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Tonight’s meeting was called to order by Peter Griffin at 7:05 PM at the Plaistow Town Hall.

Attendees:

Guest Speakers:

Scott Bogle

·          Rockingham County Regional Planning Commission is currently focusing on two major rail initiatives, the extension of commuter rail service from Newburyport, MA to Kittery, ME (referred to herein as the Hampton Branch) and the augmentation of Amtrak Downeaster service with a stop in Plaistow and a potential early morning train for commuter service.

Hampton Branch:  Funding was procured last year from NHDOT for the Alternatives Analysis phase of the study.  The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) has recently reworked their requirements for alternative analyses necessitating a higher level of sophistication in ridership projection.  Regional planning commissions can no longer model as before (Nashua–Lowell initiative also falls under these new criteria).  The goal now is to upgrade the statewide transit modeling once to include the Hampton Branch, Nashua-Lowell and the Manchester-Lawrence corridor together.  This will likely be part of a bi-state study with Massachusetts.  According to Kit Morgan of the NHDOT Bureau of Rail and Transit, New Hampshire is waiting for Massachusetts to sign off then begin the study sometime in February.  Rockingham Planning will begin with a low cost analysis using existing modeling techniques, reassemble the advisory committee from 1998, investigate alternatives with bus shuttles connecting to the Downeaster, full bus service, connections to Portsmouth via the Rockingham Branch.  Rockingham Planning will look also at schedules, capital costs, operational costs and environmental screening.  In December, Rockingham Planning will begin making contact with communities.

Gus:  Isn’t a portion of Rockingham Park that’s adjacent to the rail corridor closed for a proposed shopping center expansion?

Scott:  This hasn’t been looked at.

Peter:  How do you factor in commuter potential, tourists?

Scott:  FTA has guidelines for modeling

John P:  Is the ridership part of study going to include the Manchester & Lawrence?

Scott:  It was a “stated preference” study, but now it will be a “reveal preference” study (how do you travel now?)

John P:  There is only one way to travel now.  At one time there were eight trains per day to Rockingham Park.  If rail service were restored, the park might pick up.

Scott:  I am in great favor of rail transit, but automobiles are still prevalent and people are now dependent on them.

Peter:  It seems planners are very conservative in their estimates now.

Tony:  Planners have to be conservative.  It is not a good situation when high estimates are not reached.

Jack:  The Downeaster was fought for and is now in fruition, but there are too few trains.  Guilford Rail System (GRS) capacity concerns warrant constructing double track.  Leasing costs for equipment are also a major concern (first three years free then a considerable cost thereafter).  Speed is critical to attract ridership, but the higher speed battle is still in court.  Additional stops might lengthen the overall time.  NH has not participated with Downeaster costs.  Maine’s attitude will improve if NH helps out financially.

Downeaster:  In 1999-2000, PATAC worked with Salem and Plaistow to extend MBTA commuter service across the border into NH.  Lowell to Nashua also looked very positive.  In Plaistow, service would be brought up to the Westville Road Park & Ride.  With the improvements made, the track capacity is now conducive.

Rockingham Planning has talked with John Englert (NNEPRA) regarding an early morning train that will include a Plaistow stop in the interim.  This will boost ridership for the Downeaster.  Operating subsidy will be built into the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant.  NNEPRA has been negotiating with GRS for upgrading Westville Road to Andover Street (in Lawrence) with signal improvements and crossovers on either side of Rosemont Road.  Amtrak’s engineering Department is now looking into costs.  Cost estimates have been provided to Rockingham Planning by NHDOT for construction of a station canopy similar to Exeter’s in Plaistow adjacent to the existing Park & Ride.  Annual operating costs for the Plaistow station have been estimated at $58,000 to include the lease, insurances, Quik-Trak ticketing machine and maintenance of the platform.  Federal CMAQ funds would pay for 80% and local 20% match would be paid for by the Town of Plaistow and the state.  It is very unlikely that the state will be in a position to contribute (as with Nashua) so a $1.00 daily parking fee is being looked at as well as trying to get other towns within the “commuter shed” involved financially.  Towns could surcharge vehicle registrations up to $5.00.

It appears that the Plaistow station would not be up and running until 2005 at the earliest.  John Englert is scheduled to meet with Plaistow selectmen and should have Amtrak’s engineering cost estimates in hand by then.

Bill:  Airports receive 95% federal money and only a 5% local match.  Why the discrepancy?

Scott:  Don’t know.  It might actually be 90% - 10%.

Jack:  Did John Englert comment on Plaistow’s impact on the current schedule?  How many minutes would the overall time increase?

Scott:  It is anticipated that the increased speed to 79 MPH will more than accommodate the extra time needed for a Plaistow stop.

Jack:  It currently takes 2¾ hours on the Downeaster from Portland to Boston whereas the bus takes only 2 hours.  Maine, like NH, has constitutional language similar to 6A regarding the use of Highway Trust Fund money, but gets around it by bonding and using general fund money.

Scott:  The NH Legislature has not appropriated money for rail from the Highway Trust Fund due to the lawsuit.

Peter:  Title fees for vehicles do not fall under the Highway Trust Fund.  There must be wiggle room to allocate some funds to rail initiatives.

