O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
For the next month the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) will be holding public hearings across the state to gather public input on the state’s 10-year Transportation Plan.
Do you wish there was more than one bus a day from downtown Manchester to Boston? Are you a commuter who is disappointed that the Executive Council prevented the consultants from finishing the financial and engineering plans for the Capitol Corridor Rail Project? Have you been thinking about getting an electric vehicle, but the lack of charging stations is holding you back? Are you worried that the state is not doing enough to build infrastructure that can withstand the catastrophic weather events that are associated with climate change? Do you wonder how we are using the 10-year plan to wean ourselves off fossil fuels? Or maybe there is something else.
These hearings are your opportunity to speak up. The hearings are hosted by our Executive Councilors and are being held in every corner of the state. Unfortunately, there will not be a GACIT hearing in Manchester. However, our Executive Councilor, Ted Gatsas, will be holding one on September 27 at 7 p.m. at the Londonderry Town Hall. He is also hosting another GACIT hearing at the Goffstown Fire Station on October 25 at 7 p.m.
The format of the hearing is a 30-minute presentation on the draft Transportation Plan followed by a Question and Answer session. If you are not able to attend either of these meetings, you can find the full hearing schedule here. If you can’t attend a hearing because you are stuck in traffic or perhaps you don’t have a car to get there, you can send your comments to Executive Councilor Ted Gatsas here.
New Hampshire’s roads and bridges belong to all of us. They are built and maintained with public money. Boston Express receives public subsidies. When these public goods are not meeting our needs, we need to speak up and let the public officials who are in charge know.
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? You can respond directly below this post. Have your own issues? Get up on the Soapbox. Send your submissions to publisher@manchesterinklink.com, subject line: The Soapbox.
NH Rep. Kathryn ‘Kathy” Staub is a lifelong resident of Manchester. She and her husband have two grown children. She received a B.A. in Anthropology from UNH in 1979 and holds an M.A. in American Studies from Boston College. She has worked as a museum educator and a community organizer and is now retired.
