#QuincyMayorThomasKoch Tapdances About The #MBTA In Quincy At A #QuincyCityCouncil Meeting

Quincy Mayor Koch scratching his head
A Boston Globe file photo image

At last week’s City Council meeting, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch made a rare of late public appearance to discuss things MBTA as regards Quincy.

In turn, the discussion was what it was.

Key to an assessment of the mayor’s presentation was how he opened with an extended — if not also meandering — recap of the history of the T in Quincy that surely lulled to at least some listeners to somnolence and various others to discreetly checking messages on their cellphones.  

That and my mayor then talking up his seat on the MBTA Board of Directors.

A former unreliable ferry boat that worked the Quincy waterfront
A WBZ ITeam image

The mayor then talked up his role to see enhanced seasonal ferry service in and out of Marina Bay starting soon even if such ferry ridership faces a hard upside limit. 

The reasons for a hard limit? 

The ferry dock is in an out of the way location with a limited number of potential passengers living in the immediate area. 

Further problematic, others living in somewhat nearby North Quincy have long enjoyed the ability to ride the rails into Boston or risk the traffic on the Central Artery. 

A premature ground breaking photo op
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive file photo image

Further yet, there is no public transit to and from the Marina Bay ferry terminal with at best so-so public transit connections at Boston’s ferry terminals to see people to where they are headed.

The mayor than moved on to discussing how the long running late renovation of Quincy Adams station was still ongoing, a quick recap on the nearby running way over original budget electric bus yard for which the MBTA as yet does not yet have the electric buses planned to be based at this bus yard.

The mayor also reiterated his plans to take over the MBTA’s old bus yard next to Memorial Stadium for repurposing as the site of a sure to cost many tens of millions of dollars sports complex. 

Up in smoke — The Quincy Way!<;br/>A cheat-sheet.com image

So what for the fact that use of this now still MBTA site would likely make far more sense as well as cost billions less cents to recycle the old MBTA bus yard as a shared venue for the City of Quincy’s Department of Public Buildings and various other city operations.

The mayor also talked up the completed several years ago renovation of the Wollaston Red Line Station. 

No word, however, if the Wollaston MBTA’s station long leaking new roof has finally been permanently patched, much less if litigation over problems with the station’s renovation have been resolved.

Elevators? What elevators?
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive file photo image

Further posed was how $100 million is was said slated to be allocated towards finally redoing the long woeful Quincy Center MBTA station. 

Unmentioned, however, was just when funds might actually be made available, when a redone station would then follow, how likely tens of millions more will likely be needed, little to no word if commuter parking is planned, or how Burgin Parkway will be subjected to a years-long Mini Big Dig as the plans include moving the bus platforms to the other side of the tracks to an underground facility underneath along much of Burgin Parkway between Granite and Dimmock streets.

And speaking of renovating local MBTA stations, no word was offered as to when North Quincy MBTA Station will be renovated, something that once was said to funded via air rights rental income from the owners of the 600 unit apartment complex built upon MBTA property where the station once had surface parking.

Not another T case …
An istock stock image

Then again, there is or at least was litigation involving this project and maybe this is at least part of the problem.

In short, the more things seem to change with the T the more they really do not do so — at least not so much in Quincy anyway.