The Legislature has a bill to waste tax dollars on yet another capitol corridor rail study. A petition has been created to send the message that any commuter rail project in New Hampshire will cost every taxpayer millions in perpetuity to serve an insignificant sliver of the population.
Related: Stop the Presses Democrat Majority State Senate Supports Wasting Money On Commuter Rail
We don’t need this boondoggle and do not want it. From the petition page.
Remember, college polls claiming 75% are for it, likely only took the opinions of 300-500 or so people who have NOT YET STARTED to pay taxes. Because ridership would be .01% or less, a commuter rail would not be fiscally sound. Taxpayers would be stuck with the bill.
A study has already been done that concluded the system would serve 2,568 one way trips per day, which is really 1,284 people taking a round trip per day. Divide that by NH’s 1.386 million population and you get 0.0926 percent. That’s less than one tenth of one percent. (Yes we overestimated when we said 1% would use it).
You can sign the petition here.
We’ve no temperature on whether the governor will appease the Choo Choo fetishists and sign off on another survey or study of feasibility and cost. No previous research has been honest nor will any future effort. Those tasked are always pro-rail who focus on slivers of hope.
The only facts that matter are these. It will never pay for itself, so someone else will have to pay for it. No free research funding will cover those costs.
If completed rail will suck up Granite State resources from hard-working taxpayers, every year forever. We have far more critical priorities now and in years to come than dumping money down a hole for a boutique transportation boondoggle.
Of course, rail isn’t totally without “benefit.” It will make it easier for drugs and gangs and human traffickers to enter New Hampshire from the Sanctuary Cities in Massachusetts. If that’s something you want to support.
You can sign the petition here. Don’t wait, please do it now. Thanks!
| More from GraniteGrok on Rail in NH Here.
| Additional background on Rail Fail here.
