bugger_not_plz

Hi all. I am visiting St. Louis for my first time. Tomorrow morning, I have to be at a location near the Metrolink Forest Park station. I will be taking it from the airport at 6:30 AM. My question is, is this a pretty safe mode of transporation in St. Louis? I know the city doesn't rank well with crime, so that's why I am worried. Should I consider taking a cab instead, even if it is much more expensive?

FYI, I am staying at a hotel near the airport.

Non-NonRev

About six weeks ago, I took the MetroLink from Lambert Intl. to Union Station at 11:20 pm - no problem whatsoever. There was security at both stations that I transited through.

fabulousflygirl

I took the metrolink all four years of college in Saint Louis and never had a problem. You will be fine, especially if you are going in the morning.

JoeyH

Very safe. I've ridden the Metrolink many times as a visitor and have never felt unsafe. It's a clean, well-maintained system and I usually see security officers on the platforms. The Forest Park Station is a transfer point for the two Metro routes, so I'm sure it will be bustling at that time of the morning.

Sweet Willie

Have taken many times at many different times of day. Never a worry.

It is so convenient to take to the great St Louis hotel I stay at Westin St Louis, stops right next to the hotel.^

mlbcard

I used to live in STL and never had a problem with the metrolink. More cities need easy public transportation between the airport and the city.

Sweet Willie

AMEN !!!^

BobH

STL has a great system -- but it does have one significant problem.... so many people take it to get to sporting events that it sometimes carries what is called in the trade 'crush loads'.

The OP will be riding at 6:30 AM, so this won't be a problem for him, but all things considered equal, is a factor to consider when planning trips there.

Bob H

Sweet Willie

did you end up taking the Metrolink ?

lcshrm

Looks like the last time anyone commented on this was ~4 years ago. Is the STL Metrolink still a safe option? I'll be travelling with a group of about 20 high school students and need to travel from the Doubletree (Collinsville, IL?) to the Edward Jones Dome. Any comments on how easy and safe this would be with a group of teenagers, several of whom are suffering from "senior-itis?"

gwar69

I have been on the metro link both very recently and last century too. It has always been safe and I would not worry about it.

Sweet Willie

+1 to both statements.

ksandness

I am always amused by people who assume that any large city public transit system must be unsafe.

Most are just fine and are used by countless numbers of law-abiding people every day.

I'd be willing to bet that all of them put together have fewer fatalities or even injuries annually than the average urban freeway system.

dls25

I always gladly take Metrolink over a St. Louis cab. The last time I took a Cab in St. Louis (Fenton actually), the driver was a recently released felon that tattempted to sexually assault me (and I'm a Man). No more cabs for me after that.

Sweet Willie

I'm amused that you feel all public transit systems are completely safe.just because they are in use by countless law-abiding people every day doesn't mean the entire system is safe. There can be stations/portions of lines that are not the safest, especially at certain times.

Also, safe is in the eye of the beholder, I convinced a sales team I was part of to take the Metrolink into ST Louis from STL, while the males on the team were fine with it, the women on the team were forthcoming after the ride and said they would not feel safe riding as a single or group of women & wouldn't ride Metrolink back out to STL.

Just recently in Chicago: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/...sault-suspect/

Now all the above said, I ride public transit when possible wherever I travel, but I try to understand what areas I'll be going through and am cognizant of what times I plan on riding on a line.