Let's show our support for opening up rail trails to OHRVs

[RandyO]

Write a personal letter to your Senators and Representative, and beat down the opposition

Push to allow ATVs on rail trails draws local opposition | Local News | sentinelsource.com

[FirstDuc-1098]

C'mon NH residents. NH is the live free or die state. Fight the good fight and stop the MA transplants from bringing our stupid rules and regs to NH. :-)

[RandyO]

fwiw, the rail bed from my town (Farmington) northward and the railbed between the two petitioning towns (Claremont to Haverhill) is not part of the state's published bike trail system, Claremont and Haverhill are not proposing to open up the rail trails in Keene to ATVs, The opposition in Keene is unfounded, just opposition to OHRVs in general

[Stoneman]

fwiw, the rail bed from my town (Farmington) northward and the railbed between the two petitioning towns (Claremont to Haverhill) is not part of the state's published bike trail system, Claremont and Haverhill are not proposing to open up the rail trails in Keene to ATVs, The opposition in Keene is unfounded, just opposition to OHRVs in general

Those assholes need to realize that without OHRV registration fees, those same trails they're fighting to keep to themselves wouldn't exist...

[ZX-12R]

While they aren't challenging in the least for a trail bike, there's something enjoyable about lazily cruising through the woods on a rail trail and taking in the sights. Of the 5 rail trails in NH currently open to OHRVs, the two I have experience with (Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail and the Ammonoosuc) are great examples of multi-use trails that are well maintained due to the efforts of local riding clubs. Whoops and ruts do form over time but are addressed by routing grading. When you're starting with what's essentially a dirt road built to hold the weight of a train, they generally hold up very to motorized vehicles.

I've had numerous encounters with people, bicyclists, horses, and other OHRVs and everyone has been courteous when approaching and passing. I've even had a case where I was second on scene to a small group of walkers where one older gentleman was having complications related to diabetes. A man and his young son on an ATV had stopped a minute or two before me to help and had already arranged for an ambulance to meet us at the nearest intersection about a half mile away. I ended up double riding the young boy out to the intersection to make room on the ATV for the older gentleman. As a funny note, the kid kept telling his father how cool the bike was because it was so much faster than the 4-wheeler!

The one challenge that will always be present are the small group of people who intentionally tear up the trail, go off the trail, and trespass on private property. These are the people that cause us to lose riding areas and it takes a tremendous amount of effort from legitimate riding clubs to maintain good relationships with landowners and abutters.