Riding the bus in Manchester, NH

Editor's note: The following is the first part of a two-part series detailing my first ride aboard a Manchester Transit Authority bus.

In theory, I really like the new bicycle racks installed by the Manchester Transit Authority on each of the city's 22 buses. But when it came time to actually attach my (not inexpensive) bicycle to the front end of one of these multi-ton machines, I will admit I was a bit apprehensive:

I boarded a Manchester Transit Authority bus for the first time this past Saturday at the invitation of frequent bus rider and Union Leader.com commenter Ken Stremsky: 

Ken first contacted me about a year ago after reading my blog post regarding the necessity of a well-functioning public transportation system in Manchester, NH. And despite my being a strong supporter of public transportation in general and the MTA in particular, I had never before set foot on a Manchester, NH, bus, so I was happy to take him up on his offer to be my guide.

We met at the Center of New Hampshire, terminus of each of Manchester, NH's 13 bus routes. At Ken's suggestion, we hopped on the #8 bus, which he said is among the most popular, traveling as it does between downtown and the Mall of New Hampshire/Walmart via the Center City and South Willow Street:

 

Given that it was a warm day, the first thing I noticed upon stepping on the bus was the air conditioning system, which was mercifully efficient. And the bus was very clean:

Perhaps contributing to the bus's cleanliness was this recycling receptacle strapped up front near the driver:

In all, approximately 15 riders were on the 12:30 p.m. #8 bus with Ken and me. After stops at at the corner of Union and Valley streets, followed by the South Willow Street locations of Shaw's and Stop & Shop, the bus arrived at Walmart, which was the most popular stop on the route, second only to the mall, where Ken and I exited (and removed my bicycle, which, I should note, had not budged an inch from its secure spot on the front of the bus) and killed a few minutes at the food court before catching the #10 bus back downtown via Huse Road, South Porter Street, Somerville Street and Valley Street:

 

All in all, I have to say riding the MTA was a pleasant experience. That said, had I not had Ken as my guide, it might not have been so pleasant, at least not initially.

In my next post I will look at some of the ways the MTA seems to inadvertently confuse and, I suspect, discourage new riders like me.

Comments

[Steve Warner]

I think it is fantastic Manchester has a mass transit system. I live in an area of the country which does not. I also live where bike lanes are pretty much nonexistent. Being a potential mass transit rider - and a current cyclist - I find both to be much missed. Kudos to Will for a up-to-date topic for his article!

[Grace]

I've ridden the bus once, to and from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and it was fine. I don't know if I'd have had the confidence to do it if I hadn't grown up riding city buses in New Haven, CT. And the routes mostly don't go where I want to go (getting my kid to and from daycare on the bus, for example, would require two transfers on a ridiculously circuitous route for only about 1.5 miles covered, even though there's a stop right outside his school).

[Mike Whitten]

Excellent article! Great to see folks are enjoying the new racks :) I'm looking forward to your second article where you plan to detail some of the barriers for new riders. It's so important to hear feedback from the community and I can't wait to start working on some solutions for the challenges you faced. Please feel free to give me a call or email if you have any questions or if there is information that MTA can provide to help. BTW, did you catch our ribbon cutting today for our first hybrid electric buses?

[Will Stewart]

Thanks, Mike! I will definitely call or email with any questions.

And no, I didn't hear about the ribbon cutting today. What route will be new hybrid electric bus be running?

[Mike Whitten]

A brand new Millyard Shuttle route that will connect the downtown parking lots with businesses in the Millyard on Commercial Street and local small businesses on Elm Street. The shuttle will run from 7:00am to 7:00pm and is free!

[Neil Andrew DuPaul]

This has me seriously considering using public transport for a period of time. Really liking those bike racks as well. An excellent and motivating post Will.

[Will Stewart]

Thanks, Neil!

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