• Potential MBTA Southern NH Service

  • Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.

Moderators: sery2831, CRail

  by NHV 669
 
BandA wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2024 9:03 pm They should ask Plaistow again
So that they can be met with another resounding "nope"? Why bother wasting time on it? They wouldn't have had to be on the hook for any of the cost, and they still said no.
  by BandA
 
NH residents working in MA pay MA income tax yet MA doesn't have to pay for their education or any welfare benefits.
  by jamoldover
 
No, but they do have to pay for the roads and services they use or have covering them (like emergency services) while in MA.
  by HenryAlan
 
CRail wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2024 4:45 pm Why should MA build a station to serve NH residents and aid in tax evasion?
As another poster pointed out, NH residents working in MA pay income taxes to MA. But aside from that, if we want the workers to come here (we do), we need to make it possible for them to do so. That could mean spending money on highway expansion, but I'd rather they leave their cars where they are registered, so let's extend the Lowell line a short distance and let them commute by it. To further incentivize the rail option, we should consider tolls at the state line.
  by charlesriverbranch
 
At first glance, tolls sound like a capital idea, especially since NH collects its own tolls on I-93, I-95, and the Spaulding and Everett Turnpikes.

But the problem is that no matter how much we soak commuters from Nashua or Manchester, NH legislators representing, say, Berlin or Newport will always refuse to vote for commuter rail support because there's nothing in it for them.
  by shadyjay
 
Could a station be built here... entirely within Mass... but yet serving the Nashua area?
(the parking lot of the Pheasant Lane Mall)
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6997422 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Then you wouldn't have to get NH involved at all to fund it. Unless the secondary issue is that Mass. doesn't want to fund an extension of the Lowell line... out of state I can see, but this could be "Tyngsboro-Nashua Station". And it even comes complete with a large parking lot. Slap in a platform, upgrade some 8 miles of track, have the Nashua bus service make it a stop, and you're good to go. And perhaps as demand develops, an infill station in the middle somewhere.

(apologies if this option has been brought up in discussion previously)
  by wicked
 
It has. There was mention here that the mall previously was not interested in such a setup.

I will not call NH residents who work in MA tax cheats, but it’s also not the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ responsibility to provide services to the State of New Hampshire. NH already was offered a commuter rail station in Plaistow, which was voted down. We’ve tossed them enough bones. Let them continue to subsidize the express bus service that gets stuck in traffic with everyone else on Route 3.
  by R36 Combine Coach
 
NJT serves one stop in NY (Suffern) without NYS subsidy, so one NH station without NHDOT subsidy might be ok.
  by CRail
 
I don't really care if they come to MA for work or not. We're talking mostly about people who wanted to get away from Massachusetts while still living off its economy (which is why they have to pay into it).

I agree that we should not be increasing highway capacity for out of state commuters who are such because they want to pay us less, and agree further that tolls should be erected to make them pay for their use of our infrastructure in order to return to their state with the fruits of our economy, especially since we have to pay them to go to Maine all because we gave them access to the coast some 300 years ago. This should be done regardless of whether or not they decide to fund their own alternative route into our metropolitan area.
  by jonnhrr
 
I guess I'm having trouble understanding why we can't provide commuter rail, which the NH users would be paying for through fares, yet it is OK to provide free highways for them to commute on.
  by MACTRAXX
 
R36 Combine Coach wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 4:08 pm NJT serves one stop in NY (Suffern) without NYS subsidy, so one NH station without NHDOT subsidy might be ok.
Suffern, NY not being subsidized by any NYS entity? **NO**.
Two examples here - 1: MNCR provides a percentage of Comet Five cars on New Jersey Transit's
Hoboken Division along with locomotives such as F40PH's which read "WEST OF HUDSON"...
2-On a recent visit to Suffern I noticed that an MTA Police patrol had stopped there with one
officer checking the parking lots and platform...

Suffern is a interesting example being that MNCR once had done some renovation work and
had placed as example Port Jervis Line-type station signs - which were all replaced by NJT...
The only remaining MNCR remnant is the green canopy over the Hoboken-bound platform...

Another reason for NJT control could be the passenger yard just north of Suffern Station...

A previous post mentioned Delaware's subsidy to SEPTA to provide service to the four DE
stations (Claymont, Wilmington, Churchman's Crossing and Newark) on the Wilmington/
Newark Line - which is provided by the Delaware Transit Corporation (part of DelDot)...
This subsidy included the purchase of four ROTEM Silverliner Five MU cars as example...

An equivalent example would be the purchase of some cars and locomotives by NH to
provide service to New Hampshire stations along with line and station subsidies...
If a plan could be worked out between NHDOT and MBTA Commuter Rail...
MACTRAXX
  by eustis22
 
Probably time to reconsider that coastal access......look what they've done with it.
  by newpylong
 
jonnhrr wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2024 10:00 am I guess I'm having trouble understanding why we can't provide commuter rail, which the NH users would be paying for through fares, yet it is OK to provide free highways for them to commute on.
For the same reason we provide nearly free highways for Massachusetts to flood our state on very weekend when they want to leave the flatlands?
  by wicked
 
And here I thought New Hampshire wanted to encourage tourism...
  by CRail
 
NH doesn't provide free anything. MA residents pay to go to northern NH, and MA residents pay NH to go to Maine. All while freeloading on their trips to MA and their rail service to both other states. This is why MA shouldn't spend a dime for rail service to NH. NH residents want it, so they can fund it. ALL NH residents benefit from the economic boost realized by the southern urban centers receiving transit service just as the Berkshires benefit indirectly from the T. Failure to understand that concept is willful ignorance.

Note: Fares do not fund public transportation. NH would not cover the cost of the service by their residents paying their fares. The state MUST subsidize it or Massachusetts should not and will not provide it.
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