My wife and I attended the hearing on the proposed widening and interchange changes for Interstate 93 from Bow up through Concord. We were especially interested to hear input from City Manager Tom Aspell and City Engineer Dave Cedarholm encouraging the Department of Transportation to broaden its thinking to include planning for reconnecting Concord to its riverfront and its long separated halves.
I had taken the bus to and from Boston that day from Exit 5 in Londonderry. The midday trip down took an hour. The return trip was 54 minutes longer because of traffic at the section that is five lanes on each side. So I suggested in my testimony that extra lanes may not be the best solution to peak traffic. I believe we need to, instead, focus on reducing the vehicles on the road. I also believe that by the time the widening might be complete (DOT projected 2033) traffic will flow more smoothly without the extra lanes. Here’s why: Vehicles will likely be smarter and we will have adapted to improved ways of traveling.
I taught engineering in public schools in Concord and surrounding towns. My students in the 1980s were excited by lessons involving cars and trucks. When I retired last spring, not so much. Instead of eagerly awaiting their first independent driving, they were happy to call for a lift.
Younger voters will be more open to rebuilding our rail or other non-road connections to Boston and perhaps other cities. The next generation will prefer to leave the driving to . . . whatever. The almost $300 million sought for the I-93 rebuild could be better spent on updated modes of transportation.
DAVID ERIKSON
Weare