Portland-Boston Rail

Tax incentives 

for alternative commutes!

Calculate the cost of your commute!

Visitors since October 29, 2001

COAST (the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation) and Wildcat Transit both offer public transit service in the Seacoast area. COAST serves eleven communities in the Seacoast with concentrated service along the Rochester-Dover-Newington-Portsmouth (Spaulding Turnpike) corridor. Wildcat Transit service focuses on connections between Durham/UNH and adjacent communities of Dover, Newmarket, Newington, and Portsmouth. 

Also, there are many area Health & Human service providers which offer demand responsive transit services to their client populations and in some cases the general public. These agencies have developed transportation services because many of their clients do not have access to an automobile or are for some other reason unable to drive.

Go to local and regional bus service schedules

Many interstate commuters bound for Boston or Portland choose bus or rail travel over driving because it allows them to reduce driving stress, accomplish other things on the way to work, and reduce the costs and hassle of parking and additional vehicle maintenance. 

C & J Trailways and the Coach Company both provide interstate bus commuter services; while Amtrak operates passenger rail service between Portland and Boston with daily stops in Dover and Exeter, and Friday through Monday stops in Durham.

Because of the dispersed development patterns in the region, especially away from the Spaulding Turnpike corridor, most intercity passengers "park and ride" - that is, they use their personal vehicles for the short trip to the bus or train station (another option is "kiss and ride" - a spouse or friend provides the drop off!). The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is working to facilitate this by constructing new park and ride facilities and improving ones. 

COAST also offers a connection to Boston-bound C & J Trailways bus service at the Portsmouth Transportation Center at the Pease International Tradeport; and links to the Amtrak rail stations in Dover and Exeter. Wildcat Transit offers connections to the Dover and Durham stations.

Go to Intercity Service Schedules

Carpooling or Vanpooling is often a good option for commuters who cannot get where they need to go using any of the regular bus or train services, or for those who simply prefer such an arrangement. Seacoast Commuter Options provides computerized ridematching for employees at numerous Seacoast companies. Also, both the State of New Hampshire and the State of Massachusetts have rideshare programs. In Massachusetts, I-93 has High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes approaching Boston. Find out if your employer offers any incentives for ridesharing.

Riding in a vanpool drastically reduces commute costs. Vanpoolers share gas costs, tolls, parking costs, and other expenses. Based on figures provided by the American Automobile Association, driving alone to work 50 miles each way can cost over $8,000 a year. The same commute in a 14-person vanpool can cost as little as $1,300 annually. 

Calculate the cost of your commute!


Seacoast Commuter Options	603-766-9198
New Hampshire RideShare	603-271-4043
MassRIDES	1-888-4-COMMUTE

Check for available seats in vanpools going to the Boston area at the Caravan for Commuters website!

MassRIDES is the Massachusetts statewide ridesharing program

Information includes: Origin(s) • Destination(s) • Time arriving in Boston/Time leaving Boston • Driver/Phone

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation maintains Park & Ride lots in Epping, Hampton, Lee, Portsmouth, and Somersworth which allow ridesharers in the region to meet at central locations convenient to the Spaulding Turnpike, US Route 4, and I-95.

See a Map of NH's Park & Ride Facilities

• Barrington Park & Ride

  NH 9 near Calef's Country Store near NH 125

  Amenities - Phone, Lights

   

• Epping Park & Ride

NH 125 & NH 101

Amenities- Phone, Lights, Shelter, Bicycle lockers

 

• Hampton Park & Ride

NH 27 at 1-95, Exit 2

Amenities - Phone, Lights

 

• Lee Park & Ride

US 4 West of Lee Traffic Circle

Amenities - Phone, Lights, Shelter, Bicycle Lockers

 

• Portsmouth Park & Ride

NH 33 at I-95, Exit 3

Amenities - Phone, Lights, Bike Rack

 

• Portsmouth Transportation Center

  I-95, Exit 3A

  Amenities- Phone, Lights, Shelter & Waiting Room Building

  Intercity bus service available - C&J Trailways, COAST

 

• Somersworth Park & Ride

  NH 9 off Spaulding Turnpike, Exit 9

  Amenities - Lights

   

   

Many of the region's residents work in the community where they live, or in a bordering town. For these individuals, biking or walking to work is a real possibility much of the year. Bicycle commuting can offer the benefits of improved health, reduced stress, and cost savings to the individual; and the potential for reduced congestion and air pollution for the region.

The Seacoast MPO is facilitating safe bicycle travel by working with the region's communities and the state to implement a network of safe bicycle routes, mainly consisting of four foot shoulder lanes on selected roads. 

It is easy to connect to transit with your bike as well. COAST and Wildcat Transit both offer bike racks on the front of buses that allow you to take your bike with you on the bus. In addition, the state is now installing bicycle lockers at many of its Park & Ride facilities, including those in Portsmouth and Epping. Individuals using park and rides are now able to bike to their bus or carpool.

Employers can also encourage bicycle commuting by providing secure storage areas for bicycles and by making shower and changing facilities available to their employees who bike or walk to work. Ask your employer what they would be willing to do to make bicycle commuting work for you!

Don't be a Road Warrior -- NHDOT's new bike safety brochure
Fitting Your Bike Helmet -- Properly fitting your helmet is key to safety 

 

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     Reducing Air Pollution

During the summer months, many areas in southern New Hampshire, including the Seacoast area, experience unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, commonly called "smog." Cars and trucks are a major source of the pollutants which form ground-level ozone!

Using alternatives to single occupancy vehicles is one way to reduce emissions from cars. Other steps you can take to reduce air pollution from cars and trucks include:

• Combine errands into fewer trips and do your shopping close to home or work
• Use radial tires and keep tires properly inflated
• Keep your car tuned-up and well maintained
• If you are in the market to buy a car or truck, keep in mind that a more fuel efficient vehicle will also be less polluting
• Avoid jack rabbit starts and sudden stops, and don't let your vehicle idle unnecessarily.
• Use gas stations with gasoline vapor recovery nozzles and do not top off the tank