Title XX, Transportation

All class VI highways, whether such class VI status resulted from a layout pursuant to RSA 231:21, a discontinuance subject to gates and bars pursuant to RSA 231:45, or by the failure of the town to maintain and repair such highway in suitable condition for travel thereon for 5 s…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter to the contrary, any owner who has no access to his land by public highway may petition the selectmen to layout, subject to gates and bars, a highway located where any previously discontinued highway was located. Upon receipt o…

I. A class VI highway or portion thereof may be reclassified by vote of the town as a class V highway, or as a class IV highway if located within the compact sections of cities and towns as set forth in RSA 229:5, IV and V. II. The warrant article for such a reclassification may …

Whenever a highway will be of special advantage to any individual the selectmen may require him to bear such portion of land damages and expenses of constructing and maintaining it, and the gates and bars across it, if any, or any of the same, as they may deem just; and the highw…

The selectmen, upon petition, may, in any case where, in their judgment, the public good requires it, layout a public road exclusively for winter use, such public road to be open only from November 15 until April 1, and they shall assess the damages to the owners of land over whi…

Any town in this state situated on the Connecticut river may, at any legal town meeting, authorize the selectmen of such town to unite with the selectmen or other proper officer of any contiguous town or towns in the state of Vermont, and contract with them for the purchase of an…

The selectmen of such town may agree as to the proportion of expense to be borne by each town in such purchase, and in the construction and maintenance of a highway over said river, including a bridge and the piers, abutments and approaches thereto, and as to the proportion which…

Selectmen may reestablish the boundary lines, limits and locations of any class IV, V or VI highway or any part thereof which shall have become lost, uncertain, or doubtful, and shall have the same powers and shall proceed in the same manner as the commissioner of transportation …

Whenever, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the selectmen receive a petition to lay out roads over existing private rights-of-way or to lay out a class V highway over an existing class VI highway and such private right-of-way or class VI highway does not conform to cons…

The cost of constructing, reconstructing or repairing such highways, streets, roads or traveled ways shall be assessed by the selectmen against the owners of property abutting or served by such facilities in an amount not exceeding the entire cost of constructing, reconstructing …

I. All class V highways shall be constructed, reconstructed, and maintained by the city or town in which they are located; provided, however, that town road aid may be used for such purposes, and town bridge aid may be used for the construction or reconstruction of any bridge the…

All assessments made under the provisions of RSA 231:29 shall create a lien upon the lands on account of which they are made, which shall continue following the assessment until fully discharged in accordance with the terms set by each governing board or in compliance with any co…

Betterment assessments authorized under RSA 231:29 shall be committed to the collector of tax with a warrant under the hands and seal of the appropriate governing board requiring him to collect them; and he shall have the same rights, authority and remedies and be subject to the …

I. Any person aggrieved by a betterment assessment made pursuant to RSA 231:29 may, within 2 months of the notice of tax date and not afterwards, apply in writing to the selectmen or assessors for an abatement of the betterment assessment. II. Upon receipt of an application under…

After the betterments authorized by RSA 231:28 have been completed by a town, the highway agent or other duly authorized official under the direction of the selectmen shall have charge of all further repair and maintenance of such highways, streets, roads and traveled ways, and s…

Any person aggrieved by the decision of selectmen in the laying out or altering of a highway, or in the assessment of damages therefor, may appeal therefrom to the superior court for the county in which such land or other property is situate by petition within 60 days after the f…

Upon the filing of an appeal on the assessment of damages the selectmen may deposit with the clerk of the superior court in which the appeal is entered a sum of money equal to the damages assessed to the petitioner, and interest shall not accrue thereafter on such sum but shall o…

The clerk of the superior court shall pay over the sum deposited upon demand to the petitioner and the acceptance of such deposit by the petitioner shall not in any manner affect or prejudice his right of appeal or be admitted in evidence at the trial by jury on the issue of dama…

If such sum paid to the petitioner shall exceed the amount of final judgment the court shall enter judgment against the petitioner for the amount paid to him in excess of the amount of final judgment.

Petitions for laying out or altering class IV, V or VI highways may be filed in the office of the clerk of the superior court in the following cases: I. When selectmen have neglected or refused to lay out or alter the highway; II. When having been laid out by the selectmen, it is…

Whenever a petition for the laying out or altering of a highway, or appealing from the decision of selectmen, is filed in superior court the clerk shall issue a summons, with a copy of the petition, to be served by the date specified by the court on the summons, and the petitione…

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 231:1 and any other statutes to the contrary, village districts shall not be eligible to receive funds pursuant to RSA 235.

