I-93 Highway Plan Should CONNECT the City (Not Further Divide It)

Did you know?

• NHDOT is fast-tracking plans to widen I-93 from 4 to 8 lanes between Bow through Exit 15. (Project history & plans here)

• I-93 runs right through the middle of our city exacerbating a socio-economic divide, damaging the urban landscape, dividing resources, limiting sustainable development, and degrading our greatest public resource, the Merrimack river.

• At the last major public hearing in 2019, residents made it clear that the state needed to take care to create a redesign that would BENEFIT Concord.

• If we don’t redesign I-93 in a way that rights these wrongs now - the opportunity is lost.

• NHDOT intends to finalize plans by the end of this year. The City Council will take the issue up this fall.

• This leaves us with just a short amount of time to rally and communicate our concerns.

• We need strong community input now from individuals like YOU! Attend and speak at the TPAC I-93 Expansion meeting with public input this Thursday 6:30pm at City Chambers - RSVP. (If you can't make it -add your voice to the issue here.)

Please attend and speak at the TPAC I-93 Expansion public input meeting on August 25th 6:30-9:30 at City Chambers! (RSVP so we know you’re coming.)

What can we do?

• We are hopeful that we can come together as a unified community to push a project plan forward that truly connects and benefits Concord (and supports the goals of our city).

• We need to learn all we can so that we can present a unified message about what's best for Concord.

• Check out DOT’s presentation on the most recent expansion plan from last Tuesday’s special TPAC meeting. (Here is the video.)

• Come to TPAC’s open PUBLIC INPUT session on August 25th from 6:30-9:30pm at City Chambers to have YOUR voice heard and to join the effort to connect Concord.

What needs to be included in the expansion proposal for it to work for Concord? These are initial thoughts and we need YOUR input - chime in here.

1. A Platform Park (also known as a “deck park” or “cap”) connecting Downtown to the east side of the river. (A platform park is a community park or urbanscape that is built over a highway to connect one side to another - the highway is buried under the park. See photo and other examples here.)

   1. The platform park could connect the Storrs Street area over the highway and railroad to the river.

   2. At the point where the Platform Park meets the river, a wide bike/pedestrian bridge could reach across to the east side of the river sloping gently down to connect to the Merrimack River Greenway Trail.

   3. Think “human wildlife corridor” over the train, highway, and river to the rail trail.

   4. This could connect the east side to Downtown by providing bike/pedestrian access from the east side of the river across to downtown and bike/ped access from west side to east, including meaningful connection to the river.

   5. There could be a way of building this cap without cutting off Loudon Road from downtown for any period longer than is already being discussed.

2. Reduce the barrier effect of the railroad.

3. Explore removing auxiliary lanes to reduce the proposed widening from 8 lanes at points to a maximum of 6 lanes.

4. Transition streets coming off I-93 into the city using high quality, thoughtfully planned streetscaping and landscaping.

5. Bike/pedestrian safety elements on multi-use exits.

6. Let us know YOUR thoughts and ideas on the highway here! We’ll compile your thoughts to get us closer to a unified vision.

Next steps?

• Attend and speak at the TPAC I-93 Expansion public input meeting on August 25th 6:30-9:30 at the TPAC meeting in City Chambers! (Please RSVP so we know you’re coming.)

• Come together! Similar highway proposals have devastated cities across America who were too fragmented or disorganized in their efforts to push back. Unifying is our best shot at advocating for our city!

• Demand a Platform Park feasibility study by a firm that specializes in platform park engineering.

• Demand a robust public outreach process - MUCH has changed in Concord since 2019!

• Call and write your City Councilors.

• Sign the petition and let us know your thoughts on the highway here! We’ll compile your thoughts and ideas to share with City officials.

Gratefully,

The Concord Greenspace Coalition

PS. Check out one resident's public letter to City Council below:

LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL

.pdf

Download PDF • 85KB

To connect please email: concordgreenspace@gmail.com