== Bike-Walk Alliance of NH ==

November 2008: Rail Trails and HB-1203 still in the news

If you bike or walk in New Hampshire, there is something on this Bike-Walk Alliance of NH web site that should be of interest to you! There is so much activity here in the Granite State involving biking and walking it is difficult to write about all of it. However, let's get started!

Rail Trails

Activity around NH concerning rail trails is fantastic! We cannot possibly cover all the details but here are a few highlights.

November 8: A group of 40 rail trail activists from around the state met in Manchester for a six hour workshop to review items of mutual concern and to exchange ideas. Under the leadership of State Rep. Jane Beaulieu, Dr. Charles Martin, and Alex Bernhard from FNRT-MC, the group had a very informative and productive session. Plans are underway to form a state-wide rail trail group to coordinate efforts, share resources, and to speak with one voice. Ryan Belanger is leading the formation of the commitee with a report due to all workshop participants by February 2009.

October 25: Kiwanis Club of Hooksett dedicated a new section of rail trail along the old Concord to Portsmouth line. See the Hooksett page for details.

October 22: The Salem Bike-Ped Corridor (SBPC) committee presented their plans to the public at the Salem High School after conducting a survey reaching over 4,000 residents who live close to the corridor. Initial comments have been very favorable. Information and feedback options are provided via the SBPC web site hosted by BWA-NH at www.bwanh.org/sbpc.

The Derry Rail Trail Alliance is doing a great job finding private funds to pave a section of their trail to connect to the Windham Rail Trail. A Wine Tasting Fundraiser on October 4 raised over $2,300.00. Having a continuous trail from Massachusetts state line in Salem to Broadway (Route 102) in Derry is a major step toward completing the entire Salem to Manchester rail trail. Usage by walkers and bike commuters, shoppers, residents, children, and tourists will literally explode given results of similar trails in other parts of the country. And with the price of fuel, the desire for non-motorized transportation is greater than ever. Now is the time for rail trails - let's help make it happen! Check out the DRTA web site at www.DerryRailTrail.org.

And now another section of the Manchester-Lawrence rail corridor is likely to be made into a rail trail, this in Methuen, Mass. It will connect the planned Salem section to the Methuen depot thus adding another 1.5 miles to the overall rail trail. As with all such efforts, motivated volunteers are needed to make it happen even when funding is available. For details visit www.MethuenRailTrail.org.

Along the way, we keep hearing about passenger train service being restored on the Manchester-Lawrence line. This is highly unlikely for the foreseeable future. Feasibility studies are always being conducted but the facts and finances make this option totally impractical for 20 to 30 years, maybe more. The rail corridor is mostly owned by the State of NH so nothing can be done with it without their permission. Presently the NH Department of Transportation is encouraging (but not funding) bicycle-pedestrian use of the corridor which will help keep it intact and serve many people. If Salem and towns along the corridor were to ever have the population density of a major metropolitan area like downtown Los Angeles, then a multi-billion dollar monorail system above the existing corridor might be considered. Meanwhile, let's use the corridor for alternative, non-polluting transportation and recreation - "for everyone, everyday" to borrow the Salem slogan.

Finally, a statewide conference for all rail trail activists is to be held in Manchester on November 8. By comparing notes, sharing ideas, and presenting a unified action plan to affected communities and NH DOT which owns most of the rail corridors, we hope to make more progress in less time. This conference will be chaired by Representative Jane Beaulieu, Alex Bernhard of the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail, and Dr. Charles Martin, author of NH Rail Trails which went on sale in May. For details see www.BranchLinePress.com or the book's companion web site, www.NHRailTrails.org. BWA-NH will be well represented at the conference and will report the outcome in the next Pedal Talk.

For more details about rail trails around New Hampshire, please check our NH Rail Trails listings via the index provided on this web site.

