Where To?

<li>Route 101A to Milford</li><li>Continental Boulevard in Merrimack</li><li>Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack</li><li>Route 3A (Lowell Road) in Hudson</li>

Transit Expansion for the Greater Nashua Region

The map below shows one measure of that need - households with no vehicles available according to the American Community Survey.   Areas of Milford and Merrimack have approached numbers historically seen only within Nashua.

The zones on the map below are labeled with a potential yearly ridership derived from NRPC's prediction model. Click on any of them to see examples of what origins and destinations could be served.

Project Purpose and Need

Outside city limits, NTS coordinates with the <a href="http://www.souheganvalleyrides.org/svtc" target="_blank">Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative</a> (SVTC) to provide the Souhegan Valley Rides (Blue Bus) demand response service for rides within the communities of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Milford, Mont Vernon, Wilton and Nashua.

I have almost reached an age where I will give up my car, but still want to live and enjoy life. Being around people involved with events keeps one young and vital, keeps depression away. Public transportation is so valuable to seniors. - Sarah, NTS rider

More than 30,000 vehicles travel along the busiest sections of the Route 101A, which serves as the major east-west corridor between Nashua and points west. While the Nashua Transit System currently provides limited service to Walmart in Amherst, surveys and data show potential for ridership all the way to the western side of Milford. In fact, the Census tract containing the Milford Oval and much of the corridor is where the highest percentage of zero-vehicles-available households in the region - over 8% - can be found outside of Nashua.

"It's a great service! I don't know what I would do without it" - Steven, paratransit passenger

Based on demographic data and prior outreach initiatives, this project examines the feasibility of expanded dedicated fixed-route transit service along the following corridors:

To further analyze the feasibility of expanding NTS service to new areas, NRPC developed a ridership prediction model base. The methodology is based on finding variables which contribute to producing current transit trips at home locations and attracting them to activity centers and then developing an equation to apply to potential areas of expansion. The 2018 NTS on-board survey, annual ridership data by stop and population/employment data were used for developing the model.

The Route 3A (Lowell Road) corridor in Hudson features several distinct areas with uses that traditionally attract transit trips.  Toward the north end of the corridor is a town center featuring dense residential use and the popular Hudson Mall plaza.  Along the central section are several shopping plazas, more dense neighborhoods, and multi-family apartment complexes, and finally you'll find large industrial parks and Walmart/Sam's Club at the southern end.  

Merrimack - Continental Boulevard and Daniel Webster Highway

Other factors such as age, disability status, income, and household size can be important indicators of current and potential transit dependency. Thus, and especially with an aging population, the demand for sustained public transportation options is growing in every community. Evidence of that demand can be seen in the Souhegan Valley Rides program which, since starting in 2008, has provided over 35,000 rides to residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Milford, Mont Vernon and Wilton.

Nashua Transit System (NTS) currently provides public transportation services within the City of Nashua and limited service to surrounding communities. The system provides 3 different transportation services within the Nashua City limits, including CityBus (daytime fixed route), After 7 (evening fixed route), and City Lift (daytime and evening demand response). Most routes begin and end at the Nashua Transit Center, on Elm Street behind City Hall.

Our service is very important to our passengers. Many of them rely on public transportation to get to work and medical appointments. We transport many people with disabilities whom, without us, would not be able to get around. Our passengers are always very grateful for the service we provide. They feel safe and secure riding with us. - Darlene Aceto, NTS Driver

Ridership Prediction Zones

% Households With No Vehicles

For more information on everything discussed in this story map, as well as further analysis on what it might cost to run fixed-route service along each of these potential corridors, visit <a href="https://www.nashuarpc.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nashuarpc.org</a> to read the full Transit Expansion Study report.

Click on the ridership prediction zones below to see more examples of what origins and destinations could be served by future transit routes.

Despite the trends that have led to this higher regionwide demand, the Nashua Urbanized Area (UZA) / Transportation Management Area (TMA) is the largest of its kind in New Hampshire and the only one not served by a ﻿regional transit system. The <a href="https://www.nashuarpc.org/files/5814/8397/3814/NTS_2016-2025_CompPlan_Final.pdf" target="_blank">Nashua Transit System Comprehensive Plan (2016-2025)</a> acknowledged this deficiency and set goals to expand service to other areas of the region and beyond.

In recent years, the Nashua Transit System has provided nearly 500,000 fixed-route and demand response rides a year, a significant increase from just under 300,000 in 1995. And in 2019, they celebrated their ten millionth rider. Still, several demographic and environmental factors present a barrier to robust regional public transit ridership. While the City of Nashua itself continues to act as the region’s population and employment center, growth continues in its suburban and rural communities. Importantly, many of these areas beyond Nashua's borders are home to some of our most transit-dependent populations.

Along Daniel Webster Highway, a major north-south route connecting Merrimack to the Manchester area, are some of the region's densest multi-family neighborhoods outside of the City of Nashua.   As seen on the census tract map above, nearly 8% of all households to the east of the corridor do not have a car.   

The public outreach phase was designed to inform business leaders, state and local elected officials and the public of the challenges and benefits of expanding transit service in the region. This phase also included an opportunity for transit dependent and traditionally underserved populations to provide input on proposed routes, types of service and transit stop locations.

