Planning for A Street next step for Quincy
Construction crews work on Quincy’s B Street Northeast in June 2022. The improvements are part of a long-term plan to address traffic concerns along Northeast A and B streets and in the city’s industrial area.
File photo
QUINCY — Planning may start in 2023 for the next phase of a project designed to reroute semi-truck traffic away from Quincy’s Central Avenue and residential streets. The B Street Northeast phase of the project was the focus of the work in 2022, and prompted questions and concerns from residents and business owners along the street.
Quincy administrator Pat Haley said city officials will be working on A Street Northeast, with no date for construction established, but hoping it can begin in 2024.
“That’s the next step. That’s the next project,” Haley said.
Currently the preferred route for many truckers to the industrial area is Central Avenue North, through the downtown business district. Some truckers also use B Street Northeast, which runs through residential neighborhoods. Haley said city officials are trying to find ways to discourage truck traffic through residential neighborhoods in particular.
“Those two do not mix well,” he said.
City officials are planning to provide an alternate route along A Street Northeast, Haley said, but the A Street improvements are still pending.
“You can’t tear up A and B streets at the same time,” Haley said.
Residents and business owners along B Street have expressed concerns about the narrowness of the block between Northeast Fifth and Sixth avenues, off-street parking and accommodations for pedestrians along sections of the street.
Public Works Director Carl Worley said during the Dec. 20 Quincy City Council meeting that city officials are trying to inform residents about the regulations for on-street parking, and where people can and can’t park.
“There’s a flier that we handed out – those are just informational,” said Quincy Police Chief Kieth Siebert. “We don’t want to write tickets first. We would rather educate (first).”
The A Street Northeast improvements will help address some of the problems along B Street Northeast, Haley said, but that’s a work in progress.
“It might be decades before that problem is totally solved,’ he said.
In the meantime city officials will work to address the current issues, although it might not be possible to solve them all, Haley said.
“But we’ll do our best,” he added.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.