J.B. Center: Commuter rail no gold mine

The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, a conservative-leaning think tank, released a study this week that challenges the conclusion that commuter rail would boost the southern New Hampshire economy.

The Bartlett Center study looked at similarly-sized commuter rails in California, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, as well as the Amtrak Downeaster on New Hampshire's seacoast.  The study concluded that commuter rail only helped development when other economic investments were already in the works.

"I like seeing people who are worried and thinking New Hampshire needs more people who are employed, and it would be great if it would create jobs, but the track record kind of speaks for itself," said Josh Elliott-Traficante, a policy analyst at the Bartlett Center.

Last November the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority released a study that found a southern New Hampshire commuter rail would add 1,200 to 5,600 jobs, depending on the chosen route.

"The New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, the Greater Nashua and Manchester Chambers of Commerce, the hundreds of companies they represent and a growing bi-partisan coalition of elected officials believe that rail can play a key role in jumpstarting New Hampshire’s economy," said Michael Izbicki, chairman of the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority. "The result of an extensive two-year study on the expansion of passenger rail service along the 73 mile NH Capitol Corridor conducted by globally recognized transportation experts support(s) those assertions."