– News and commentary about Quincy Massachusetts from Quincy Quarry News.

Twice named best plowed in 2022!
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

South Shore Broadsheet reports that few are using the new Generals Bridge in Quincy Center.

Quincy Quarry News’ evergrowing legions of loyal readers surely know things are bad when the South Shore broadsheet covers Quincy Quarry’s ongoing coverage of how the Generals Bridge is a bridge next to no one uses.

Unfortunately for many, the broadsheet’s story is parked behind its subscribers’ only paywall and thus Quincy Quarry News has to flesh out the story for its readers.

For example, how at least so far the bridge has been an enormous waste of various sorts of money to feed Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch’s expensive to local taxpayers and arguably out of control Edifice Complex.

Granted, the cost of the said to have cost $10 million bridge, but which the Quarry suspects cost even more given that its extravagant features were likely funded locally, was funded via a state grant, the reality is that such funds are ultimately based on state taxes paid by locals coming back to Quincy per standard practices.

A six-figure gala on Kim Jong Koch Plaza
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

Additionally, there is the matter of roughly a quarter of a million or more likely spent on events related to the bridge’s grand – if not well over the tap – dedication roughly four months before it actually opened up for vehicular use. 

Granted, this expense was said to be privately funded, but anyone in the know as regards Quincy’s peerless mayor that the donations surely entailed paybacks of sorts to the benefactors at the eventual expense of local taxpayers.

Even so, the broadsheet reports that city officials have said that such “is to be expected.

Granted, at some point in the likely distant to far distant future, the bridge next to no one uses might prove effective at mitigating traffic congestion should the redevelopment of Quincy Center eventually actually build out as long promised by Mayor Koch, the quants on the Quarry’s financial and other affairs desk gravely doubt that the development will provide sufficient New Development and assessed value increases within the special Quincy Center redevelopment tax district to provide tax relief to property taxpayers citywide.

Burn rate, money to burn — whatever
Image via cheat-sheet.com

In fact, per the Quarry’s quants, there is ample reason to suggest that taxpayers citywide may well end up having to subsidize debt service on hundreds of millions of dollars of Quincy Center redevelopment debt incurred and then spent by Mayor Koch. 

Even worse, taxpayers citywide could be stuck covering some of the nut for a fair number of the years between the late 2020’s and as far out as perhaps into the late 2040’s or thereabouts as New Growth within the Quincy Center development special tax district may not produce enough enhanced tax revenue to cover the nut as long promised by Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch.

Wanna play Frogger for keeps?
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

And finally, there are a variety of ongoing concerns about safety.

In particular, pedestrian safety.

For example, while out and about the mean and increasingly dangerous streets of Quincy earlier this week, Quincy Quarry personnel witnessed a pedestrian trying to cross Burgin Parkway at its intersection with the Generals Bridge while this intersection’s but flashing yellow pedestrian crossing light was flashing.

Quincy Quarry News Photo Team Six Team member in camo
A-SeasonsTech image.jpg

The pedestrian ended up having to play a game of real-life Frogger, a game that “… has earned the ominous distinction of being ‘the arcade game with the most ways to die,” and so only just barely manage to cross the street without getting whacked as drivers pretty much kept on driving. 

Unfortunately, Quincy Quarry was not able to score images of this near-disastrous incident at it happened so quickly but the Quarry will be scheduling a stakeout to monitor the trafficking at this intersection soon as warmer weather is on the horizon.

That and the emergence of protective foliage to enhance the ability to engage in photo sniping.

Source: Generals Bridge hasn’t seen many cars, but Quincy says that’s expected

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