parking

lilyrose

go down to union n complainwe talkedto like about it but he can only do something if people complain to him n not just to themselves. apparently lecturers were been late for class due to lack of parking n students complained about that , thats why they got an extra car park!

smemon

Yeah i noticed this morning (well, thursday) was particularly bad.. as in the place was full by 8.50.

On a side note, i noticed there was a car clamped on tuesday afternoon (big car park to the left of whitaker), it sat there all day wednesday and it was still there thursday morning

It's a tough one for the college.. they can't keep everyone happy. Clamping, pay parking etc installs fear and order but at the same time you can't 'get rid' of the amount of cars there.

Pay parking won't help. It will simply generate revenue and take from the poor.

Permits / favouring full time DKIT students is the only way to go imo... or like i said before, getting all car owners to fill out a detailed application form, then issuing permits to those that have to travel long distances and have no / lack of bus services.

europerson

smemon wrote: »

getting all car owners to fill out a detailed application form, then issuing permits to those that have to travel long distances and have no / lack of bus services.

This is really the way to go. The number of students in DKIT, who travel by car (usually on their own) to college, is utterly ridiculous. I can see no parallel in any other third-level institution. Students from Dundalk itself drive to college; I know people who live directly along the DKIT bus route where I live and they drive to college. Do people want the whole campus turned into a giant car park, is that it? So much for the whole "green college with the wind turbine" vibe.

The college has to make the best use of the space available to it, and giving more spaces for students' cars is disincentivising public transport. I don't have statistics on this (perhaps the SU could supply them), but it would appear that a disproportionate fraction of the DKIT student body travel to college in cars vis-à-vis other colleges. It's an utterly ridiculous situtation. Both the college authorities and DKITSU ought to be ashamed of the farce that's taking place in DKIT. All it takes is some leadership and decisiveness, but it's clear that neither side is willing to take the adequate steps. If the college decides to continue with its policies, and if the SU doesn't motivate itself into being something other than a group of lazy hacks, whose understanding of their role in the college is rather lacking, then students will go elsewhere and so be it. That would be Dundalk's loss.

I've heard first-year students giving out about the pay parking, and how they didn't know when they were applying, blah, blah, blah. Surely, choosing one's college is a major decision, and it ought not to be taken lightly, so I can't see why these students did not investigate, and they would have very easily unearthed the college's plans for pay-parking.

kowloon

draffodx wrote: »

still a ridicolous wage for what they do

elaborate........

sandyg

Totally agree with europerson. I notice that 99.9% of all cars going to the college only have one person in it. Why not share the driving ie car pool. At least that would take some of the cars off the road! How did people manage use to when there was only public transport. Its not as if there are no buses going to and from the college every day for the local students who live within a 2/3 mile radius of the college.

smemon

sandyg wrote: »

Totally agree with europerson. I notice that 99.9% of all cars going to the college only have one person in it. Why not share the driving ie car pool. At least that would take some of the cars off the road! How did people manage use to when there was only public transport. Its not as if there are no buses going to and from the college every day for the local students who live within a 2/3 mile radius of the college.

car pooling is a nice idea - like communism.

it doesn't work and just creates more stress/problems...

it means people rely on other people for lifts/to be on time/get home etc..

most people are on different timetables also so it's a big mess trying to get 2/3/4 people on the same wavelength/times for 5 days of the week.

if the driver is sick/slept in/forgets about you.. you're screwed. so it's a nice gesture, but it doesn't work for most people, certainly not long term.

Atomic Pineapple

sorry kowloon disregard my statement, i was confused about what we were actually discussing and messed up my argument

as for car pooling, me and my next door neighbour both go to dkit, we live about 20miles from dkit in the sticks so public transport links are way too poor for us to use, we do try to share cars as much as we can but this usually only works 2 - 3 days a week cos of our timetables

kowloon

draffodx wrote: »

sorry kowloon disregard my statement, i was confused about what we were actually discussing and messed up my argument

No worries, just bringing attention to something that could be taken badly by someone.

As for carpooling, you need to be on the same timetable for it to work at all.
Motorcycles are the way to go, that and more campus accomodation, you could easily spend half of what it costs to rent on petrol and other travel expenses.
Factor in the time wasted and it makes a very good case for moving to Dundalk, and you get to go to all the socials you want.

embee

I'm from Ardee, but I drive in. It would be completely infeasible for me to get the bus into college as I have to leave my daughter with her childminder at different times every morning. The bus service is pithy at best....

