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Board of Aldermen — 3/22/16 Page 12
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman Wilshire, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Dowd, 9
Alderman Caron, Alderman LeBrun, Alderman Moriarty,
Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Lopez, Alderman McCarthy

Nay: Alderman Deane, Alderman Cookson, Alderman Siegel, 5
Alderman Schoneman, Alderman McGuinness

MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-16-007 declared duly adopted.

R-16-010

Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman Richard A. Dowd

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY TREASURER TO INCREASE THE BOND AUTHORIZATION
FOR ROAD AND TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS ON AMHERST STREET BETWEEN CHARRON AVENUE
AND DIESEL ROAD AND ISSUE BONDS NOT TO EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF ONE MILLION FOUR
THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,004,000)

Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-16-010 BY ROLL CALL

ON THE QUESTION

Alderman Dowd

One thing | failed to mention is there are no roundabouts. It’s going to be a signalized traffic intersection.
Several questions were asked last night including the priority of the fire department which is part of the project.
It’s going to make this intersection safer. It’s going to improve the traffic flow on Amherst Street. It’s going to

be very beneficial to the citizens of Ward 1 and 2, who, by the way at the town meetings were in heavy support
of this. In fact, the main thing they asked is: Can we do this sooner?

Alderman Moriarty

| first would like to complement Alderman Dowd on what has to be one of the best oral reports of a committee
meeting I’ve ever heard. | apologize for not keeping up with this. | assume the answer is yes that the plan for
the traffic flow was arrived at after professional traffic analysis.

Alderman Dowd

Absolutely and the cost for the planning for the entire project and the traffic flow was paid for by the businesses
in the area.

Alderman Siegel

Just a clarification, | may have heard Clerk Piecuch incorrectly but | believe the amount is $1,004,000 not
$1,400,000. | wanted to make that clear for all those that are watching.

President McCarthy

This requires ten votes for passage.

Boston Surface Railroad Company

¢ December 2017 — Nashua signs
MOU with BSRC

¢ Nashua responsibilities
* Provide passenger rail station

* Become designated recipient of
Federal Transit Authority funds

¢ Participate in and advocate for
BSRC passenger rail with NH
constituencies

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Boston Surface Railroad Company

Current Status of BSRC

* Granted operational authority and common
carrier protected status by the US DOT
Surface Transportation Board

¢ Formed a public-private-partnership with
Nashua, Lowell, Worcester, Woonsocket

* Formed agreement with Genesee & Wyoming
to operate passenger rail from Worcester to
Providence

* Begun track renovations Worcester to
Providence line

* Testing safety mechanisms (Positive Train
Control) with Siemens

* Gaining signed letters of support from
Massachusetts legislators to open up
negotiations for passenger rights with Mass
DOT/MBTA for northern segments of system

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Boston Surface Railroad Company

Projected Timeline to Operation

¢ 2018 - Seeking $6-12M grant Consolidated
Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement
(CRISI) program through USDOT

* engineering, rolling stock, land, environmental
* $275,000 for Bedford-Nashua segment

* 2018-19 Seeking up to $130 debt financing for
infrastructure and start up operations

* Private equity offerings

* Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing
through USDOT - development of railroad
infrastructure

* 2019 —track rights and operation testing

¢ 2020 — Worcester to Providence line operates
* 2021 — Lowell to Worcester operates

* 2023 — Bedford to Lowell operates

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Moving Forward

Issues to Plan For Passenger Rail

Oversight and Operations

¢ BSRC may need the whole project (Providence, Worcester, Bedford) to get
the miles in order to qualify for Federal funding, and Nashua could be
federally “designated recipient” of these funds for whole system

¢ Nashua will need to further explore its roles, responsibilities, risks, and
opportunities as the “designated recipient” for BSRC system in NH

¢ Establishing Bedford, NH to Lowell/Boston service may hinge on some
agreement being possible with Pan Am, as well as the requirement to get
passenger rights from the MBTA — a complex undertaking that will need
political support across state lines

¢ Financing options and tools need to be explored for Nashua’s
responsibilities (rail station, expanded role as designated recipient)

Passenger Station

¢ City owned land off Crown Street
identified by City as priority location
for station (current park-n-ride lot)

¢ Likely model akin to passenger rail
station in Exeter, NH

¢ Located on a siding to the main line,
allows for uninterrupted freight service

* Covered, not enclosed, station

¢ No bathroom facilities or ticketing
machines (BSRC responsible for ticketing)

¢ Adjacent parking for ~ 245 cars

¢ Designed to accommodate passenger
cars from the MBTA and BSRC

Passenger Station

¢ Estimated costs could include

¢ Station platform $900,000

¢ Track for siding $1,000,000

¢ Parking lot ticketing and other
$300,000

¢ Signaling and switches for track
$2,200,000 (part or whole but may
not be responsibility of Nashua —

borne by host provider during
track upgrades)

Political and civic support

° City will need to establish broader support to help make passenger rail station,
operations and ridership feasible - If not started now, could prove problematic
later

¢ Need to build better relationship with business community to understand mutual
benefits, potential partnerships for resources, and employee ridership

¢ Support will likely be needed from contiguous communities (e.g. Hudson,
Merrimack, Hollis, etc.) plus coordination with City of Manchester and
Manchester Airport,

* City will need to understand opportunities through State of NH — access to Public
Private Partnership programs, NH DOT funding, etc.

¢ Citywide education and information campaign would help Nashua’s residents and
businesses understand full breadth of opportunities that passenger rail brings

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Recommendations

Continued Efforts and Role of Rail Committee