Opinion: Plan for Langley extension should be removed

Robert T. Baker lives in Concord. The following is a letter he sent to the mayor and city council members.

Over more than a decade, I have lived on the West Side of Concord in Wards 3, 5 and now 7. Currently my home is on Carter Street.

What I consider the Auburn Street Trail may be known by you and others as the route for Langley Parkway Phase 3 (CIP40). Throughout my tenure in Concord, CIP40 has been threatening to destroy both the trail and the liveability of the West Side of Concord. Some of you may recognize that I lived on Penacook Street near the Boys & Girls Club in Ward 3. As a home owner then I felt threatened by the possibility of the CIP40 parkway destroying our neighborhood. Together with others in the neighborhood we worked to oppose the development of the parkway and fortunately it has not been built ... yet.

As a transportation cyclist, I mostly travel the west side of Concord and avoid the east side. The threats to my transportation lifestyle are considerable east of the Merrimack River and navigating car culture on a bicycle is often difficult, stressful and dangerous. Over the years I have often enjoyed the Auburn Street Trail in all seasons as a respite that is unmatched in its access. Bow Creek transects the trail and provides tranquil safety away from the threats of car culture helping to renew my spirit and soul.

Traveling on Langley Parkway South is not pleasant whereas traveling on the Auburn Street Trail provides a respite. Bow Creek tranquility would be lost forever and likely be replaced with something akin to the horribly ugly and shade-less Langley Parkway South (phase 2 of the project).

As mentioned in the June 6 hearing before Finance Committee this is not a case of Chicken Little, but indeed a wolf in sheep’s clothing as described by Jamie Henn in the Concord Monitor Opinion section on June 7. At the Finance Committee hearing, the Concord Greenspace Coalition has developed reasonable and compelling arguments for why CIP40 should be removed from the city budget. Perhaps if my advocacy had been as thoughtful and compelling we would already have more bicycle and pedestrian friendly infrastructure within Concord.

I applaud the work of the Concord Greenspace Coalition, stand with them and ask that you consider this the right step now to remove CIP40 from the budget process. Please take a stand with us for a little less car culture, more greenspace and a more livable and desirable community by removing CIP40 now.