Ever wonder how people get around in New Hampshire? Well, most people just drive, grateful to the state and municipal workers who keep the roads and bridges safe for travel. At least I hope they are grateful. I sure am.
What if driving isn’t the right choice for you? There could be all sorts of reasons:
- Your car is in the shop.
- Your car was totaled.
- You just got out of college and you can’t afford both a car loan and your student loans.
- You broke your leg playing sports and can’t drive.
- You never got your license.
- You have trouble seeing, maybe just because the doctor dilated your pupils at the eye exam.
- You have physical challenges that make it impossible to drive.
- You want to lower your carbon footprint.
- You don’t like losing two hours of productivity every day by driving to work.
- You are trying to get or stay fit, and want to walk or bike to as many places as you can.
What are your options? Have a look below, and give some of them a try just for fun this summer. You never know when you might need to have another way to get around.
If you want to walk or bike, have a look at the maps on this NH Department of Transportation web page to find out where the trails and other infrastructure are located.
If you want to take the bus, NHDOT has a map that shows you all the intercity bus routes and the local transit providers. If you’re traveling beyond the NH border, MassDOT published the New England Regional Transportation Map in February of 2015. You can get a copy at tourist information centers throughout New England or by sending a request to publicinformation@bostonmpo.org or by emailing Fred Butler at NHDOT. An online version is promised by MassDOT at some point in the future.
If you prefer to travel by rail, you can take the Downeaster to Boston or Portland from Dover, Durham or Exeter. On the other side of the state, you can take the Vermonter from Claremont north to Burlington or south to New York and DC.
There’s also carpooling, for commuting and one-off trips, with online matching available here.
If you need to get to the doctor or the grocery store, and you can’t drive, yet there is no pubic transit in your area, there are still options available.
The nine Regional Coordinating Councils for Community Transportation (RCCs) have published transportation directories listing the options in each region. Some of the options are available to the general public, some are restricted to seniors and people with disabilities, some are restricted by trip purpose, and some are provided by human service agencies that only give rides to their clients. Have a look at this map of the regions to determine which region your town is in.
Below are links to the RCCs and their directories. Be aware that some of these are very large pdf files. Also, I can’t seem to locate the Derry-Salem RCC directory. If anyone knows where I can find it, please let me know and I’ll update this blog post.
TRANSPORT NH 
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