O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
Ever since Hunt Pool was filled in 2025, many residents have reached out to me asking what can be done for families in Center City (Ward 5) to maintain access to a free, safe, and family-oriented pool. While I continue working with Parks & Rec and our Mayor on a long-term plan to replace Hunt Pool, a temporary solution came to mind that could help address the gap in the meantime.
This idea is to create a temporary bus route that would transport families from Ward 5 to Livingston Pool in Ward 1. Currently, MTA provides no service along the Maple or Beech Street corridors, nor along Hooksett Road or near Northside Plaza. This route would expand transit access to a significant number of residents. It would also connect directly with Routes 1, 2, 9, and 10, and indirectly with Routes 8 and 12 via a transfer to Route 10 at the Mall of NH. This means residents across much of Manchester’s East Side would have transit-connected access to Livingston Park throughout the pilot period.
The proposed pilot route—Route 42—would provide service between Price Rite on Valley Street and Hannaford at Northside Plaza. Price Rite offers connectivity to Route 10, while Northside Plaza is currently unserved by public transit.
MTA has secured $22,800 in FTA funding, which will cover 50% of the operating costs. To access these funds, we must raise a matching $22,800 locally. Nick Carnes of Shoppers Pub and the Downtown Business Collaborative and I, along with other community leaders in the city, have committed to fundraising this amount—and we would love your support in making this idea a reality.
Rather than placing additional burden on Manchester taxpayers, we are aiming to fund this pilot through community crowdfunding.
You can contribute what you can to the GoFundMe here, or make a check payable to the Manchester Transit Authority and drop it off at Shoppers Pub during business hours.
Finally, I would like to thank Elaine Michaud from the Health Department for spearheading the Age-Friendly Action Plan, from which much of the groundwork for this pilot—especially through the Transportation Subcommittee—was developed.
Jason Bonilla serves as Alderman for Ward 5.
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