Better together: non-motorized trail users speak up

February 10, 2026 / Ellen Kolb / 2 Comments

I usually hike solo. The solitude and pace suit me. Sometimes, though, those of us who enjoy non-motorized travel on trails need to speak out together. We’re gentle folk, really, but when we’re provoked, we can get a mite testy.

A pair of recent provocations in the Granite State got us going. People listened. Way to go, team.

The Derry Tunnel

The I-93 exit 4-A project in Derry has been talked about forever, and when construction finally began, sighs of relief were heard up and down the highway corridor. The original plan called for the Derry Rail Trail to be routed through the area via a tunnel. Straightforward, safe, good for all users.

Then, a few years ago, the plan on paper was suddenly changed, without input from trail-user groups. A “spaghetti” route – the good folks at the state Department of Transportation probably hated that term, but that’s what it was – replaced the original plan. On paper, the revised route would have brought the rail trail up and around a curve to an at-grade crossing of a six-lane town road, followed by a descent back to the old rail right-of-way. The New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition published a summary of the situation in April 2025, with a link to a New Hampshire Union Leader article.

Groups representing trail users pushed back politely, then more firmly, and heard “no” a lot before finally resorting to litigation against NHDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

Today, eighteen months later, there’s a Union Leader headline: “Settlement paves way for Derry Rail Trail tunnel.” I love that word “settlement.” This was never about one side needing to beat the other. It was about reaching consensus on a sound plan for a project that will benefit the area for years to come.

The Committee to Save the Derry Rail Trail Tunnel didn’t exist before the spaghetti route sprang up. The Committee came about when trail groups realized they had to band together and speak with one voice in favor of a plan that would optimize safety for everyone traveling near exit 4-A. I’m proud to have served once upon a time on the board of NHRTC, which was a driving force behind the effort to restore the tunnel plan.

Once the exit 4-A project and the rail trail tunnel are complete, the Derry Rail Trail will join up with the Londonderry, Windham, and Salem rail trails to create a continuous path from the state line to the Manchester airport. Eventually, this will all be part of a Granite State Rail Trail that will connect southern New Hampshire with the existing Northern Rail Trail, all the way to Lebanon.

milkweed growing in the foreground with a marsh in the background — Summer along the Derry Rail Trail: milkweed in bloom. Ellen Kolb photo.

The Bike Fee

Meanwhile in Concord, where state legislators labor, a proposal to impose a $50 annual bicycle registration fee seems to be going down in flames. A formal House vote hasn’t been scheduled, but the Transportation committee got an earful during the January 27 hearing on HB 1703.

Not only did people show up at the bill’s hearing, but over 14,000 people signed in online in opposition. For about two solid weeks before the hearing, I couldn’t check my email or open a social media feed without being hit with a blast from people urging opposition to the bill. It was beautiful, spontaneous, perfectly civil resistance to an ill-considered proposal.

The bill’s sponsor paid attention. As reported by WMUR, he said “We’re not going to be moving forward with this…please don’t beat up on the Transportation Committee anymore.”

The bill’s text indicated that its purpose was to raise funds for bike paths and trails. I agree with the sponsor that New Hampshire needs to come up with better ways to fund trails, but telling families to cough up fifty bucks per bike per year is a tough sell. The kicker was that the bill’s fiscal note said there would be no effect on municipal expenditures. Tell that to the cops who would have been expected to write up tickets for noncompliance.

Many voices delivering one message derailed HB 1703.

A place at the table

Many conversations loom ahead about funding and placement of trails and paths for walkers and cyclists. There’s always another highway project just around the corner. There are always questions about how to allocate limited state resources to trail maintenance. Where’s the money coming from? What are the best ways to align the interests of motorized and non-motorized trail users?

The two recent situations serve as a reminder that whenever such discussions are happening, non-motorized trail users belong at the table, working with all other interested parties.

One way to keep up with what’s happening with trail policy is to follow the NHRTC and the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire.

I still prefer hiking alone. When it comes to trail policy, though, I can see the advantage of working with a team.

Public Art Enhances Rail Trails

August 18, 2022 / Ellen Kolb / 1 Comment

Murals, sculptures, and illustrations on the pavement could await you when you discover New Hampshire’s rail trails. Some trails feature artwork provided by volunteers from local trail groups. Others display the colorful contributions of area students or professional artists. As you walk or ride along the trails (find a complete list at nhrtc.org), look for treats like these.

Poet Robert Frost once taught at Derry’s Pinkerton Academy. The paved Derry Rail Trail pays tribute with an illustrated version of “The Road Not Taken,” one of Frost’s most famous works. The trail surface itself serves as canvas for this imaginative project.

Read the rest of the post at the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition blog.

