UCD Parking - Fair Play

ironclaw

Just wanted to say I'm pretty impressed with the UCD spot check for student cards. I may be wrong but the car park does seem to have more free spaces at later times.

Fair play UCD.

EDIT: Post 1234

snickerpuss

I park here everyday, usually get in between 8-9 and only on Tuesday was anyone here and he just asked if I was a student. Where have they been checking ids?

Chet T16

What are they actually doing if you don't have id?

Joneser

I only saw them checking on Tuesday, it has been emptier since then but has been gradually getting more full since, hopefully they will do it again, because it did make a big difference.

Riamfada

Didnt they do a survey a few years ago and it turned out that the amount of people who parked there and commuted into town was negligible.

Chet T16

Grimes wrote: »

Didnt they do a survey a few years ago and it turned out that the amount of people who parked there and commuted into town was negligible.

I've heard that mentioned but i call bs tbh. If you've spent any time in the carparks near the bus stops you can spot them a mile off. Unless of course negligle means less than 50%

Riamfada

Chet T16 wrote: »

I've heard that mentioned but i call bs tbh. If you've spent any time in the carparks near the bus stops you can spot them a mile off. Unless of course negligle means less than 50%

I dunno, I just remember the study which gave suprising results after everyone was moaning about commuters there turned out to be very few. UCD do this every year, they spend a week early in term checking staff and student cards to let all those commuters who took advantage of the fact that it was dead during summer know now that they are no longer welcome. Next week student and staff cards wont be checked and it will be back to normal.

ironclaw

Grimes wrote: »

I dunno, I just remember the study which gave suprising results after everyone was moaning about commuters there turned out to be very few. UCD do this every year, they spend a week early in term checking staff and student cards to let all those commuters who took advantage of the fact that it was dead during summer know now that they are no longer welcome. Next week student and staff cards wont be checked and it will be back to normal.

Very true. They were checking the Fosters Avenue entrance today.

And I also call shenanigans on that survey. Its not negliable. Park and walk straight to the bus? The late 20's and early 30's type dressed in a suit? Don't tell me its students / lecturers... And lets be honest, if you were surveyed by a person with a clip board after parking, you'd lie through your teeth in case they realised you weren't a student.

Riamfada

Easily solved with parking stickers for staff and students.

mloc

Grimes wrote: »

Easily solved with parking stickers for staff and students.

Was there not such a system in the past?

Riamfada

mloc wrote: »

Was there not such a system in the past?

Not that I can remember. The last I heard of all this was the university were going to the pay and display option for all users of the car parks.

Tayto2000

There was a parking sticker scheme years ago - you can still see the stickers on some of the cars in the carparks (presumably belonging to lecturers). Discontinued for some reason it seems.

There's no rule against staff and students parking on campus then going to placements, into town etc. There was a thread on here recently about someone doing Nursing who didn't want to have to park where she was based so drove to UCD campus then bussed into town. I'd be willing to bet that this accounts for a lot of what looks like outside park and riders.

All back to normal as soon as checking stops though anyway.

LC_ugh

They checked mine on monday and tuesday. yeah they shud re introduce that sticker scheme, would be a whole lot handier!

delta_bravo

Did anyone see any cars turning and going back at these UCD card checks?

lemon_sherbert

delta_bravo wrote: »

Did anyone see any cars turning and going back at these UCD card checks?

They were directing anyone without ID into the paid parking zones

Victoria.

When they were doing this in the car park I normally use, last week parking was available until at least 9.30 most days. It was working brilliantly and now that they've stopped it's starting to get crazy again. I was in at 8.10 today and I had just a hand full of spaces in the entire car park to chose from. I think O'Reily must be mainly park and ride people as it's so close to the bus stop into town.

Jimbob1977

I left UCD in 1998. At that time, about c. 5% of students drove and the remaining 95% cycled, took the bus or simply walked.

Is it considered uncool to use public transport or walk in 2010? The Luas didn't exist back then either.

Pandoras Twist

Speaking of paid parking zones do you have to pay for the new carpark beside quinn that used to be a field?

HavingCrack

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I left UCD in 1998. At that time, about c. 5% of students drove and the remaining 95% cycled, took the bus or simply walked.

Is it considered uncool to use public transport or walk in 2010? The Luas didn't exist back then either.

I know a girl who lives 20 minutes walk or 10 minutes cycle from UCD who drives in every day and usually spends at least half an hour looking for a space. Go figure..

Davidius

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I left UCD in 1998. At that time, about c. 5% of students drove and the remaining 95% cycled, took the bus or simply walked.

Is it considered uncool to use public transport or walk in 2010? The Luas didn't exist back then either.

It's because bus journeys are long and boring.

Chet T16

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I left UCD in 1998. At that time, about c. 5% of students drove and the remaining 95% cycled, took the bus or simply walked.

Is it considered uncool to use public transport or walk in 2010? The Luas didn't exist back then either.

I'll drive my 36 miles thanks

Pandoras Twist wrote: »

Speaking of paid parking zones do you have to pay for the new carpark beside quinn that used to be a field?

