Aitken: Is New Urbanism Right for NH?

FORCED, MULTI-UNIT HOUSING and COMMUTER RAIL are two features of the 'new urbanist' movement. The goal is to move people to designated living areas only and get them out of their cars, relying solely on public transportation. We saw what a disaster this was for the victims Katrina in New Orleans. Twenty-seven percent of New Orleanians didn’t own a car, making evacuation even more difficult and expensive than it would otherwise be.

You can read about both housing and rail here:
http://bedfordresidents.com/bra/bill-watch/bra-policy-papers/

There is an additional sheet on RAIL which outlines ecological concerns. Diesel trains idle all night long and already causing a noise and pollution problem in Portsmouth, NH. In Wakefield Mass, loud train horns are a nuisance to adjacent homeowners.

Also, here is our NEW petition if you have not signed the previous one which garnered 1,443 signatures.

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-commuter-rail-nh

Most people have fallen for certain myths when it comes to trains. There is not one system in the country that is NOT running in the red.

They do NOT understand that rail does NOT alleviate traffic to any appreciable degree (just look at Rte 3), does NOT alleviate pollution and in fact exacerbates it, and the already bankrupt system (MBTA, most bankrupt in the country) is NOT necessarily 'safe' (it has derailed 43 times in five years!) . Worst of all, rail for NH has been found unsustainable financially (only .01% would be able to ride) and thus require both a sales and income tax according to the study done by the NH DOT.

MBTA among nation’s worst for derailments, records show
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/06/11/mbta-among-nation-worst-for-derailments-records-show/0BIFgd4YmRykjOYXYqcKbM/story.html

"MBTA trains derailed 43 times over the last five years, the second-highest total of any metro transit system in the country, federal records show. Only the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, with 72 derailments on a smaller system of streetcars, logged a worse record.

The federal statistics do not include the MBTA’s Green Line derailment on Saturday, which injured 11 people, or Tuesday’s Red Line derailment, which caused massive gridlock across the city."

The above two issues are what many view as the most important threats to the NH Advantage — low unemployment, low taxes, low crime rates, and in general, the quality of life we enjoy in NH.

Where are the local and state taxpayer groups on these issues? Where is the NH GOP?

We know where Pappas, Kuster and Craig stand. Tell them, and your state officials, NO!

– NH Senate (everyone) – Senators@leg.state.nh.us
– NH House of Reps (everyone) – nhhouse@leg.state.nh.us
– NH Executive Council (everyone) – gcweb@nh.gov
– Governor Sununu – governorsununu@nh.gov

– Congressman Chris Pappas - https://pappas.house.gov/contact/email-me
– Congresswoman Annie Kuster - https://kuster.house.gov/contact/
– Senator Jeanne Shaheen - https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/contact/contact-jea...
– Senator Maggie Hassan - https://www.hassan.senate.gov/contact/email