What's New!

Statewide Committee Meetings

BWANH and affiliate NH Rail Trails Coalition continue to participate in a variety of statewide committees affecting the bike-ped community. We are pleased that BWANH Board member Bruce Caplain has agreed to join the NHDOT Complete Streets Advisory Committee (CSAC) which meets monthly via MS Teams.

State Rail Trail Plan Update

SB-185 created the State Rail Trail Plan Update project and the Advisory Stakeholders Committee (ASC) to help guide the process. Dave Topham is a member of the ASC. Participation in these meetings has been hindered by the in-person requirement of this legislatively-formed committee. Work continues via phone, off-line Zoom meetings, and email, plus many “working meetings” are held between NHDOT and the NH Bureau of Trails. A draft of the plan should be available to the ASC in May with a target completion date of July 2022.

The HB-311 committee to review best practices for rail trail development, costs, and environmental impact of OHRV/ATV users versus bike-ped traffic is now underway. The Committee Chair is Rep. Linda Gould of Bedford. NHDOT and NHBOT have addressed the committee, likewise NHRTC is scheduled to present in February. Ellen Kolb and Boyd Smith are covering this committee. To date, there have been concerns raised about trail damage and dust from motorized users, cost of determining if dust is a  problem for trail abutters, and implementing / enforcing speed limits.

Traffic Safety Commission Update

The NH Traffic Safety Commission met virtually on December 17 with BWANH Board President Paula Bedard and GSW President Dave Topham attending. The presentations were informative and highlighted the increase in motor vehicle fatalities even with fewer cars on the road because of Covid and people working from home. Higher speeds, distracted driving and impairment are key factors.

Dave took the opportunity at this meeting to mention the draft LAB “Report Card” for the NH Bicycle Friendly State ranking. The state dropped from # 36 in 2019 to # 47 in 2021. There is no “easy fix,” and much is based on state policies and funding. The areas of bike safety education and legislation promoted by BWANH received high scores, but not enough to lift the total. Please refer to this PDF file showing the feedback from LAB for more information on NH’s declining status.  The LAB website also has a wealth of information on the Bike Friendly America program, including state rankings here.