There must be an safe and secure place where at risk passengers can wait to be picked up. Especially the hour after the last train.

It may come as a suprise that ground has been broken for the new garage over and over as they test soil and rock conditions and have done some preliminary site excavation. Since the increase in the budget the architects are scrambling to update the peramiters of the design and new amenities added.
The speed of the project is on track and in this case safety should be an issue well considered. The homeless folks are a major problem for the area and unfortunately does not fall under the charter of the MBTA.
In this case Bill I think your just setting yourself up for more well written opinions about the disasters and inconviniances that will plague the station area as construction begins. Topics include, traffic woes, new signal woes, pedestrian woes, less parking woes, construction noise woes, why isn't it ready woes, And even environmental woes.
As you remember the old stations, the commuter trains have changed as well as the ridership. Long gone are the days of waving to your loved ones to say goodby. The target for the safest most expedient method of moving people from point A to point C has little to do with family or even courtesy.
If environmental reports were undertaken as those tanneries were built so long ago, the water might not have flowed in its exotic multicolored hues and the creatures within may have not died. Just because the cit raped the local waters in the past does not give us the right to do it again because it's already spoiled.

I am beyond angry at my councilor, Mike Sosnowski. He wanted "more study" for handicapped access. I sit on the Commission on Disabilities (as most know), and in my long association there, I have never known us to sit on a project because we did not approve.

In fact, if anything, I hate delays. We have more than enough agenda items throughout the year--we don't need to sit on something until we feel like dealing with it. We are never happier than when a business asks our advice and goes through the long permitting process with success at the end, for them and for Salem.

Mike was our council liaision for many years.

He knows this.

He knows this.

He has no right to use the Commission as a stalking horse for his interests. Especially when a new station will benefit people with disabilities.

Good example of why we are at zero economic and job growth and the Stimulus failed. It is a monumental task to get anything done and built today. This and the Beverly garage have been talked about for years and progress moves at a snails pace due to layers of laws, special interests, boards, impact studies, hearings..etc. Painful.

In Beverly there is a guy looking to spend millions of his own money to build the Black Cow - will create dozens of new jobs. Still can't break ground. Nothing ever gets done. A sad testament to modern government. They keep spending money and we have less and less to show for it.

Yah so the construction company will now do everything possible to save a buck and most likely undo the cleanup that has already been done on the otherside of the river which also was done halfass. I mean all the fill that was put there is loaded with rocks and pebbles and never will see grass grow. The high tide will wash everything from the train side right on over to the park side. I think it is disgusting that a citizen is only allowed to speak for 2 min.

As an employed person who's job it is to got to court 3-4 times per week, my understanding was that the parking garage was to be built FIRST so as to provide the much needed parking for people who work through and for the courts . It is not rightas well as jurors and others. The fact that that did not happen has caused THOUSANDS of dollars in revenue to the city via parking tickets. It is simply wrong. Get that garage up and moving!

Building a municipal building in Salem has been full of "red tape" since 1639.
Hoop jumping has remained the same ever since. Where is your sence of historical context?
The problems on the North side of the river are obvious, but not on the table at this time.
Change what you can. Complain as you must. But don't reposition the facts.
If the City can do this right the first time we won't have to do it again.
If traffic, pedestrian and construction noise are yet to be seen then I'm the best fortune teller in Salem, because the issues are coming and I for one would rather see a prepared City/community than a whitewashed projection of reality.

As to the water is polluted already so who cares argument. That's just lazy.

You did. In your ninth paragraph of the essay and the last paragraph in your rebuttal.

Come on Bill, deflection, redirection and unproven opinion make this easy issue, breaking ground now or later, a waste of time.

Mike, I never said I didn't care. Putting words in another's mouth in order to make your own point a poor and dare I say, lazy way to conduct a discussion.

I would also like to add that all opinion is unproven Mike. That would be why we call them opinions and not facts.

This column is here in an attempt to create weekly conversation on issues both and important and on occasion not so important. Thanks for reading and participating.

Too many politicians,not enough workers.That seems to be what has become of the stimulas package.

Bill, you are totally correct. I was lazy. Let's meet at midnight with shovels and get this garage started. If the Mayor comes its defiantly a photo opp.
If this isn't news the why does the Patch feature it as the top news story today? Don't they have an opinions page?

Btw, I think it's the other Mike that's running for Mayor.

Shovels at midnight. You're on. I'll bring the camera and some beer.

I for one was looking forward to an excavation of the old train round about, I remember my History teacher at the Pickering school telling us in class one day how when they where building the over pass they discovered an Indian village and burial site, He also mentioned the Anti Air craft guns on the roof of the Sheridan school and the German U- boat sunk off the Willows with a cargo of counterfeit US Dollars. He was One of my favorite teachers.

Bill, ground has been broken. And you owe me a beer.

Aubrey, it's so confusing seeing opinions under the news heading. Also under the opinions heading.

All in good fun.

The people did not cause years of delay on any project it is the government who decides when the projects can be funded. The people only want good investment and the best project for the citizens who live look and deal with it everyday.