Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
QUINCY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Quincy residents have spoken out about it for years, and now they will finally be heard.
The Ferry Pier at Squantum Point Park will be getting a $4.2 million renovation, thanks to funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden in 2022.
The pier was built several decades ago to help construction workers reach the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Workers do not use the ferry for transit to Deer Island anymore (since the plant was completed in 2000), so it has been gradually repurposed for commuters and others as an easier way to reach Boston without sitting in traffic.
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Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch is also on board with the project and sees the benefits.
“We’ve seen ridership [levels] increase by about 135% over the past year,” said Koch.
Since the pier has seen a boost in popularity, repairs to the aging structure have become a necessity.
U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch agreed that the project needed to be done and has helped Quincy with fundraising efforts.
“[We’re] trying to get people out of their cars [and] onto the ferry, especially the heavy traffic that comes from the South Shore and my district,” Lynch said.
“We can’t have robust ferry transportation without a good, solid pier that meets code and ADA requirements, so this is the next logical step,” added Koch.
Currently, there is no firm timeline as to when the project will be completed.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports
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