The Transportation Enhancement (TE) Program, administered by the NH Department of Transportation (NH DOT), funds projects that preserve historic transportation elements or enhance transportation facilities for users, particularly bicyclists and pedestrians. TE projects are proposed by communities for statewide competitive funding on a two-year cycle.

In the 2009 TE cycle, CNHRPC has ranked four projects from member communities and one statewide project for inclusion in the current funding round:

• Bradford - Downtown pedestrian and bicycle improvements
• Concord - Eastman Street streetscape improvements; Broadway/S. Main St. sidewalk improvements
• Pembroke - Downtown sidewalk improvements, town clock restoration, and landscape beautification
• NH DOT - Survey and planning for historic highway bridges

Process and Timeline

The general TE funding process follows these steps:

1. Municipalities submit letters of intent
2. Community representatives attend a mandatory project management workshop from NHDOT
3. Municipalities submit applications
4. RPC reviews all regional applications and ranks by regional priority
5. NH DOT reviews applications and RPC rankings
6. NH DOT submits recommendations to TEAC
7. TEAC makes TE funding award decisions

Applications were submitted by September 15, 2009 to CNHRPC and NH DOT. Statewide, each regional planning commission reviewed applications for their member towns to rank the projects in terms of regional priority. NH DOT reviews the applications as well, taking into account the RPC prioritization. The review process occurs between September and December 2009. NH DOT will submit its comments and ranking to the Transportation Enhancement Advisory Committee (TEAC) for final funding consideration. The TEAC will announce TE awards in early 2010.