Three words about Charlotte’s new light rail system: I love it! I went out yesterday (Saturday) to road-test it from a moms point of view. For all the stay-at-home moms that want to bring thier kids downtown (Discovery Place, Imaginon, etc) during the week, this is a great solution because parking is expensive and hard to find on weekdays. I think Discovery Place is $8 to park! For both working and stay-at-home moms coming to downtown on the weekends it is equally easy and a very good value. Plus. there is the excitement factor for kids getting to ride on a “real train”! I set out to see how easy it is, how long it took to ride and how it was with a child in tow.
My Roadtest
I live in the SouthPark area so I decided to head over to the Tyvola stop. (The whole way Claire was excited about the fact were were going to ride on a TRAIN!) It is located just off South Blvd at Tyvola, even if you do not know where, once you are at the intersection you can see it.
Arriving at the Station
Parking was easy and we took the elevator up to the platform. I knew I needed to buy a ticket for me ($1.30 each way) and that Claire rides free (under 46″ ride free). So I put two $1 bills in the machine and it gave me a one way ticket and 70 cents change. (Click here for more on costs). We were lucky because a train came immediately so we hopped right on (doors stay open for 30 seconds). Is it stroller-friendly? Yes. I had Claire in her stroller and was able to wheel her right on. There are no steps, the platform and train floor are exact same height and not much gap between them at all. I doubt you could even get a foot down there. I do wish they had more open areas for the stroller, but I found a space.
On The Train
The train was packed and I quickly realized that it was because of the Duke/Davidson game at Bobcats arena. We made room for Claire’s stoller and I found a seat. It was 10:26am. Claire was a little grumpy but still enjoyed the ride. The train was super-clean and the people were all very normal looking. There were even lots of other kids. The train goes pretty fast, between stations it went way faster than car traffic on South Blvd.
Getting Off the Train
We got off the train at 10:43am. So it was an 17 minute trip. Not bad! They give you plenty of warning about what stop is approaching and all the stops are well signed. We got off at 7th Street Station but I realized later I should have gotten off at the arena stop, it would have been a shorter walk.
We Saw the Bears
Last week I posted about The Bears In Founders Hall. It was an easy walk. We made the 11am show (it is free) and Claire loved it again. There were TONS of kids there which was really fun to watch.
Back on The Train
Going back we walked to the Arena station which was closer (if you go to a Bobcats game you should try this, the station is literally right next to the arena, very cool.). We got there and bought our ticket, $1.30 again (a full day pass is $4 but if you just want one round trip you are better off doing one ticket each way). We must have just missed the train because we had to wait another 14 minutes for the next one. But it was OK because we got to watch the trains go by going the other way and Claire loved waving at the trains. We got on our train at 12:13pm and I logged all the stops:
12:13 – Our train left arena station
12:14 – Stop at 3rd Street station
12:16 – Stop at Stonewall station
12:18 – Stop at Carson station
12:19 – Stop at Bland Station
12:20 – Stop at East/West Blvd Station
12:22 – Stop at New Bern Station
12:24 – Stop at Scaleybark Station
12:26 – Stop at Woodlawn Station
12:28 – Get off at Tylova Station
So, a 15 minute ride home. We get off, went to our car and home we go! The Lynx has a good website for any questions you have. Here are some of the basics:
SAFETY:
There is nothing keeping a child from jumping down on the tracks, it’s only a few feet but would scare the crap out of you if a train is coming (for good reason). I recommend toddlers be in strollers and you should hold on tight to the other kids. If you have too many kids to hold (like Jen P) or if you kids tend to run away from you to give you a heart attack, this might not be for you.
STATIONS:
Click here to see where the train goes. It goes from 485/South Blvd to heart of downtown.
FARES:
Click here, basically it’s $1.30 each way and young kids ride free. Click here to see how the ticket machine works so you now what to expect. Oh, and they ONLY take cash right now! Try to have $1 dollar bills or coins, if you put in a $20 you get a whole bunch of dollar coins as change.
SCHEDULE (Click here to see it)
–Seven days a week from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Weekdays
-Every 7.5 minutes during weekday rush hour
-Every 15 minutes during non-peak hours.
-Every 30 minutes weekday evenings
Weekends
-Every 20 minutes during the day
-Every 30 minutes during late night hours
Have you riden the Lynx? Share your tips and experiences for moms!!
8 comments
A great guide- you really thought of everything! It made me less nervous about trying the Lynx. And what a great idea to take it to see the Founder’s bears. My kids and I thank you!
We were meeting a friend at Founders Hall today and after reading this last night I decided to give the LYNX a go. My almost 3 year old boy and 15 month old girl loved it! Definitely makes the trip to downtown a lot easier – and adds a little excitement for the young ones. Thanks for all the info!
We may just have to give it a try this weekend and head down to see the Bears. Thanks for the great review!
Thanks for the tips and for doing the research! We were planning on heading down to see the bears this weekend as well, so this is great!
I sent my husband and another father with our two year olds to ride the Lynx and see the Bears! The girls loved the “train” and the husbands enjoyed time chatting too. They highly recommend it!!!
Valentin’s day is express approaching links of london across the earth will start stress out about it. Most men, however, delay awaiting the last jiffy to goods their Valentine’s links of london sale. This is because they’re whichever dreamy, languid or don’t have any thoughts to make the day unusual. links of london charms , Valentine’s day is a very painless incident to celebrate. Here are some tips to duck being the average Joe this year! The two most communal gifts on links of london sweetie bracelet day plants and chocolates. These are very common because ladies like chocolate and flora are an image of links of london charm bracelet . It is definitely recommended to give one or, both of these gifts to your female, however, why impede there? baby and flowers certainly the way you feel about your links of London rings. If yes, then maybe this is where you should rest. One of best other idea Links Of London .For example, they, however, give off unimaginable faculty.p
Valentin’s day is express approaching links of london across the earth will start stress out about it. Most men, however, delay awaiting the last jiffy to goods their Valentine’s links of london sale. This is because they’re whichever dreamy, languid or don’t have any thoughts to make the day unusual. links of london charms , Valentine’s day is a very painless incident to celebrate. Here are some tips to duck being the average Joe this year! The two most communal gifts on links of london sweetie bracelet day plants and chocolates. These are very common because ladies like chocolate and flora are an image of links of london charm bracelet . It is definitely recommended to give one or, both of these gifts to your female, however, why impede there? baby and flowers certainly the way you feel about your links of London rings. If yes, then maybe this is where you should rest. One of best other idea Links Of London .For example, they, however, give off unimaginable faculty.
It is made up of cheap panadora different pieces that pandora jewery complements and blends with each other to create that perfect look of an Indian bride. The Maangtika, the nose ring, the earrings, the bangles, the necklace, the anklets pandora jewerelly and toe rings make up the entirety of pandora jewlerry the complete Indian bridal jewelry.The Maangtika is the pandora charms and beads most traditional and most essential part of the Indian bridal jewelry. Apart pandora charms from the necklace, the Maangtika is the most noticeable piece pandora charms uk of the Indian bridal jewelry adorned on an Indian bride. It is worn on the bride' head and is designed to be unique for each bride. While its color and design largely depend on the colors of the bride's outfit, it is cheap pandora charms usually made of precious stones like pearls and diamonds. It has pandora charms sale a centerpiece that is exquisitely designed and sits on bride's forehead and is usually attached by a string that runs to the back of the bride's head. Another essential part of the Indian bridal jewelry pandora charms 2010 is the necklace. This piece is usually very eye-catching with a design that is in tune with the other pieces of Indian bridal jewelry adorned on the rest of the bride's body.