTA. A regional but
> not
> > state wide authority.
> >
> > Here in NJ, many towns offer steeply discounted
> > parking fees for residents at the NJ Transit
> train
> > and bus park/ride facilities. Out of town
> patrons
> > pay more for parking, or are restricted to more
> > distant lots, or are on waiting lists for
> space.
>
> Counties in MA don't have independent legislative
> or spending authority - pretty sure NH is the same
> way. Both states have regional authorities which
> serve specific cities and towns, but these are
> created and funded by the state legislature (which
> may assess some of the cost back to the localities
> served). New England is big on local governance.
>
> Dave

Thanks for that information. I had hoped "local governance" would allow the towns / counties to move forward on their own. Without waiting for the state, which may never move.

The comments following the article are telling.....very polarized, with several people trying to make logical arguments, and several others sprouting the hardline "private industry would do it if it was necessary" mantra.