"The...Route 2A bus service has been a true "lifesaver" for our patients in the Greater Nashua area who require transportation services to our Center for cancer treatments. They supported our efforts by adding an additional stop at the end of our driveway. Many of our patients may not have been able to keep their appointments with us without the support of Nashua Transit. This is a rewarding example of how community services are collaborating together for the benefit of Nashua's citizens." - Elizabeth Gray, Executive Director, Radiation Center of Greater Nashua

With the goal of expanded service in mind, the Nashua Regional Planning Commission has undertaken a multi-phase project to conduct public outreach regarding potential routes and destinations, forecast potential ridership, and conduct a feasibility analysis.

These areas, along with their proximity to Nashua, make the corridor a prime candidate for transit expansion. And as previously discussed, the Walmart area in particular is consistently cited as a preferred future destination by current riders and non-riders alike. 

The Onboard Survey was developed to collect essential base data on existing Nashua ridership including demographics, origins and destinations, trip purpose, access to other travel modes, and additional data that was required for a ridership prediction model. The survey was available in both English and Spanish. NRPC staff administered the survey by riding every NTS route over several weeks in the Spring of 2018. and gathered a total of 519 responses.

Click on any route number on the map below to see some of its destinations and get a link to online maps and schedules.

To broaden outreach efforts and collect even more information, NRPC developed two surveys:

NRPC and NTS held several workshops at public libraries in Hudson, Merrimack, Milford, and Nashua, the Meals On Wheels program at Milford SHARE, and the Nashua Community College. At the events, attendees were briefed on the project and asked to identify both their usual trip origin and any preferred destinations on a map, including places not currently served. Below is a composite map of results.  Note that many people would like full-time service to Walmart stores in Amherst and Hudson, as well as several other destinations scattered throughout the region.

Through tests of these variables, regression equations were developed for each trip purpose for both productions and attractions. Data were then collected for new transit extension routes and input to the model to produce transit ridership estimates for each trip purpose. The totals for all purposes were added and are shown for each new transit service area in the storymap.

If transit access is eventually expanded to any new areas, the people who live and work there will no doubt enjoy the same level of convenience and service that current users have come to rely on.  Here are some testimonials from passengers, employers, and service providers to remind everyone of the importance of transit availability in this ever-changing region.

Providing regional transit service has the potential to improve congestion, provide access to jobs, and augment existing demand response service provided throughout the region. Regional transit also creates vibrant communities, encourages active transportation, reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and supports economic prosperity.

The General Transit survey was developed to collect data from current and potential transit users. The survey was available in both English and Spanish and made available online or as a hard copy. Topics included basic demographics, daily trip habits, preferred destinations, and willingness to pay for new and increased service. Responses came from a total of 340 participants.

Daytime service covers nearly all of the Gate City, reaching an estimated 86% of all Nashua residents within 1/4 mile of at least one route and 99% within 3/4 mile. All routes, as seen on the map below, operate six days a week except for Routes 10 and 10A, which combine to offer service to Walmart in Amherst on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

These corridors connect large outlying population centers and provide access to employment centers in the region. Providing transit from the western and northern communities of the region improves opportunity to access intercity bus service to Boston and future passenger rail service along the Capitol Corridor. In addition, this project presents an opportunity to investigate transit connections between the Nashua Transit System and other regional transit providers, which could improve access between Nashua, Manchester, Derry and Salem.

Several responses from both surveys indicated a desire for service to more locations. On the onboard survey, riders continued to put both Walmart stores at the top of their wishlist, with the Manchester Airport and Merrimack Outlets close behind.   It is notable that so many of these regional destinations are seen as desirable, with this particular survey only being distributed to current riders that are likely starting their trips in the City of Nashua.

In total, this area is predicted to serve about 16,000 riders per year, which is roughly double the amount currently served along the southern end of Daniel Webster Highway between Spit Brook Road and the Pheasant Lane Mall.

The zones along these Merrimack corridors would see nearly 18,000 riders per year.  Compare this to current service at the Nashua Mall-Coliseum Avenue area, which sees roughly 13,000.

Mapping Exercise Results

In Merrimack, two corridors show a high potential for transit service.  Continental Boulevard, an important connection from the western part of the region to the Everett Turnpike, is a daily route for thousands of workers.  Nearby are some of the region's largest employers, including the Merrimack Premium Outlets and several industrial and tech office parks.

Combined, the zones along the 101A corridor are estimated to produce nearly 30,000 rides a year - about 20% more than is drawn to the Pheasant Lane Mall using existing NTS service.

Even the public at-large, many of whom do not rely on public transportation in their day-to-day life, seems to support an increase in regional transit service.  The chart below, taken from the General Survey, shows that less than 10% of respondents would not support using local taxes to help grow transit access where they live.

The Nashua Transit System also offers reduced 6-nights-a-week service to most popular destinations in the City along three distinct "After 7" routes, referred to as North, Central, and South.

Through tests of these variables, regression equations were developed for each trip purpose for both productions and attractions. Data were then collected for new transit extension routes and input to the model to produce transit ridership estimates for each trip purpose.   The following sections show the results for the corridors identified in the study.

The existing NTS service area in Nashua was divided into 60 zones that are walkable by transit (within one-third mile of a route). Several independent variables were tested through regression analysis, with zero-auto households proving to have the strongest correlation with transit trips produced at the home end.  For trips attracted to activity centers, several independent variables are used to predict trips varying by trip purpose, including retail and non-retail employment, health care employment, school enrollment and a transit frequency service index.

Nashua Transit System Fixed Routes

It changed my life...it helped me heal because it gave me back my independence. It makes your life normal again. - Andrea, paratransit passenger