==
Bike-Walk Alliance of NH ==
October 28 "M&L North Tour" from Derry to Londonderry and Manchester
Meeting location: Hood Park, Rollins Street, Derry, NH
Coordinated by: Bike-Walk Alliance of NH
Attendees:
Larry Keniston, NH DOT Bureau of Rail and Transit
Jerry Moore, NH DOT Bike-Ped Office
David Wood, NH DOT
Mark Connors Derry RTA
John Daley,
Derry RTA & Londonderry Trailways
Mark Samsel, Windham RTA
Dave Topham, BWA-NH
Linda Gould, BWA-NH
Charles Martin, NH-RTA
Lowell VonRuden, Friends of Goffstown Rail Trail
George Sioras, Derry Community Development Director
Greg Bakos, BWA-NH and Manchester Moves
Derrick Perkins, Manchester Union Leader
Richard Fixler, Asst. Director, M-B Regional Airport
Publicity:
A follow-up article
in the New Hampshire Union Leader on October 29 plus some photos
may be viewed here.
Notes:
1. The tour of the M&L corridor as coordinated by BWA-NH from Derry to downtown Manchester was considered a success in spite of the weather. Many of the key players would not have been available for the proposed rain date of Nov. 4 so we took our chances, did what we wanted, and got pretty wet in the process!
2. The group of ten reviewed the condition of the entire corridor by walking, biking, and if not passable then viewing it from the caravan. The completed sections in Derry and Manchester and the nearly-completed section near Route 93 Exit 5 in Londonderry are practically begging to be connected. This corridor will be the backbone for a major off-road bicycle-pedestrian corridor to be used for transportation, recreation, exercise, shopping, access to Park and Ride locations, and even for tourism. The basic plan is well documented in the Salem to Concord Bikeway study submitted by Rizzo Associates to NH DOT in 2003. Local groups are now pushing to make it happen.
3. Funding is being sought on a town-by-town basis. A Transportation Enhancement grant application for $1.4M is currently under review to connect Salem to downtown Derry via a paved bike-ped corridor. The new $578,000 bridge built by NH DOT over the relocated Rt 111 in Windham is on a presently undeveloped section of their trail. Engineering and construction estimates from Derry's Hood Park to Manchester have not been developed. Our tour was to view and document some of the major issues then develop an action plan to "connect the dots." Derry, Londonderry, and Manchester rail trail advocates have their work cut out for them, but with public support we believe the project will be completed.
4. When the project may be completed from Salem to Manchester is a good question. Discussions, planning, acquisition of rights-of-way, engineering, permits, and obviously funding take years to complete before actual construction starts. Even for the sections in Salem, Windham, and Derry to be completed if the TE grant is approved, we don't expect physical work to start until spring of 2011. Based on BWA's viewpoint, negotiations and development of the sections from Derry to Manchester are expected to be at least two years beyond that as TE funds are made available every other year. Other funding sources are being explored while TE grants (80% match) are the key source these days.
5. For the condition of the corridor as viewed on October 28, sections in Derry starting at Madden Road and north past "B" Street are not passable. From the Route 28 crossing through Exit 5 to Mammoth Road in Londonderry, most of the trail can be covered on a mountain bike. From there to the airport, an old trolley line rail bed runs parallel to M&L corridor and it is more passable than the overgrown M&L rail bed. Many areas are wet and rough, thus not suitable for anyone but die-hard adventuresome folks.
6. The corridor stops at Harvey Road where the airport runway was extended over the original rail bed. Some ideas are being pursued as how to get trail users past the airport to the corridor on the north side where it ends at Perimeter Road. We wish to keep bike-ped traffic on a trail or separated bike lane, not have them on busy public roads.
7. North of the airport the corridor goes over the Little Cohas Brook trestle. This trestle and the corridor up to Goffs Falls Road is reportedly the property of the airport, and the trestle is barricaded. However, the basic structure, unused for about 60 years, is still in good condition and appears usable for the bike-ped corridor once decking and guard rails are installed. Ownership and access rights must be resolved as the airport is not funded to support bike-ped activities or structures. Either the City of Manchester or NH DOT might be interested in acquiring this section of the abandoned rail corridor.
8. A major washout of the rail bed in South Manchester must be addressed, but the paved section from Gold Street to behind Shaw's on South Willow Street is great. North of that to downtown Manchester there has been some clearing of brush but the corridor is not considered passable. The tunnel under Elm Street is completely barricaded.
9. Meanwhile, the Hands Across the Merrimack Bridge with access from South Commercial Street to the westerly side of Manchester and extending 1.7 miles toward Goffstown is a prime example of how a trash-filled, soggy, and disgusting rail corridor can be turned into a highly useful paved rail trail serving thousands of people. Once the Piscataquog trestle is repaired, the connection to the Goffstown Rail Trail will be relatively easy. A "tour" of that section is planned in the spring.
Bottom line, our tour provided much insight into existing conditions along the Derry to Manchester section of the M&L corridor. We will be working with various agencies and groups to develop the rail trail into a true bike-ped facility with a paved surface for transportation and recreation. Note that some sections are expected to be used by snowmobilers when there is a least a 6" snow cover, so we will contact their organizations as we move ahead. At the state level, NH DOT and DRED Bureau of Trails are highly involved, likewise the individual communities.
"Working together works!"