> The same change could be affected by e.g. schools and businesses agreeing to open at 8am instead of 9am.

School starts at 8am everywhere that I know of in northern New England and always has? Does school start at 9am where you live?

And as noted, an 8am start to the working day is long established in certain parts of Vermont and New Hampshire. It has not been "widely unpopular." It's nice to get a few minutes of sunlight and twilight after work in winter.