OSSIPEE - The Lakes Region Planning Commission (LRPC), in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, has selected a team of consultants, led by the New Hampshire firm of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB), to perform a feasibility study for a new transportation center in Ossipee, New Hampshire.

The project team, which also includes Domenech Hicks & Krockmalnic Architects, and Keville Enterprises Inc, will prepare a study that examines alternate locations for a facility in Ossipee that could potentially serve bus and passenger rail patrons as well as tourists traveling by car. It is expected that the proposed transportation center will serve two main functions: as a multi-modal transportation hub for the community and as an economic stimulus for the area, which is a popular tourist destination. In addition to evaluating the feasibility of a regional multi-modal transportation center in Ossipee, the study will also address the environmental and economic impacts the center may have on the area.

The development of the Ossipee Transportation Center Feasibility Study is an important first step towards the ultimate implementation of a multi-modal center in the area. It is through a carefully prepared and crafted study recognizing both the federal and state project development process and community interests that this project will be able to move forward into the next steps. It is expected that the development of an intermodal transportation center will potentially:

• enhance the appeal of Ossipee and the Route 16 Corridor as a tourist destination;
• stimulate rail transportation activities on the existing tracks;
• create an activity center for people interaction;
• be a catalyst for additional transportation, tourist and commercial infrastructure in the area;
• constitute an example of judicious investment of public infrastructure funds; and
• enhance general economic development in the area.