The one directly beside it is free but temporary, behind it (opposite centra) there is a much bigger carpark and the first bit is paid but the rest is free. That one is permanent.

n2o

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I left UCD in 1998. At that time, about c. 5% of students drove and the remaining 95% cycled, took the bus or simply walked.

Is it considered uncool to use public transport or walk in 2010? The Luas didn't exist back then either.

+1
Only became a problem in the 21st century. Golf GTIs and Mini Coopers...

Riamfada

Back in my days we got one shoe for our birthday and the other one for christmas and by gosh we were grateful, we would walk to college in the snow for a pittence!

People drive to UCD because its comfortable and private rather than sitting beside a vagrant who smells like cabbages and rumbles around playfully in his stained army trousers on a bus that takes you around the city before going to UCD.

There is nothing like sitting in your car rockin it out with George Hook, stuck in traffic with the window half open, the rain drizzling in, a freshly rolled smoke, tea in the cup holder and the heater on watching the hippies begin their two hour commmute on 2 buses back to Tallaght.

ironclaw

HavingCrack wrote: »

I know a girl who lives 20 minutes walk or 10 minutes cycle from UCD who drives in every day and usually spends at least half an hour looking for a space. Go figure..

I know a few like that.

I think a sticker / permit system would be a winner. Like the accomodation, first run to people who are outside a certain transport limit. I'd pay for a yearly permit if it guaranteed me a space.

jimmyfixit

Im sure if they came up with a sticker that you could get
a good price for it off one of the park and riders.

How much would you get for a years free parking in UCD?
Just do the deal then apply with thier reg number. How much
was it costing to keep the checks on the gates? I guess its for
show only and we may only see it once a month from now on.

I always find the parking eases off a little (still crazy) after the
first month or so as staff and student adjust to the time tables.

I believe the builders where pushed out to other areas

ted1

more than likely they'll bring in pay parking after the budget.

Jimbob1977

Grimes wrote: »

Back in my days we got one shoe for our birthday and the other one for christmas and by gosh we were grateful, we would walk to college in the snow for a pittence!

People drive to UCD because its comfortable and private rather than sitting beside a vagrant who smells like cabbages and rumbles around playfully in his stained army trousers on a bus that takes you around the city before going to UCD.

There is nothing like sitting in your car rockin it out with George Hook, stuck in traffic with the window half open, the rain drizzling in, a freshly rolled smoke, tea in the cup holder and the heater on watching the hippies begin their two hour commmute on 2 buses back to Tallaght.

For the most part, students in the 1990s didn't have cars because they simply couldn't afford them. The Celtic Tiger was waking up after decades of economic stagnation for our parents. The wish of the average student was to bag some accommodation within walking or cycling distance of campus - to avoid the Number 17 bus.

The student generation since c. 1999 have lived through an era of unprecedented affluence in Ireland (for the average parent anyway). Car ownership is largely taken for granted. "One person per car" is filling up your car parks. A tag scheme with barriers would be ideal - it blocks office workers who hog spaces for the 46A bus.

As a moderator, you should not be so arrogant and melodramatic.

jimmyfixit

barriers would not work due to the volume of traffic passing through the campus, its not like an office block or factory car park. The traffic would back up outside every entrance. I dont think its that simple to solve tbh. As said before 3000 spots 17000 staff student and guests.

Pandoras Twist

Chet T16 wrote: »

I'll drive my 36 miles thanks



The one directly beside it is free but temporary, behind it (opposite centra) there is a much bigger carpark and the first bit is paid but the rest is free. That one is permanent.

Sorry but those directions are a bit confusing. Behind the carpark theres a bigger carpark?

Or behind quinn theres a bigger one? The one behind Quinn is free.

Riamfada

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

As a moderator, you should not be so arrogant and melodramatic.

As a human being, you should have a sense of satire and humor. I can be as arrogant and melodramatic as I wish on an internet based chat forum which is of little consequence to my real life. Most people here grasped the facetiousness nature of my post and also I am not a moderator of this forum.

Okay so its a simple fact that people had more money than ever before and could afford cars. Surely that's not the fault of the people who bought cars rather the fault of the university for not providing for a steadily rising level of car usage by building more car parks?

Jimbob1977

Grimes wrote: »

As a human being, you should have a sense of satire and humor. I can be as arrogant and melodramatic as I wish on an internet based chat forum which is of little consequence to my real life. Most people here grasped the facetiousness nature of my post and also I am not a moderator of this forum.

Okay so its a simple fact that people had more money than ever before and could afford cars. Surely that's not the fault of the people who bought cars rather the fault of the university for not providing for a steadily rising level of car usage by building more car parks?

I am passionate about UCD because I grew up in the immediate locality. Every former "green space" has been annexed for a badly tarmaced or muddy car park. You deserve better for your euro. Perhaps the SU could lobby Dublin Bus for more diverse routes to cater for the Greater Dublin student population - rather than "paving paradise to put up a parking lot".

To summarise, anyone who can walk or cycle to campus in 20 minutes - I'd encourage you. Free up the car park for students with a five mile + commute.

P.S. Are you enjoying your stay in Ireland? We have a great sense of humour that most Americans find refreshing;). Maybe we could have a pint and discuss the nuances of satire at the Student Center.