MWV Regional Collaborative outlines transportation priorities with state commissioners

CONWAY — Representatives from across the region recently met with the Maine and New Hampshire state commissioners of transportation to discuss local and regional transportation issues. Maine commissioner David Bernhardt and New Hampshire commissioner Chris Clement discussed their respective state’s transportation priorities and described the process for making sure both short- and long-term transportation needs are met in Mount Washington Valley.

Clement said, “New Hampshire’s Ten Year Plan (TYP) is the bible for getting transportation projects completed." The state’s regional planning commissions are the Department of Transportation's designated agents of the plan, responsible for working with town and city officials to determine the priority list of projects. The TYP is approved every two years; with the most recent plan approved in 2013. The process for approving the 2015 plan will get under way very soon. “Communities should be talking with their designated Regional Planning Commissions to make sure their transportation needs are communicated effectively.”