New Hampshire Business for Rail Expansion urges House Public Works & Highways Committee to support funding for passenger rail expansion analysis
Manchester, NH – The list of New Hampshire businesses in support of passenger rail expansion from Boston to Manchester has grown to more than 100, according to the statewide, nonpartisan New Hampshire Business for Rail Expansion coalition. The organization is calling on the New Hampshire House Public Works & Highways Committee to support $4 million in funding in House Bill 2018 designated for an in-depth analysis of the passenger rail expansion project. The Committee vote is scheduled for this week.
“Business leaders from across New Hampshire are calling on our elected officials to take a closer look at the benefits passenger rail could provide,” said New Hampshire Business for Rail Expansion spokesman E.J. Powers. “Our coalition, representing a range of large and small businesses across multiple industries, are acutely aware of New Hampshire’s workforce and demographic challenges and believe rail expansion could be part of the solution. It is time for our legislators to hear the desires of the business community and act.”
The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) included the $4 million cost for the Project Development analysis in the state’s Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan, which is House Bill 2018. The $4 million would be covered entirely through federal grants, and would provide a detailed analysis of engineering, environmental, and geotechnical aspects, along with a firm financial plan for expanding passenger rail from Boston to Manchester.
Governor Sununu expressed his support for this funding saying that “I think the time is right and I’m hopeful we can get it through the legislature.”
“New Hampshire has an opportunity to leverage federal dollars to obtain a wealth of information that will enable policymakers to make an informed decision whether to proceed with this project,” continued Powers. “This analysis will not cost New Hampshire taxpayers a dime nor will it commit the state to funding rail expansion in the future. However it would provide a blueprint that the state could use to draw private investment, further reducing costs.”
In addition to businesses listed below, more than 165 individuals have signed New Hampshire Business for Rail Expansion’s petition to bring passenger rail to Manchester:
36 Creative
Admix
Anagnost Companies
Auto Auction of New England
AutoDesk
Bank of New England
Barre Life
Battle Games
Beacon Building
Brady Sullivan Properties
BrickRiver Technologies
Brookstone Builders
Café La Reine
Campo Enoteca
Catholic Medical Center
CCA Global Partners
Citizens Bank
Clifford Construction
Coco Early Real Estate
Cookson Strategic Communications
Currier Museum of Art
Dancing Lion Chocolate
Derryfield School
DesignWares
DeStefano Architects
Eckman Construction
ELC Outdoors
Elm Grove Companies
FairPoint Communications
Fay’s Fine Cabinetry
FlowTraq
FortCycle, LLC
Fortitude Health and Training
Freedom Energy Logistics
Gamache Real Estate Group
Garrison Hill Florists
Gottesman & Hollis
Great Island Inn
Great NH Restaurants
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
GreenBike Smoothies, LLC
H&M Metals, LLC
Homeschooling Horizons, Inc.
iCleanSolutions
Ideabenders, LLC
Intown Manchester
J. Ellen Design, LLC
Jupiter Hall
Kanteres Real Estate
Keller Williams Agent Paul Laflamme
Kelley Stelling Contemporary
La Carreta – Londonderry & Derry
Lambert and Associates – Senator Gary Lambert
LG Strategies
Live Free & Start
M.R. Hilbert Electrical Inspections & Training
Manchester Ink Link
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Marzen Group
Mayor Joyce Craig – City of Manchester
McMahon & Wright Group – Wells Fargo Advisors
MERC Sales
Minim
Mint Bistro
Montagne Communications
New Hampshire High Tech Council
New Hampshire Railroad Revitalization Association
New Sky Productions
NH Institute of Art
NH Sierra Club
Northwestern Mutual
Old Port Properties
Oracle + DYN
Parallel Wireless
Paul Bergeron and Associates
Persian Rug Gallery
PillPack
Polystitch
Primary Strategies
Pro Drone, LLC
Puritan Backroom & Conference Center
Queen City Cupcakes
Raceway Electric LLC
Randy Turmel and Associates
Reach Communications
Red Arrow Diner
Remove Web Workplace, LLC
Republic Café
Robie’s Country Store
Saint Anselm College
Schall Creative
Silvertech
Simchik Planning & Development
Solomon Consulting
Soujourn Partners
Southern New Hampshire University
St. Mary’s Bank
Tangled Roots Herbal, LLC
The Bookery
The Cerato Group
The Lannan Company
Unique and Chic Designs
University of New Hampshire
Volvo of Exeter
Ward Properties
The NH Capitol Corridor Study, which was released in 2015, detailed the benefits of rail expansion, while outlining a recommendation to establish four stops, two in Nashua and two in Manchester. Along with creating 3,600 permanent jobs, the Capitol Corridor Study revealed that rail expansion would deliver the following economic benefits:
- 230 new jobs to construct the rail line
- 3,400 construction jobs to build the real estate development triggered by rail
- 1,700 new jobs every year beginning in 2030
- 3,600 residential units to support new workers
- 9 million square feet of commercial real estate as a by-product of rail expansion
- $750 million in real estate investment from 2021-2030, with $220 million in reinvested worker earnings.
A 2015 Public Policy Poll indicated 74-percent of New Hampshire residents support passenger rail expansion. For more information and to sign the petition, please visit www.NHBiz4Rail.com.
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