MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday, the Manchester Board of Aldermen discussed extending the Manchester Transit Authority’s (MTA) Bus Route 11 further into Hooksett as a way to help provide jobs to Manchester’s homeless population.
The item was brought forth by Ward 9 Alderman Barbara Shaw, who received the idea from local activist Glenn Ouellette.
According to Shaw, Ouellette indicated that he has been in contact with management at the Home Depot in Hooksett, which is looking for more employees and would be willing to hire homeless individuals if they had a way to get to work.
Currently, Route 11 extends to the Hooksett Walmart, just five minutes south of the Home Depot.
MTA Executive Director Mike Whitten said that Route 11 currently takes approximately sixty minutes to complete, and the additional five minutes from Walmart to Home Depot and additional five minutes back toward Manchester would have significant impacts on scheduling for the route. However, he said that the additional stop would be worth adding if there were 10 to 20 guaranteed passengers to the new Home Depot stop each day.
Mayor Joyce Craig noted that Route 8 and 12 already go near the Manchester Home Depot just off South Willow Street, and as a Manchester business they should be prioritized, given that they are also currently hiring.
Although the MTA largely stopped its bus services in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, busses were still available to local residents for direct transport to grocery stores, pharmacies and essential employment. Several routes are expected to re-open starting on June 1.