Bill:  Rooms and Meals Tax goes to the General Fund?  Why not promote rail travel as a tourism boost and tap the general Fund?

Scott:  If NH could appropriate funding for a trainset, an early morning train could be realized that would start somewhere in the seacoast – perhaps Rochester.

Jack:  Maybe NH could share costs on a “per passenger mile” basis to be fair.

Peter:  There is a pent up demand for alternatives.  Just use Old Colony and Worcester ridership projections vs. actual to help sell this.

Bill:  The City of Rochester was very positive towards a rail layover facility and station there.  They have even picked out a few potential locations.

George:  What do we have to do to get these things progressing?  If planners and NHDOT are doing their jobs, there’s plenty of interest, there are active advocacy groups and studies warranting, what should the state legislature be doing to get the funds?  Bonding?  I submitted a $100 M bond request a few years ago, but it was shot down because we didn’t have a detailed accounting of how the money was going to be spent.  We have these details now in all of our studies.  Also, New Hampshire Northcoast wants to extend their rail to Conway.  I mentioned this to Commissioner Carol Murray and she said it just needs the money.

Jack:  In Maine, the last transportation bond just passed with $7 M dedicated to rail including $3 M for extension of the Downeaster.  The legislative task force on rail did a lot of work.  Portland to North Conway is among other initiatives in Maine.

Anthony Komornick

·          The I-93 corridor study has been completed.  This study examined several different transit options.  VHB (the engineering consultant) recommended an upgrade to four highway lanes with a light rail or bus service in a wide median terminating at the Manchester & Lawrence corridor for transfer onto the MBTA.  Merrimack Valley Planning Commission’s opinion is that the best option is a heavy rail system on the M&L corridor for “one seat” travel.  The Haverhill line has severe capacity constraints due to the single track and heavy freight use.  One recommendation:  Provide double track and additional trainsets Andover-Reading-Wilmington.  MVPC also looked at express bus service, but would like to see a more detailed analysis of the M&L option.  MVPC would like to see MBTA commuter service to Plaistow if subsidies can be created.  Communities within the areas of commuter rail are being assessed by MBTA to help pay for service.

John W:  Is there any interest in Newburyport to Kittery?

Tony:  Some officials in Salisbury are very much in favor in returning passenger rail service, some in Newburyport are very much against it.

Peter:  Salisbury is now going through a master planning process.

John W:  Judy & I are actively involved with a Main Street program in Kittery with the rail corridor included.  There is a $43 back investment for every dollar invested coming back to the community.  This corridor should be investigated as a regional plan for community redevelopment.  Rails to Trails on nearby inactive corridors will have good connectivity for bicycles.

Judy:  People from other parts of the world expect to find good public transportation, but there isn’t any.

Jack:  Where would the track end?

Judy:  There is a five acre parcel just over the bridge far enough away from the Navy Yard.  This could act as a hub for Navy Yard commuters, loop trolleys to the outlet malls, downtown, parking garage, common market.

Scott:  This idea will tie in with the Alternatives Analysis.

John W:  The Route 1 corridor will not conflict with rail travel.  There is lots of community support for this idea.

Jack:  How many trains would you expect daily?

Scott:  There were different possibilities examined in the 1999 study.  The first was the lowest cost option (minimal service), the second included express trains.  We found the best option to be 8 trains per day.

Jack:  This would probably require a layover facility.

Tony:  We are recommending a new station facility in Lawrence.  Andover and Ballardville stations did not want to expand their parking as they are already too congested.  The new Lawrence station and platform would be just off of I-495 at Merrimack Street and would have 900 spaces on a multi-deck structure.  There could be possible bus service to Manchester Airport.  The estimated cost is around $25 M and construction could start next spring with a completion in 2005.

Peter:  Would you double track to Reading only or the Wildcat Branch as well?

Tony:  I’m not sure where MBTA stands on this.  The Haverhill single track is the most problematic with Newburyport second.

Peter:  MBTA performed a study north of Boston and decided to restore the double track on the Ipswich Line.

Jack:  The M&L corridor has been broken by the airport’s runway.  Has there been any resolution on that?

Scott:  No.

Peter:  Will MBTA look at the schedule into Newburyport?

Tony:  Yes, perhaps adding a train, but capacity is still an issue.

Judy:  Communities are told to redesign with activity in mind (trails, sidewalks, active living).  Money seems to be available for creative ideas.

Scott:  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides multi-year grants for such.

John P:  What is the cost to double track?

Tony:  $150 M on the Haverhill line all inclusive.

Jack:  If rails are considered, you must keep trails in mind for collaboration.  Some trails have been constructed too close to inactive corridors due to confinement in geometry.

Judy:  We need to provide trails to the stations.

John W:  We should solicit funding from AARP.  The aged are not driving.

Scott:  There needs to be a multi-modal coalition in NH if funds are seriously going to be appropriated.  This coalition should include AARP, trail groups, Main Street Programmers, Safe Schools, bus companies and transit.

Judy & John W:  We are going to meet with Governor Baldacci’s senior policy advisor soon to discuss our intentions.

There will be no meeting in December.

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.