Tag Archives: transportation

Update on listening sessions

Posted on by

Just wanted to let you know that the final report from NH Listens on our transportation listening sessions went out to the participants on Monday, July 8th.  I’ll be posting it on this website soon, along with a preamble to explain why we commissioned these sessions and how we’re going to use the information from them to help our transportation system better serve everyone in New Hampshire.red bus

Concord to Boston Transportation Options

Posted on by

Public Meeting to Discuss Transportation Options

7:00 pm on June 5th in Manchester

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has announced a public meeting on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 in Manchester to receive input and discuss transportation needs, and preferences for solutions that involve bus and rail options for a 73-mile corridor between Concord, New Hampshire and Boston, Massachusetts.

The June 5th public meeting will be held at Manchester City Hall, beginning at 7:00 pm.

The NHDOT is evaluating opportunities to improve inter-city transit service along the corridor through a study funded jointly by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

The NH Capitol Corridor Rail and Transit Study will examine rail and bus options to address transportation, economic development, sustainability, quality of life, and environmental issues along the I-93 and Everett Turnpike corridors from Concord to Nashua, with connections to Boston.

For more information, go to NH Capitol Corridor Rail and Transit Study or contact

Patrick Herlihy
Rail and Transit Bureau
(603) 271-2468

Why are we driving less?

Posted on by

Brad Plumer of The Washington Post investigates why the number of miles being driven on our roads keeps dropping so dramatically.  In this article he attributes the change to rising gas prices, aging baby boomers, and the tendency of younger Americans to drive less.

Between 2001 and 2009, the average yearly number of miles driven by 16- to 34-year-olds dropped a staggering 23 percent.

Miles driven vs gas pricesHe adds that “public transportation use is up 40 percent per capita in this age group since 2001. Bicycling is up 24 percent overall in that time period. And this is true even for young Americans who are financially well off.”

He lists five factors that contribute to this phenomenon:

  • The cost of driving has gone up.
  • The recession.
  • It’s harder to get a license.
  • More younger people are living in transit-oriented areas.
  • Technology is making it easier to go car-free.

If we want to attract and keep young workers in our state, we should be paying attention to these trends, or we’ll find ourselves with a stagnating economy unable to meet the needs of a greying population.

Come discuss this and other transportation issues at a regional listening session near you April 30 through May 16.  Click here to register.

What if you couldn’t drive?

Posted on by

Concerns about Public Transportation in New Hampshire:Transit_7

  • 19% of New Hampshire residents are concerned about losing their ability to drive in the next few years.
  • 53% of New Hampshire adults would find getting things in the community difficult if they needed to use crutches or a wheelchair for at least 4 weeks.
  • No public transportation system exists for more than 80% of New Hampshire’s communities.

Data Source: Feb. 2006 Granite State Poll

From the Institute on Disability at UNH