If there wasn't a rail trail built between Methuen and Derry, this would be perfect case for TOD, as that line would spur off the Haverhill line...
NH needs to get real about its future. The boom times of the 70's-90's are probably never coming back, as most of the cheap, easy-to-develop areas are already gone, and the whole state is obviously still very dependent on Mass for a lot of its economic activity. If cheap housing isn't a draw anymore, why is someone going to live there vs. better access to everything Mass has to offer? The only way forward is the kind of good urbanism that brings with it denser housing at scale, which means actually investing in transit/ped/bike infrastructure if they don't want traffic apocalypse, which probably means caring about how badly the MBTA is being run into the ground. The alternative is these $3k/month 2-bedrooms, >1-hour drive out from the 128 job markets, and even longer drives for Boston jobs.
The problem with that is that the train would have to reverse back to get to Lawrence. At least that rail trail is getting extended south from Methuen into Lawrence.....one day.