Upon petition, when it becomes necessary for the convenient removal of lumber, wood or other material, to pass through the lands of a person other than the owner of the land from which such lumber, wood or other material is to be removed, the selectmen of the town within which sa…

The selectmen may fix the length of time and conditions under which such right-of-way may be used and may order the same closed or discontinued when in their judgment it is necessary.

The selectmen shall appoint forthwith a time for examining the premises and hearing parties in interest, and give 12 days' notice thereof to one or more of the petitioners. They shall also give like notice to persons owning or having an interest in lands through which the right-o…

I. Any class IV, V or VI highway, or any portion thereof, in a town may be discontinued by vote of a town; provided, however, that: (a) Any highway to public waters, or portion of such highway, laid out by a commission appointed by the governor and council, shall not be discontin…

When any class IV, V or VI highway, which joins a highway in another town, has been discontinued by vote of the town, the selectmen of the town wherein the highway has been so discontinued shall notify the selectmen of said adjoining town, by registered mail, of the fact of said …

Any class IV, V or VI highway, or any portion thereof, may be discontinued as an open highway and made subject to gates and bars, by vote of the town. Such a discontinued highway shall not have the status of a publicly approved street.

I. No class IV or V highway shall be discontinued or discontinued subject to gates and bars without the vote of the local legislative body as required by RSA 231:43 or RSA 231:45. II. No vote or other action of the governing body shall be effective to reclassify a class IV or V h…

When any class IV, V or VI highway, or any portion thereof, has been discontinued, any existing sewer, drain, water pipe or other utility easements or any permits or licenses previously established pursuant to RSA 231:159-182 shall be presumed to be reserved and shall remain in e…

Towns may not discontinue or discontinue as an open highway and make subject to gates and bars any highway concerning which proceedings are pending in court against the town for neglect or refusal to lay out, make or repair such highway, without the consent of the court.

Any person or other town aggrieved by the vote of a town to discontinue any highway, or discontinue any highway as an open highway and made subject to gates and bars, may appeal therefrom to the superior court for the county in which such highway is situate by petition within 6 m…

Any person who sustains damages by the discontinuance of a highway, or by the discontinuance as an open highway and made subject to gates and bars, by vote of the town, and from which no appeal has been taken, may petition for the assessment of damages to the superior court in th…

Class IV highway projects financed in whole or in part with federal aid highway funds shall be laid out under the procedures set forth in RSA 230 for class I and class II highways, except for the payment of expenses by the state under RSA 230:31. The commissioner of transportatio…

Towns shall be relieved of all obligation to maintain, and all liability for damages incurred in the use of, discontinued highways or highways discontinued as open highways and made subject to gates and bars.

Any street, lane or alley within this state which has been dedicated to public use by being drawn or shown upon a plan of lands platted by the owner, and the sale of lots in accordance with such plan, may be released and discharged from all public servitude by vote of the governi…

The mayor and aldermen of a city or the selectmen of a town may release and discharge any way dedicated as aforesaid from all public servitude at any time after such dedication, upon petition by any interested party and notice and hearing thereon, whenever in their opinion such w…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, selectmen of towns and mayors and aldermen of cities are hereby authorized to lay out limited access highways.

A limited access highway as authorized by RSA 231:53 is defined as a highway especially designed for through traffic and over, from or to which owners or occupants of abutting land or other persons have no right or easement or only a limited right or easement of access, light, ai…

In laying out the limited access highways hereby authorized, the selectmen of towns and mayors and aldermen of cities shall have all the powers granted by RSA 230:45 to a commission authorized to lay out a limited access facility. Provided, however, that said limited access highw…

The provisions of RSA 230:47, 48, 52, 53 and 54 relative to exclusion of commercial enterprises, regulations and penalties, shall, insofar as may be consistent herewith, apply to the limited access highways hereby authorized.

Each town shall, at each annual meeting, raise and appropriate for the repair of highways and bridges within such town a sum not less than 1/4 of one percent of the valuation of the ratable estate on which other taxes are assessed by the town; and in addition thereto may raise as…

All appropriations for the repair of highways in towns shall be committed to the collector of taxes and be collected as other taxes.

The money so raised and collected shall be expended in repairing class IV and class V highways by the agents elected or appointed for the purpose, under the direction of the selectmen.

I. Notwithstanding RSA 231:59 or any other provision of law, a town may raise and appropriate, and the selectmen may expend, money for the repair of any class VI highway or private way which has been declared an emergency lane under paragraph II. Such repair may include removal o…

Highways to public waters, when not a part of the primary or secondary highway system, may be laid out as class V highways by the mayor and aldermen of the city or the selectmen of the town in which such highways are located, or may be laid out as hereinafter provided by a commis…