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NH Legislation and NH Agency Meetings

BWANH and affiliate NH Rail Trails Coalition continue to monitor NH legislative and state agency actions affecting the bike-ped community.

We are pleased that BWANH / NHRTC members Ellen Kolb and Boyd Smith are able to attend the in-person House hearings and committee meetings on bills of interest thereby saving other Board members many hours of driving. Virtual meetings are not an option unless approved by the state due to Covid concerns.

The HB-311 Committee as chaired by Representative Linda Gould on rail trail best management procedures has heard four presentations covering OHRV, NHBOT, NHDOT, and NHRTC interests. Once again, Ellen and Boyd did a great job and they had “backroom” help from other Board members. The HB-311 Committee will have a deliberative session in late March, then issue their report.

HB-1579 as introduced by Rep. Linda Gould at the request of NHRTC is to update the Recreational Use Statutes to indemnify railroad operators if Rail-with-Trail is allowed on their property. Efforts to include agents working for a landowner and coverage for utility companies were struck from the bill during the Judiciary Committee Executive Session. The bill passed the committee with a 20:1 OTP vote and it was placed on the House Consent Calendar. Next stops: the NH Senate then Governor Sununu’s signature.

SB-306 would enhance penalties for violators of the current hands-free law. The bill was reviewed by the Traffic Safety Commission, but there was no consent on a position. The Senate Transportation Committee in Executive Session on February 3 voted 5:0 OTP (“Ought To Pass”) so it’s now on the Consent Calendar.

HB-1188 would establish a comprehensive OHRV Study Committee. Written support was submitted by BWANH and NHRTC for the February 2 hearing. Testimony highlighted that the committee composition did not include any non-motorized member organization – it was like “the fox would watching the hen house.” The Executive Session on February 9 included an amendment which added NHRTC to the Study Committee. The amended bill passed 21:0 and is now on the House Consent Calendar.

The State Rail Trail Plan Update project authorized by SB-185 is on-track for completing the draft document for the Advisory Stakeholders Committee (ASC) to review in April. Two more meetings of the ASC are scheduled before the target project completion date of July 2022.

Bi-monthly NHRTC meetings with NHDOT generally cover a wide range of topics, but since November the “hot issue” has been and continues to be the Route 93 Exit 4A connector road crossing of the rail trail in Derry. The February 9 meeting was recorded by NHRTC then shared with all attendees. It was subsequently forwarded to others with a lot of feedback confirming the meandering alternative down and up 5% grades, 90-degree turns, 180-degree switchback, hundreds of daily bi-directional bike-ped users on a sidewalk, and offering a signalized at-grade crosswalk across six lanes of traffic that could stop all motorists every 90-120 seconds just won’t work. Multiple high-ranking professionals have weighed-in and are in discussion via FHWA to “do it right the first time” as the 4A project will only be built once. The town, state, motorists, and bike-ped / rail trail community cannot afford to have the project done any way but the correct way: Build the tunnel as planned since 2019.

For more information about the NH Rail Trails Coalition, please visit our website www.nhrtc.org or email info@nhrtc.org.