Officials seek state action on rail line

Several state representatives and senators from Nashua are pushing the New Hampshire Legislature to pass a joint resolution that would expedite the arrival of commuter rail service to southern New Hampshire.

The resolution encourages the state to find solutions to a number of issues, such as locating a state source of funding for commuter rail and creating a management structure, such as a regional transit authority, to oversee the service. Sponsors of the resolution, however, stress that passage would not commit the state to funding commuter rail projects.

The House Transportation Committee will be holding a hearing on the resolution today at 2:30 p.m. in Room 203 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord. Those sponsoring the bill locally are state representatives Bette R. Lasky and Jane A. Clemons and state senators Joseph A. Foster and David Gottesman, all Nashua Democrats.

''I'm hoping, if nothing else, it will at least open people's eyes -- that the southern part of the state is interested in commuter rail and it's an issue down here," Lasky said.

But not all elected state leaders from southern New Hampshire agree that commuter rail service is a good idea. Senator Bob Clegg, a Republican from Hudson who is the Senate majority leader, said he would support commuter rail service only if revenue from ticket sales covers the operating costs.

He said he knows of no such service that is supported by ticket sales.

''Commuter rail service is not cost-effective."

He said he believes it's unfair for the state to subsidize commuter rail service because he believes it's a service that benefits the rich.

''Why do I want to subsidize somebody's ride to work in Massachusetts who makes twice as much as the guy who works in New Hampshire?" he said. ''I think our residents are tired of paying for the rich guy getting richer."

The funding of commuter rail service projects in New Hampshire has also been a contentious issue with many legislators from the state's northern areas who argue that it's not fair for the entire state to pay for commuter rail when only residents in the state's southern tier would have the service available to them.

Initially, the state Department of Transportation wanted to use money raised through the state's gasoline tax to pay for the projects, but the state Supreme Court ruled almost two years ago that the state's constitution only permits gasoline tax revenue to be used for the construction and maintenance of roads.

With the state unable to find another source of funding for the projects, the responsibility for covering the 20 percent match required under federal grants has been left to cities and towns.

Nashua, which would be the first city in New Hampshire to initiate the effort to restore commuter rail service, is exploring the idea of creating a special tax district at the proposed site of the train station in south Nashua to cover the local costs of extending commuter rail service from Lowell to Nashua. New property tax revenue generated by developing the site of the station with retail and offices would pay off construction bonds for the city's approximately $16 million share of the $79.6 million project, city economic development officials have said.

Nashua Mayor Bernie Streeter said he's happy his city has taken the lead to bring in commuter rail service, but believes the state should be doing more to support the effort. Rail advocates hope the extension to Nashua will eventually enable commuter rail service to move further north to Merrimack and Manchester, where it could link up to Manchester airport.

''It's sort of a feel-good resolution and keeps the dream of commuter rail service alive," Streeter said.

Nashua is hoping to break ground on a commuter rail station and parking garage next year, with train service starting up in 2008.

The resolution steers clear of one of the dicier issues of expanding commuter rail service in New Hampshire: establishing a liability cap that would limit the amount of damages a train company could be sued for in case of an accident.

Lasky said she thought it was premature to address liability when so many details of how a commuter rail service in New Hampshire have not been worked out yet.

''I don't believe in looking for trouble before I have to," she said. ''I just want to see where people are on commuter rail, and I want them to recognize the importance of it."