Derry Rail Trail (NH) tribute to Robert Frost — The Derry Rail Trail features a tribute to Robert Frost with an illustrated rendering of “The Road Not Taken.” Photo by Ellen Kolb.

A walker’s view of rail trails: video of Granite State Walker’s presentation to NHRTC conference

December 17, 2021December 16, 2021 / Ellen Kolb

The New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition biennial conference went virtual this year, and the online environment didn’t get in the way of an informative event. I was invited by fellow NHRTC board members to talk for a few minutes about a walker’s view of the trails, and how even the slowest of users can become an enthusiastic advocate for rail trails. My presentation is now up on Vimeo, and I hope you’ll enjoy it.

The Granite State Walker Explores NH Rail Trails-Broadband High.mp4 from NH Rail Trails Coalition on Vimeo.

For all of you who have suffered through videoconference indignities this year, you’ll sympathize with the post-slide-show Q&A here featuring my deer-in-the-headlights reaction to someone’s unintentionally muted mic. Once that problem was solved, our ace moderator kept the questions flowing.

You can find other presentations from the conference at The New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition Vimeo page.

Beginning the NH Rail Trail Challenge: low-key, close to home

August 8, 2020February 25, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

I can tell already that the Rail Trail challenge is going to figure into many future posts. I hope readers who are inspired by the challenge will share their own posts and photos so we can learn from each other.

I enjoyed a walk on the Goffstown rail trail a few days ago with Paula Bedard of the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, of which the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition is an affiliate. If the Challenge has a prime mover and guiding spirit, she’s it. It was great to talk with her about our favorite trails and the shape they’re in.

Goffstown rail rail — Along Goffstown rail trail

She made an important point to me that makes me much more optimistic about earning that Challenge patch: participants must explore each trail, not travel every inch of every trail. Whew! OK, so I’m not just going to do a quarter-mile of the Northern Rail Trail and then check it off the Challenge list. But it’s good to know that an overgrown trail – northern stretch of Fort Hill, maybe? – won’t be a stopper.

The next day, at Paula’s urging, I picked up the second edition of Charles F. Martin’s book, Rail Trails of New Hampshire. The first edition has been my companion on many trips. With more trails developed and with conditions changing on existing ones, a new edition is timely.

Brookline, NH

Why go out of my way to check off anything from a trail list? In 2020, the only reason I need is that I am grateful for diversions from the challenges of COVID-19. I crave out-of-the-way places where no masks are required. Fresh air clears my head. A straight flat trail lends itself to prayer and reflection.

All of which brought me to the Potanipo rail trail in Brookline, NH. The little town already has a place in this blog thanks to the Andres Institute of Art with its trails and outdoor sculptures. The rail trail is nearby. It’s short, straight, shady, and ideal for a brief respite from routine.

I parked off of Bohannon Bridge Road, next to a ball field, just past the Nissitissit River. Finding the trailhead for the developed part of the old rail line was easy. A runner was just returning to her car. A gentleman was walking his dog ahead of me. Farther along I saw a pair of friends laughing and walking briskly together. The trail might have been new to me, but clearly the locals were familiar with it.

The trail is about a mile long. The slow-moving river alongside is concealed this midsummer by heavy vegetation. The trail surface is unpaved but wide and smooth. There’s one road crossing. The trail peters out at NH Route 13, behind a gas station and a pizza restaurant. The parking there makes a convenient starting point for anyone who wants to go out-and-back along the trail from that direction.

After a hilly walk at the Andres Institute, the flat Brookline trail might be a good way to get the kinks out of those sore legs.

New Hampshire Rail Trails: a friendly challenge

July 31, 2020February 25, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

The New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition has issued an imposing challenge: travel every rail trail in New Hampshire, and earn a patch. I love patches. I’m in.

*Cheshire Rail Trail, Troy NH. Ellen Kolb photo.*

Can I really cover all 300+ miles? I’ll have fun trying. Download the list yourself from nhrtc.org and see what looks tempting.

Reading the list is an eye-opener. I thought I knew about most of the trails in the state. But Head’s Pond in Hooksett? Nope. Lilac City Greenway, Cotton Valley trail, Fort Hill? Nope, nope, and nope.

I sense some road trips coming.

Hands Across the Merrimack Bridge, Piscataquog rail trail, Manchester NH. — *Hands Across the Merrimack bridge on Piscataquog Rail Trail, Manchester NH. Ellen Kolb photo.*

Already, since I’ve taken up the challenge, I have discovered new-to-me trails within a half-hour’s drive of my home. I’ve walked on some and biked on others. Many are well-shaded, which feels great during this hot summer.

I’ll be posting about some of my discoveries in the coming weeks. So far, these aren’t epic journeys. In stressful times, though, I don’t need “epic.” I’m happy to find a bit of beauty and recreation close to home.