City Hall: Record numbers enjoy summer in the city; effort to update bike plan rolls along

Sep. 16—RECORD NUMBERS of Manchester residents participated in city recreational programs and activities over the summer, according to data released last week.

Despite a wetter-than-usual summer, officials reported record-breaking reservations for athletic fields and courts, highest-ever participation numbers for Tennis in the Parks, and rising numbers across several recreation programs.

Almost 2,700 reservations were made for athletic fields and parks, and Manchester's aquatics facilities had 52,475 visitors, officials said.

Programs like Movies in the Park and Concerts in the Park also attracted large crowds.

"As the leaves begin to change and we turn the page on another great summer of fun in Manchester, we do so with immense gratitude for all the dedicated employees that made the Summer of 2023 such a success," Mayor Joyce Craig said in a statement. "With record-breaking participation in programs and tens of thousands of rounds of golf and pool visits, I'm glad residents and visitors took full advantage of all the great facilities and offerings in our city."

City Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Division Director Mark Gomez said the diversity of recreation offerings in Manchester is "truly special."

"It's gratifying to see so many folks at our pools, splash pads, hard courts, baseball diamonds, golf course, disc golf complex and playgrounds," Gomez said. "Clearly, the summer rains did not dampen people's enthusiasm to get outside and have fun."

According to city Parks and Recreation data for Summer 2023:

—More than 30,981 rounds of golf have been played at the Derryfield Golf Course since it opened for the season on April 7;

—Fun in the Sun had 363 participants;

—Livingston Pool saw 18,937 visits;

—Raco Theodore Pool saw 8,669 visits;

—Dupont Splash Pad saw 15,944 visits;

—Crystal Lake saw 8,925 visits.

Bicycle Master Plan update

Efforts to update the city's Bicycle Master Plan are rolling along.

City planning board chair Bryce Kaw-uh, a candidate for Ward 1 alderman in Tuesday's municipal primary election, sent a memo to aldermen over the summer with a request to engage the services of a consultant to draft an updated Bicycle Master Plan, based on current data and community feedback.

"Bicycling is an increasingly important mode of transportation for a wide range of activities here in Manchester such as getting to work, running errands, and general wellness," Kaw-uh wrote.

"DPW recognized this in 2016 when it created the original document to 'develop a workable, realistic plan for the future that will encourage bicycle use and make it safer for residents to ride their bicycles.' Since then, the need for improved bicycling facilities has only become more critical," Kaw-uh wrote. "We have approved thousands of new housing units downtown; new multi-use trails are under construction across the city, and more people are exploring alternative forms of transportation.

"It is imperative that we create a built environment where all Manchester residents, regardless of age or ability, are kept safe and feel safe when enjoying what this city has to offer."

Kaw-uh made his pitch to aldermen in person earlier this month, saying public safety is a critical issue.

"Kids should be able to bike to school without sharing a lane with rapidly moving two-ton vehicles," Kaw-uh said. "Adults like you and me should be able to hop on a bike for a quick errand or afternoon ride without worrying for our well-being.

"And I think we can all agree that neither people in cars nor people on bikes want to be sharing a lane with each other. But right now, we have no choice in most of the city."

Kaw-uh said an update would align the citywide Bicycle Master Plan with the targeted 2020 Transit Oriented Development Plan, the 2021 Master Plan and the 2023 Trail Master Plan, "all of which strongly advocate for the creation of new bicycle and pedestrian facilities to foster improved community connections."

"This would also help with congestion reduction, because every person on a bike takes up less space than in a car," Kaw-uh said. "We are a growing city, and unless we plan to ban more people from moving to Manchester, we're going to have to come up with ways to reduce traffic. Giving people the freedom to bike safely, if that's what they want to do, is an important piece of that puzzle."

Good biking options also will increase quality of life, Kaw-uh said.

"When we talk about improving the liveability of a community, that often includes walkability and bikeability. It's just a nice thing to have."

Kaw-uh wrote that several stakeholders, including planning board members and Department of Public Works staff, believe the city's current Bicycle Master Plan is outdated and in need of updates.

Planning board members voted unanimously to request approximately $150,000 in funding for a new official analysis of bicycle infrastructure in the Queen City and future opportunities for improvement.

"While that may sound like an extraordinary number at first glance, it pales in comparison to the funds we expend as a city every year for roadway maintenance," Kaw-uh said. "If we're going to spend millions on our streets, then we should at least make sure we have a solid, forward-looking plan in place as we go along.

"Because if we update our guidelines, then all those great improvements can be done in conjunction with regular street maintenance projects, year by year, within the regular budget."

Paul Feely is the City Hall reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Reach him at pfeely@unionleader.com.