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| - I've been taking the light rail uptown to work for 2 and a half years, and all in all, I think it's a good system. It does need to be improved, but it is a good addition to the city, and I can't wait until they expand it so I can use it to get to more places.
Positives:
-Convenience. I happen to live close to a station and work close to a station, so it doesn't get any easier than that. Even if you don't happen to live near a station, there are several Park & Ride stations for you to leave your car and take the train uptown for a night out, a performance, or a game.
-In general, the trains are clean, well-kept, well-lit, and not too crowded. I feel safe taking it and waiting by myself at the stations.
-For the most part the trains run on-schedule at reasonable intervals.
Room for improvement:
-The stations provide absolutely no weather coverage. Have you ever missed your train? Because I have more times than I'd like to admit, and have been stuck waiting for the next one in the rain. Yes, I was under the awning, but the awning doesn't do anything. Even the large covering at the Uptown CATS station leaves much to be desired.
-The trains need to run later hours, at the very least on the weekend. This is not just for the party crowd either. I work in a restaurant that closes at 11 on the weekends, and sometimes servers don't get out until almost 2 am, especially if they're closing. Sucks for you if the last train left at 1 am. There are groups of people besides the 9-to-5ers that depend on the CATS system to work the night shift.
-Trains need to be scheduled better when there are events uptown. Panthers game? Concert at Time Warner? Street festival? SCHEDULE MORE TRAINS. And run a double-length instead of a single-length. I have seen a little bit of effort regarding this, but many a time I am just trying to get home from work and get stuck behind 7,000 kids who just got out of Disney on Ice (see my review for Vida Cantina.)
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