I don't even know where to start. I want to make note that this review is not a reflection of the Metro Transit Company as a whole, but an honest analysis of the current issues we are facing with our Public Transportation.
Light Rail Central Station is the second to last stop when traveling to Downtown Saint Paul, and it is nothing short of a terrible experience.
You are exposed to multiple different drugs being smoked, snorted, injected, drug dealers, aggressive beggars, prostitutes, and will most likely witness people with eccentric behavior.
The Platform is filthy. The ground is covered in burned tin foil, needles, cigarette butts, and trash- though there are trash cans located at each end of the station on both sides of the track.
There are often people sleeping underneath the glass enclosures that provide heat.
There are typically crowds of people standing in groups, listening to music from a loudspeaker. There is no respect for women with children, as often times they will continue to huddle even if they are blocking the pathway.
I'm assuming that this particular traffic Downtown Saint Paul is the reason that Patrons are unable to access the elevator to the Skyway that sits on this platform, on the corner of Cedar and 5th Street.
I was alarmed when I got on the train twice today and encountered people smoking from a bubble- and they continued to smoke though I was on the train with my one-year-old son. I quickly exited, and decided to wait for the next train, though I encountered the same problem again.
Eventually, I was informed that it is an unwritten rule that the two carts in the middle of the train are dedicated for people to smoke and use drugs.
I am disgusted and disappointed in the Metro Transit Police for not tending to this issue on a regular basis, as it is a regular problem.
I now know that if you don't want to encounter people smoking and using drugs, you should use either the first car or the last. With this new information, I am hoping that my experiences on the Metro Transit Light Rail will be better, though it will not change the experience at the Light Rail Central Station. read more