Potential MBTA Southern NH Service

"If a passenger rail was implemented between all of these cities, it would enable travel by train for more than 250,000 New Hampshire residents "

But the rest of the 1.2 million Granite Staters won't benefit from it, and therefore won't support it.

Actually they would, as you can benefit from something that you don't utilize yourself.

I think the comment you're referring to is more about the attitude of many NH residents than whether they'd actually benefit or not. I grew up there and can confirm that "why should I pay for something I don't use" is a far more prevalent attitude there than in many other places, especially as you get further north.

It's a great idea, if you're near Tilton, or points south. A hard sell to those of us above the notch who will still have POVs, Concord Coach (only to Littleton), or nothing.

I might ride it when it was required of me to visit our regional office in Boston. Beyond that, I share the majority of the other resident opinions that see no benefit and therefore not support state tax funds going towards it. Easy to cry foul sitting in Massachusetts or Southern NH (Northern MA).

You share the opinion of those in the Berkshires who feel the MBTA costs them money without benefiting them, despite the fact that they benefit from being in a state with a vibrant capitol with a statewide economic outreach. Likewise New Hampshire benefits greatly from the bulk of its citizens who live off the economy of Massachusetts and rent in New Hampshire because cigarettes are cheaper and they aren't on the hook for the crazy property tax their landlords have to pay. Likewise, those up north are blissfully unaware of how their state has no feasibility without the commuters out of Mass. who pay nothing to commute into the commonwealth in order to contribute to their economy.

Those who feel commuter rail to Manchester would cost them money without benefiting them are the ultimate freeloaders. As they continue to live off of our highway infrastructure while contributing nothing to its maintenance.

Is the south coast rail line considered a success? Is the Worcester line considered a success? If not then no sense pursuing a southern New Hampshire rail line expecting that to be a success.

I would not say that NH lured people over the Massachusetts border to then commute into Mass. Those people in search of housing they could afford, just happened to go beyond the Mass. border, some into Rhode Island, some into NH.

One recent survey (Smartasset) stated that a single person needs gross annual pay of $125K to live comfortably in Boston. For a family of two working parents and two children it is $320K . Another survey (I forget whose) concluded that the typical low level rank and file worker (such as a bank clerk or a hotel housecleaner) can't afford to live close to where s/he worked in Boston (or various other large U.S cities) unless living with family or roommates. It would be more fitting to put expectations (including increased use of remote working) on employers in Boston as opposed to expectations on NH (or RI) as states for mitigating added traffic coming into Mass. and reducing highway maintenance costs.

Southcoast rail hasn't even started, and New Bedford/Fall River are a lot farther from Boston than Nashua or even Manchester. Worcester is doing fine and could use expansion and speed up. It could probably easily support a 30 minute headway electric service.

Unless there is a seismic shift politically to the left, where Granite State residents elect candidates who advocate for a sales and/or income taxes to fund and subsidize things like commuter rail.. Commuter Rail Service in southern NH will continue to be nothing more than it is.. all talk. Maybe a privately funded model like "Brightline" could work here.

I still think the MBTA should start commuter service to the Massachusetts side of the Pheasant Lane Mall. There is plenty of parking and the mall would want the added vehicle traffic.

charlesriverbranch wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 6:54 am "If a passenger rail was implemented between all of these cities, it would enable travel by train for more than 250,000 New Hampshire residents "

But the rest of the 1.2 million Granite Staters won't benefit from it, and therefore won't support it.

That article was foolish in its population estimates. 250,000 is simply the population of the three largest cities in NH which are on the route. If you add in the other towns along the route and also those within a 15 minute drive (Derry, Londonderry, Bedford, Hudson) you are already over 400,000. Stretch that to a 30 minute window and you are over a half million.

BowdoinStation wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 9:38 am Unless there is a seismic shift politically to the left, where Granite State residents elect candidates who advocate for a sales and/or income taxes to fund and subsidize things like commuter rail..

Perhaps you have not been paying attention for the last 30 years, as urban sprawl spilling into NH has resulted in a continuing seismic shift politically to the left.

At least on the statewide level, common sense mostly prevails when it comes to fiscal spending. The Commuter Rail Choo Choo sounds like wonderful idea, on paper at least. But, as NH is set up, there's zero way to fund, operate, and market the service unless substantial added fees are stuck onto the backs of NH Taxpayers. Any candidate running for office that advocates for higher taxes, or creating an income and/or sale tax is basically toast.

The commuting trends of southern New Hampshire into Massachusetts for work is not on paper. NH's income has been benefiting off the Metro-Boston economy for decades and would benefit further by capitalizing on that trend. I93 can be 17 lanes in each direction but it will matter none because it makes even less sense for Massachusetts to expand their highway to benefit another state than it does for NH to pay towards getting their own people to their income sources. How NH figures out to fund its responsibilities is irrelevant. The call for service is not recent, and it's only been growing since its inception. The state's greatest populations want the service. The ability of the scarce rural areas to suppress that demand is pretty much doomed.

Those poor NH Taxpayers....will no one HELP them???