Tri-rail safety-- need advice (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: crime, cinema, college) - Florida (FL) -Broward County - City-Data Forum

donnar64 · 06-02-2009, 05:23 PM

My son who is in college in Chicago has accepted a summer internship in Fort Lauderdale and will be commuting an hour south from Jupiter each way. To keep wear and tear on his car and fuel costs down, he plans to get a student Tri-Rail pass going from either Mangonia or W. Palm Beach station to Cypress Creek. Then he would walk for about 10 minutes north-west of the station to get to his job by 8am

I would like to know if there are any significant problems in any of these areas, and if you would feel good about your own family member doing this route daily. Also, will his car be safe left at either of these stations? My sister who lives in Florida has scared me with stories of how terrible crime was when she worked near these areas over the past few years.

NEWTOSFLA · 06-03-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donnar64

My son who is in college in Chicago has accepted a summer internship in Fort Lauderdale and will be commuting an hour south from Jupiter each way. To keep wear and tear on his car and fuel costs down, he plans to get a student Tri-Rail pass going from either Mangonia or W. Palm Beach station to Cypress Creek. Then he would walk for about 10 minutes north-west of the station to get to his job by 8am

I would like to know if there are any significant problems in any of these areas, and if you would feel good about your own family member doing this route daily. Also, will his car be safe left at either of these stations? My sister who lives in Florida has scared me with stories of how terrible crime was when she worked near these areas over the past few years.

why can't he live somewhere near his job....cypress creek is not that bad....compared to areas south of fort lauderdale or hollywood

donnar64 · 06-03-2009, 03:35 PM

Thanks for your opinion of the Cypress Creek area. My son would be walking from the Cypress Creek station on N. Andrews and heading walking down W. Cypress Creek to get to his job, and I read about an armed robbery of the Regal Cinema a few blocks away on May 19th which really worried me. He is staying with his aunt in Jupiter to save money. Unfortunately, it's an unpaid internship and taking the Tri-Rail will save him a lot on gas and wear and tear on his car. Any thoughts on the safety of the Mangonia Tri-Rail station area both personal and for his car?

fauve · 06-03-2009, 03:52 PM

Honestly, I think a Tri-rail commute from Jupiter is too far. Your estimate of 1 hour is very optimistic, especially considering he has to travel to the tri-rail station and walk 10 minutes from it (bear in mind as well that this will be very unpleasant walk in the summer due to afternoon tropical downpours and very high heat and humidity). I see no issues with safety, however.

donnar64 · 06-04-2009, 08:43 AM

Thanks. I was wondering about the weather too. Will it be so hot at 8am after a 10 minute walk that he will need to change into a new shirt? I know the humidity is high and that summer is the rainy season. The reason he's doing the long commute is because it is an unpaid internship and can stay with his aunt in Jupiter. He could drive instead and save about a half an hour I would guess, but I've heard scary stories about I-95 between West Palm Beach and Miami too. The student Tri-Rail Pass is going to cost $120 compared to over $1000 in gas. Since he needs the work experience to get a good job after he graduates next year (especially in this economy) he feels up to the challenge, despite the long days, and the Tri-Rail would give him a chance to nap or work he's hoping. It's far from ideal, but hey, he's young and adventurous, and it's only for 3 months.

fauve · 06-04-2009, 10:18 AM

It's going to be tough that's for sure. Be prepared for the chance that he may decide the commute is too much. He should make sure he has an umbrella stashed and bottled water on him in the afternoons. The humidity in the morning can be high, and he may very well find that he needs a change of clothes. Why don't you ask on the West Palm Beach board what their feeling is of the commute. You may run into someone who has tried it or even does it regularly.

FrozenShores · 06-05-2009, 10:02 PM

Isn't Mangonia dangerous? I was reading the crime stats on City Data and they are rediculously high. West Palm seems ok though.

donnar64 · 06-06-2009, 11:01 AM

Thanks for raising that issue-- I was wondering which station would be better for him to use, or if it made a big difference, so I was going to ask on the West Palm Beach board. From looking at a crime map on SpotCrime at West Palm Beach Crime Map - Showing Crime in West Palm Beach, US - Crime Statistics - Crime Alerts - Crime Stops Here I had decided Mangonia seemed like a better choice, but now I will investigate more. Compared to the national average both Mangonia and West Palm Beach have rather dismal stats.