MTA will offer bus service for residents to attend GACIT hearing covering lack of funding for Manchester 16099A and Manchester 16099B, also known as the Exit 6 and Exit 7 projects.
MANCHESTER, NH – Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 6:30pm, the Manchester Transit Authority will offer a free bus service for Manchester residents interested in attending The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) hearing in Goffstown.
This hearing will cover the recent changes to the “Draft Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan 2025-2034,” which was released on September 5th, 2023. Manchester 16099A and Manchester 16099B, also known as the Exit 6 and Exit 7 projects on the FE Everett Turnpike, has continually been recognized as critical to provide sweeping safety and traffic mitigation improvements. The project has been in the Ten Year Plan (TYP) since 2013, and for the previous three iterations of the plan, has been fully funded.
However, in the latest version being discussed at the GACIT hearing, the project has been not only significantly delayed, but is now underfunded by approximately $146 million. This has happened while other projects, such as Nashua-Bedford and Bow-Concord, which both entered the plan years after this project, saw additional funding.
“It is deeply disappointing that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has chosen to reallocate funding from existing, necessary, safety-oriented projects within Manchester,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “This decision by the NHDOT and the Executive Council will have devastating impacts on Manchester’s ability for future growth, and the safety of our residents, and visitors. I encourage residents to attend this meeting and urge the NHDOT and Councilor Gatsas to reconsider reallocating funding to this project, instead returning it to its originally-proposed construction schedule, supporting our efforts to ensure the safety, prosperity, and growth of our city.”
Despite Manchester being New Hampshire’s largest city, serving as the economic powerhouse of the state, there were no GACIT hearings scheduled within the City of Manchester. Every day, 117,000 individuals live and work here, and even more come to Manchester for our entertainment, restaurants, and culture. Manchester was the only city in the country to win a Build Back Better Regional Challenge Award from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), bringing $44,000,000 and 7,000 new family-sustaining jobs to our Millyard. However, the potential of this industry could extend far beyond our Millyard. Unfortunately, this decision by NHDOT and the Executive Council will have devastating impacts on the region’s burgeoning biotech industry and the City’s plans for much-needed housing developments to support this growing workforce.
Residents interested in attending this hearing on Wednesday evening and looking to utilize MTA’s free bus offering should meet at City Hall Plaza where the bus will leave promptly at 6:30pm.