A tri rail experience

[Gathina]

Ok, this comes up frequently so I'll post some thoughts on the trirail.

Rather than bearing the awful commute from wpb to mia, I did the trirail yesterday. Though it was a weekday, I am not sure it'd be any better on a cruise day.

 

I was going to take it from WPB to metrorail transfer. Rolled up to the parking lot, which is small and in a marginal neighborhood. They weren't letting the trirail north from Lake Worth as a tractor trailer had collided with a train on Belvedre rd. I jumped in the car and decided to go to Lake Worth station though parking there is bad and not the greatest neighborhood either. Gut said to go to Boynton Beach station. Great parking lot, great lighting, lots of security. Train was 30 minutes late due to accident but I still go to Metrorail transfer around 10.

 

This is why I would NOT advise this for cruisers. The train itself is definately for commuters, not luggage friendly if you are schlepping more than a small bag. Crowded. When you get to Metrorail, there are LOTS of stairs. The escalator is narrow, can't imagine anyone being friendly to let you on the escalator as evderyone is rushing to get to the transfer. The elevator is even small. I would not leave my car long term at any of the trirail lots.

 

Budget your money to get a car or shuttle, not trirail just to save a few bucks.

[pms4104]

Thanks for your insights.

[megr1125]

Ok, this comes up frequently so I'll post some thoughts on the trirail.

Rather than bearing the awful commute from wpb to mia, I did the trirail yesterday. Though it was a weekday, I am not sure it'd be any better on a cruise day.

 

I was going to take it from WPB to metrorail transfer. Rolled up to the parking lot, which is small and in a marginal neighborhood. They weren't letting the trirail north from Lake Worth as a tractor trailer had collided with a train on Belvedre rd. I jumped in the car and decided to go to Lake Worth station though parking there is bad and not the greatest neighborhood either. Gut said to go to Boynton Beach station. Great parking lot, great lighting, lots of security. Train was 30 minutes late due to accident but I still go to Metrorail transfer around 10.

 

This is why I would NOT advise this for cruisers. The train itself is definately for commuters, not luggage friendly if you are schlepping more than a small bag. Crowded. When you get to Metrorail, there are LOTS of stairs. The escalator is narrow, can't imagine anyone being friendly to let you on the escalator as evderyone is rushing to get to the transfer. The elevator is even small. I would not leave my car long term at any of the trirail lots.

 

Budget your money to get a car or shuttle, not trirail just to save a few bucks.

 

Almsot EXACTLY my experience...(i say almost as i was only using public transit..no car, no cabs if possible!)

 

Especially the non-luggage friendly part, and the steps...really it isn;t worth it.

 

And the trains are notoriously late....

 

also, i would almost say that 50-75% of all train stations (trirail, amtrak, whatever are NOT in great parts of town.....YMMV-of course! not to bash any stations, but hey-the Trenton station is NOT a place to go-and i've lied in the area all my life!)

 

thanks for doing a dry run!!!

[BlueHerons]

My mother's comment to my father about the TriRail, "Over my dead body".

[Gathina]

I have homes in Palm Beach and Miami beach. For commuting, it's great. If you live in West Palm and want to spend a Saturday at Bayside, it'd be great. I'd use it for commuting more but most of the time can't make the times work with my schedule. Lot of Dr's from WPB use it if they work at UM or VA hospitals. I got my 8.50 round trip for sure. I was with my future stepson at Jackson for some things, we had to go to his house in N.Miami, then back to Jackson and I was able to use the rd trirail ticket for 4 metrorail trips, 2 city buses, and a round trip on the trirail.