transportation

The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA’s legal services or your municipal attorney.

Road Surface Management System

Local roads are among the largest infrastructure investments for many New Hampshire communities. Road Surface Management System (RSMS) is one module of the Statewide Asset Data Exchange System or SADES. Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) can work with municipalities to assess and map current pavement conditions and model pavement lifespan/degradation using SADES.

New Hampshire’s public airport system consists of 24 public and private use airports. These airports range from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, New Hampshire’s largest public airport handling the majority of New Hampshire’s commercial airline service on its 9,250’ paved runway, to Colebrook Airport, with a 2,450’ grass runway. Not only do these local airports serve as an important infrastructure (particularly in times of distress); they also serve as public gathering places, family activity centers, and are an economic engine for tourism and businesses. 

Is your Select Board or Planning Board hearing more from residents about desire for safe pedestrian accommodation than in years past? The COVID-19 pandemic has led more people in New Hampshire and around the country to seek their exercise outdoors, in some cases leading to a realization that they don’t feel as comfortable walking on local roadways as they’d like.

Preface

The primary role of a Regional Planning Commission (RPC) is to support local municipalities in their planning and community development responsibilities. This is done in a variety of ways such as:

Collecting traffic data is a critical piece of advancing transportation projects. For municipalities and state agencies, like every other market sector, the COVID-19 pandemic forever altered how infrastructure projects move forward. In New Hampshire and throughout the east coast, VHB engineers and transportation planners recognized a need to capture accurate traffic data to help their clients during these unprecedented times.

Now is the time of year for local governing bodies to begin implementation of the summer road maintenance program. Every municipality faces the issue each year, since RSA 231:3, I mandates "All Class V highways shall be constructed, reconstructed, and maintained by the city or town in which they are located... ." It is a very difficult program to administer, as there are many types of tasks to be performed the tasks are expensive and they often require the use of outside contractors.