We've Moved- Please Come See Us

Check out the new home for New Hampshire Watchdog:

NewHampshireWatchdog.org

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Confusion over rail plan in Nashua

The Nashua Telegraph runs a pair of stories on transportation plans in the city. Tom West reports on Tuesday's public hearing on the Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan.
Just before polling the audience, District 5 Executive Councilor Debora Pignatelli had asked Department of Transportation Commissioner George Campbell when residents could expect the see the trains rolling.

Although he prefaced his answer with talk about the uncertainties surrounding the project, mostly how the state would pay for it, he answered, “2011.”

“You heard it here,’’ Pignatelli said. “2011.” The meeting was held in the City Hall auditorium Tuesday to discuss major transportation projects in the region with state officials and representatives from the Nashua Regional Planning Commission.
While Kevin Landrigan writes up Wednesday's announcement that the state would not be applying for federal funding for the project.
“The competition for this money is too intense. The federal government made it clear to us if there is no operating agreement, there’s no point in making an application or the state just loses its credibility for the future,” Campbell said.

High-speed projects totaling $102 billion have already applied for these limited dollars. The deadline to apply is Friday.

This setback has Campbell placing a renewed look at bringing rail service back first only to the Massachusetts state line in Nashua next to the Pheasant Lane Mall.

No comments:

Post a Comment