Passenger Rail Service from Southern NH could mean gains in the Real Estate Market and Boost the Local Economy

I leave my house each morning at 7AM and wonder, “Do I take I93 or Route 3 this morning?”  I’m just beginning my two-hour commute to Boston.  Neither way is great and they both lead to the eventual bottle-neck at the junction of 93 and Route 128 in Woburn, Massachusetts.  Most mornings it’s stop and crawl from there into the city.  At this point I change from traffic updates on the radio to music; I’m in the thick of it and can’t do anything about it.  I have a little coffee and breakfast while settling in for the long run.  The last 12 miles are the hardest.

It is mornings like this that I wonder what ever happened to the idea of bringing passenger rail service back to NH?  The proposal was to provide service from Manchester Airport, Manchester and Nashua down to Lowell where you could connect with current MBTA service.

How would passenger rail service from Southern NH, connecting to Boston, affect NH? 

·         The train would bring higher incomes to NH and allow the demand for Real Estate to help rebound the current market.  One look at Massachusetts housing costs compared to NH tells the story.  Check out rents in Boston:  http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2012/01/26/home_prices_may_still_be_down_but_boston_rents_hit_an_all_time_high_in_2011/

·         It’s better for the environment with fewer cars on the road.  There are currently over 165,000 vehicles crossing the NH/MA border on Route 93 and Route 3 only per day.

·         It would alleviate traffic on the highways and reduce the need for constant expansion and road work.  Does anyone remember a time that Route 93 wasn’t under construction?

·         It would allow more unemployed NH workers to seek additional work opportunities.

In 2007, the UNH Survey Center polled the Granite State for the Nashua Regional Planning Commission and found that 87% favor passenger rail service for Southern NH.

So in a nutshell, everyone wants it and it would grow our economy.

There is Legislation pending and most of the holdup is due to liability insurance and funding.  I recommend you visit the Nashua Regional Planning Commission online at http://www.nashuarpc.org/rail/index.html to learn more and write to Governor Lynch.  Meanwhile, I’ll see you on the highway.

*********

Sandy LeRette – Realtor® ABR – Better Homes & Garden Real Estate / The Masiello Group – 436 Amherst Street, Nashua, NH  03063  cell: (603) 661-7301 email: slerette@masiello.com

Bob LeRette – Div. Sales Manager/ Real Estate – Boston.com & The Boston Globe,  617-929-2104 email:  rlerette@boston.com   & Realtor® - Better Homes & Garden Real Estate / The Masiello Group – 436 Amherst Street, Nashua, NH  03063