NH Bike Bill HB-1203 implementation underway

Now that HB-1203 was officially signed into law at the ceremonial signing by Governor John Lynch on July 18, BWA-NH is working on the implementation phases with media coverage to start spreading the word of what this bill entails. The public needs to be informed of this new law and how it should improve the interaction between motorists and bicyclists. We are now in the "phase-in stage" of HB-1203 before it is effective on January 1, 2009. Along those lines, various Public Service Announcements are being developed for the spring of 2009 plus updates to the DMV drivers training manual and exam. Driver education instructors will be informed during their monthly workshops. Further information will be coming soon to help everyone be aware of the "3-foot rule" and all the other points covered in this bill. To view the bill and for additional details, please see the legislation page on this web site.

Safe Routes to School

This federally-funded SRTS program for children in grades K-8 living within two miles of their schools provides for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects, up to $100,000 each for the second round projects. Applications submitted to NH-DOT were reviewed by the nine Regional Planning Commissions after which the applicants presented their requests to the SRTS Statewide Advisory Committee (SAC) at the NH DOT Concord office on Hazen Drive. The SAC then conducted a deliberative session and sent their recommendations to DOT Commissioner George Campbell. In September he approved the SAC recommendations which resulted in more than $1M being awarded to 25 communities representing 41 schools. The next round of funding is likely to start in December. Over $3M remains available for additional SRTS projects.

BWA-NH is pleased to be one of ten voting members on the SRTS Statewide Advisory Committee. For more details about this reimbursement program, please visit the NH SRTS web site http://www.nh.gov/dot/bureaus/planning/SRTS_home.htm.

Bicycling education

Bicycling education via the NH BikeSmart program concluded in June with 5,134 students and 450 adults representing grades 3-5 in 39 schools being reached this year. A more advanced LAB "Kids-II" program was held in Hopkinton for 85 students in grade 8; more are slated for the upcoming school year. See the BikeSmart page for more details. Under discussion are several "train the trainers" courses in order to reach more students with these nationally-recognized and standardized bike-ed programs.

State of NH Bike Maps now available

A set of seven free regional NH bike maps were made available from NH DOT on May 16, 2008. After nearly two years of meetings, presentations, state-wide hearings, inputs for various cycling groups, revisions, budget cuts, and other time-consuming projects, the new maps were available in time for the Bike/Walk to Work Day events. To ensure the maps reach bicyclists and not just tourists looking for a free souvenir that is soon trashed, they must be requested. Distribution will be made via the rest areas on the NH Interstate Highways, by contacting the DOT, and from other key NH locations around the state. BWA-NH is a member of the bike map steering committee and can testify that a lot of time and effort has gone into these maps. To be sure, they are not perfect and the state infrastructure is a moving target that cannot be reflected on a map which may be outdated before it is printed. To compensate for such, the NH DOT Bike-Ped web site http://www.nh.gov/dot/nhbikeped will carry updated versions of the maps available for free downloading plus notation of corrections. Any problems or suggestions concerning the maps should be sent to the attention of Jerry Moore in the NH DOT Bike-Ped Office at JMoore2@dot.state.nh.us. (Please use email to contact the Bike-Ped Office, not the phone.)

The new maps are smaller but more comprehensive than prior versions. When folded they are just 4.5" x 6" so they fit nicely into bike bags or jersey pockets. The printing is very sharp and easy to read on the 18" x 24" layout. Included is an elevation profile, ratings for the suggested on-road routes, improved and unimproved rail trails, features including airports, covered bridges, commuter rail stations, rest areas, state parks, park & ride locations, sample recreational ride loops, and even the water taxi on Lake Winnipesaukee. Rules of the road concerning bicyclists are stated, complete with the RSA numbers. Governor John Lynch provided the welcome message. The seven maps are based on the seven tourist regions of NH: Merrimack Valley, Seacoast, Monadnock, Lakes, Dartmouth / Lake Sunapee, White Mountains, and the Great North Woods. Distinctive cover photos help identify the maps. The life-cycle of these maps is estimated to be five years. The NH DOT Bike-Ped Office hopes the bicycling community finds the maps to be helpful, especially since state-wide inputs from many bicyclists were incorporated into the final design.

Recent News

Did you miss reading about what the BWA-NH has been doing in past years? If so, check out our Recent News page.

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