MethuenRailTrail

Apparently the last minute notification worked very well. Only about six civilians were actually in attendance, everyone else present was part of the presentation team or a representative of an official’s office sent to take notes.

The results of the feasibility study are supposed to eventually be uploaded to the web, but in a nutshell, they presented two plans that would ease traffic on I93, neither presentation mentioned the flammable topic of highway expansion, one assumes that is a side issue.

The reopening of the Manchester to Lawrence Railroad line was first up as it is the more expensive, ambitious and impractical of the two proposals. This rail spur would now end well before Manchester NH, due to there being a big old airport lying across the line. Disappointingly the precise details of this plan were not described in depth, and the announced estimated cost of 197 million does not include any alterations to local municipal infrastructures, none of the practical railway expenses of acquiring additional trains or cars or staffing. These are 2008 dollars and by the time of construction these dollars they could easily swell to big dig proportions. Much of the landscape has changed in the 30 years since freight ran on that line. Simple things such as reinforcing neighboring buildings from vibration damage, restoration of underpasses such as 5-corners and Rt 213 will take millions more dollars and many years to complete. Not to mention that all commuter rails are subsidized with state funding, as costs are never completely covered by ticketed ridership.

The obvious demerits of the train expansion, were clear to everyone present as it was nearly ignored in the discussions that followed in favor of the more practical, economical and highly likely traffic easement plan: high speed express bus lane. Adding high speed buses that run down a dedicated lane on the shoulder of the highway would cost only 88 million to implement and would results in the exact same increase in ridership. And since augmentation to the infrastructure is minimal, this could be implemented in much less time than a complete reconstruction of a train system.

I made a recording of the presentation, and i will try to make it available. When the actual study is posted I will post it. I am not alarmed about a feasibility study showing that reactivation of a train line is possible, it doesn’t throw a spanner into our plans to make a recreational space of the property. Because something is feasible doesn’t make it likely, many things are possible with the application of enough money and enthusiasm. I don’t see much enthusiasm regarding a railline that won’t appear for 30 years. But I have been seeing a great deal of enthusiasm for a multi-modal shared use recreational path right down the middle of the city, networking into the entire region.

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