Quincy Center takes an inadvertent step forward

The Quincy Center station parking garage, which saw approximately half of its 872 spaces used on a weekday basis, is now closed indefinitely due to unsafe conditions in its 41-year old crumbling structure. One stop down, at the Quincy Adams station garage, there is approximately 75% weekday utilization of its 2,538 spaces, so there should be plenty of room for Quincy Center garage users. The Quincy Adams T station is a relatively newer infill station along the Braintree branch of the Red Line.

On a broader note, Quincy Center is changing and attempting to reinvent itself as a more urban neighborhood, in a big way. The garage there clearly did not serve that goal. In addition, the Quincy Adams garage is placed near the intersection of I-93 and Route 3, which is a much better location for a park-n-ride that needs to be able to accommodate and discharge thousands of vehicles in a limited span of time. The Quincy Center station is further up along the Burgin Parkway, which is a smaller arterial road, and not nearly as convenient for cars coming from the south. That is probably why the garage has seen relatively light usage compared to the other park-n-rides along the Red Line, even when it was open. Although I believe this closure was serendipitous, hopefully it will fit right into the plans for the renovation of the Quincy Center area, which is well positioned for a revival.