Not to worry though. Most of the first year nurses and midwives will be going on placement for 6 weeks from the first week of November onwards, so that should free up a good few spaces.

MDTyKe

The big problem, is, indeed that the public transport isnt adequate. A far cry, but if a LUAS line went past every house, straight to DKIT, you would take it.

The reality is, we dont have anything close. I now get a ride with someone every day, but I used to get the bus. To be honest, it's just horrible. (I live in Newry). The buses only go up a few times a day, so you're working around timetables, with usually waits of 2 hours on average.

There was no direct bus to DKIT, only to Dundalk ,then I had to wait outside to get another bus to college. Fair enough. However, on the way back, I had to get a bus from Hoey's Lane to Dundalk. Every freakin day it was raining, and there wasn't a shelter, or even a tree in sight. You would have to wait 20 minutes, get myself and my laptop soaked, for 2 buses to come along at once, or one going past that doesn't take your ticket.

It's a sad situation really; and to be totaly honest.. I felt quite degraded using public transport. Waiting outside in the cold for so long, then more waiting in Dundalk because the bus station closes ridiculously early (6pm). It was fine in Summer, but when Winter came, I don't know how I beared it to be honest.

Matt

K.O.Kiki

I used a bicycle.

It was good, except when it rained -- which was often.

MDTyKe

I wrote an article for the DKITimes about the mess.. will be interesting if it comes up!


Matt

annex

I have to agree with the point made about the local buses. I had the unfortunate experience to use that City Imp bus on a few occasions last week, that bus should seriously come with a health warning. The smell is disgusting, its like it has been used a a toilet.
I live in town, my house is about 3 miles from college, If I get the 8.10am bus I get into the college just before 9am. The bus goes through the 3 big estates in town and takes the most backward route possible. Its a joke. There should be DKIT buses from town, that leave from the bus office/town and go straight to the college with pick up points on the way. Ok I know its not a far walk but the student accomodation that's behind the old Opel garage has a fair few students, not one bus goes past there heading to college and I know if I was living there and it was raining I would like the option of being able to get a bus rather than get soaked.
If there was a better bus service for the college I am sure it would take some of the pressure off the parking situation.

Merrick

I kept out of this parking disaster for a while, because I live 20mins walk away from the college and it doesn't really affect me, but I'll agree with the bus thing too. Buses aren't the worst if you're on the town route, or going to Dublin/Drogheda (buses leave for Dub right outside the college every hour), but they do take strange paths around the back roads of some estates, while missing out completely on other huge areas of the town.
The timing isn't great either, I've been late for classes more than once because I was expecting a bus to come at a certain time, instead it came idling along 15mins later, in that time I could almost have walked myself there.

Atomic Pineapple

the only option i have would be to organise a lift to a cross every morning where i'd have to get a val russell bus, now i travelled on a val russell bus when i came to college first and i said i never would again, paying 40euro to put up with that week in week out is bad enough too but i'd still have to rely on gettinf a lift to the cross anyway (the cross would be about a 20min walk)

smemon

MDTyKe wrote: »

I wrote an article for the DKITimes about the mess.. will be interesting if it comes up!

Matt

yeah, it made it in all right

you're quite right about the clamping release fee's.. €60, €90, €100 - what is it? :rolleyes:

does anyone actually know what the hell is going on at the minute? we've got 2 emails saying it's been delayed until further notice and that's it...

some updates would be nice, even if there's nothing happening - tell us that.

the signs all around the car parks say pay parking is effective from Oct1 - why not blank them out or cover them up with updated notices??

when it does come in, there better be plenty of notice/communication as i can see people coming in as usual, not getting a ticket and coming back to fines.

Atomic Pineapple

yeh i seen the letter in the dkit times too, very good points in it, its a shame they didn't put it to someone in the college thats involved with the issue to see if they could answer some of the questions raised.

MDTyKe

They should clamp those two AIB smart cars that park (Illegally) on the Pedestrian path outside the Restauraunt. Dont know how they get away with it - its pedestrian only!

I dont want to trip over a smart car if I'm running away from a fire now, do I...


Matt

That_Guy

I agree with the smart car comment. Just because they're small doesn't mean they're any less in the way.

