Wollaston Red Line Station closing score card

Bumper to bumper traffic
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive photo

– News about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News.   

Wollaston Red Line Station closing score card.

All things considered, the feared T-maggedon did not happen this past Monday when the MBTA closed its Wollaston Red Line station for repairs.

Quincy Quarry braved rode both the rails and the shuttle buses during what is normally the morning crush and found things both mostly quiet as well as relatively lightly patronized.

Passengers – what passengers?
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive photo

For example, seats could be had on Red Line trains by passengers at North Quincy Center after boarding shortly after 7:30 AM and when cars are typically as tightly packed as sardine cans.

Then again, the South Shore broadsheet cited one elected official as suspecting that a number of people opted for other modes of transportation as well as added that he had heard the Neponset Bridge was even more of a slog than usual during the morning commute.

Quincy Quarry also suspects that at least some south of Quincy residents who travel through Q during their commutes have opted to do otherwise.

The Quarry considered reaching out to the T for turnstile data but then figured why bother having to probably have to submit a Freedom of Information request.

What Quincy Quarry did find was often more MBTA transportation disruption helpers, including interpreters, out and about than strap hangers at various shuttle bus stops and even the North Quincy Red Line station.

Wollaton parking lot all but empty and North Quincy roughly half-used
Conjoined Quincy Quarry News exclusive photos

Similarly, the Quarry found both the Wollaston and North Quincy Stations’ parking lots to be at best partially used at times in the morning when both would be approaching full use by commuters.

Snowzilla hitting the fan
An MBTA photo with Gozilla photo insert

Even so, what should prove to be the real test will be when a major weather event hits the fan.

In the meanwhile, less than fully plowed streets are making it likely that one of the large private coach buses utilized by the T will whack a pedestrian given that long haul buses designed for highway use do not have great sight lines for bus drivers driving them on congested and narrow urban streets.

Other shortcomings include poor to simply non-existent access for the handicapped.

Piling on the handicapped
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive photo

Other shortcomings include poor to simply non-existent access for the handicapped.

Then again, Quincy has long been less than hospitable, much less duly accommodating, of the disabled.

Additionally, Quincy’s Mayor Thomas P. Koch was all but MIA on Day One of Wollaston Station closing even though Mayor Koch has been the Chair of the MBTA Advisory Board since 2012 and thus had a not inconsiderable role in planning the reconstruction of Red Line stations in Quincy as well as the concurrent disruption caused by same.

Similarly MIA was any sign of actual demolition work commencing on the long condemned Quincy Center MBTA garage and which was supposed to commence concurrently with the closing of Wollaston Station. 

What is not clear at this point is if the T figured out the obvious that such was a really bad idea or if the demo work at Quincy Center is experiencing yet another delay in commencing this stage of work.

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