Evd-Burner

A good way of doing things could be for the college to split up the car park spaces... have it so that u have to get a permit for parking, where u can park depends how many people u take with u in ur car... Would help situation with parking becuase people could take turns in driving in...

That_Guy

Good idea I guess. They need to sort it out big time. It seems to be the same conversation I hear with people day in and day out. Still at least if there's people complaining they should take notice and do something right?

quackquackBOOM

in all fairness when i was down there,four people in my class who hung round together and lived close enough(rented acc) to each other each drove in every day on their own and ive noticed this with a few people
is it that necessary to drive your own car in every day
some of the people who drive could nearly walk or share a lift atleast

Atomic Pineapple

quackquackBOOM wrote: »

in all fairness when i was down there,four people in my class who hung round together and lived close enough(rented acc) to each other each drove in every day on their own and ive noticed this with a few people
is it that necessary to drive your own car in every day
some of the people who drive could nearly walk or share a lift atleast

thats really disgracefull, that's just plain lazyness.

was sitting in my car the other day having a sandwhich and seen 4 cars continuesly(sp?) drive around for 45 minutes trying to find a space. it really is a joke i cant take a spin down to the malt house to get dinner or anything because I wont get a space when i come back

kluivert

As a grad of DKIT (2004) I have no love for students complaining about parking in DKIT. I drove to college in my second and third year, got there for half eight, got parking no problem. This was a time when every tom dick and harry didnt drive.

I think its a disgrace that students complain about parking.

The fact is DKIT has probably the biggest parking space of all colleges and Uni's in Ireland and should be happy for that.

I believe there is an overflow car park, I dont hear any suggestions for its use!!

Its typical for students to complain, its easier to comin up with solutions, and its sitting right infront of you all - Xerox, I would happily pay up to 20e a week to park in there. The place is fecking empty. Bank of Scotland, rent some ground from them, I dont see why the Student union cant either.

A Quick note on the Student Union, is Geraldine still there, nice woman, student union is a scam, especially in DKIT, they do nothing for Students while I was there that would involve having to do work outside there comfort zone.

Am startin to see kids taking there cars to secondary school now.

(elpresidente:)

luke here (SUprez). Since we have started in july subhash and I have constantly lobbied for more spaces. As a result there were 114 spaces constructed in the summer (the car park close to carrolls). Also the car on the right when you come in is officially available for stuents and staff alike. When the tui rejected the package of pay parking they rejected the second car park for themselves. The parking problem will be solved with the 300 spaces which are going to be built towards the end of the second semester. It is the student's Union that have got this so I don't understand the comment which just slated the union for not doing any work out of the comfort zone. Both myself and Subhash along with Geraldine work tirelessly for the students on every aspect of their college life. If there any of the students you know have any sort of problem send them down to us.

20 Times 20 Times

All parking in DKIT is pay-parking ? how much a day / a week ?

smemon

Sarge wrote: »

All parking in DKIT is Pay-parking ? how much a day / a week ?

It's free at the minute.. was supposed to be in 1st october, but has been put back to god knows when

Will be interesting to see how the 300 spaces help things.. i.e if they take cars off the roads/estates...

Still don't think we could, for example, risk coming in at 9.50am for a 10am class.. maybe we could

Also, if pay parking does come in, i'd imagine people (students being students) will still just park where they are at the minute to save a few quid a week.... which will mean the extra space will be 'wasted' to an extent

Like i've said before, tough one to manage.. it's a supply/demand thing... demand is great when the product is free, but slap a pricetag on the product and will demand still be so great?

Atomic Pineapple

(elpresidente:) wrote: »

Both myself and Subhash along with Geraldine work tirelessly for the students on every aspect of their college life. If there any of the students you know have any sort of problem send them down to us.

The students union can be the easiest target for students that dont get what they want, I think students are still a bit confused as to why last years student union didn't seem to do anything until the clamping was in operation.

I think the SU can be used as an easy scapegoat?

Good point by smenon too, now that students have figured they can park in the estates for free will the extra spaces be used up when the pay parking comes in along with them? especially as the garda threats of removing cars dont seem to materialise.

lilyrose

roll on the extra spaces - but i agree that the students union shouldnt be blamed when i went to the SU about the parking they where nothing but helpful but because everyone is complaining to themselves and not to the right people they cant do to much. this years SU shouldnt be blamed for last years sham.
is the clamping still in place havent seen them about in a while

MonkeyTennis

Get a motorbike. Problem solved.