Parking symbols on EastWest Mapping maps

BarryD

I know some people here use maps by EastWest Mapping. Please review the info below and pass on, thanks.


Parking symbols in use on maps by EastWest Mapping.

There are currently three distinct parking symbols on our maps, though they vary by edition. Please refer to the attached image and/ or your map.

1) Public car park, standard purple square with white letter P. These indicate a variety of car parks where the public are normally welcome. They may vary in size, holding a half dozen cars to several hundred. Pay car parks usually have the word Pay attached. Some public car parks have the word Closed attached. These are features that are either temporarily or permanently closed due to vandalism etc.

Car parks attached to pubs, shops and churches are generally marked as public car parks. Clearly these are mainly intended for use by their prospective public customers and you do need to keep this in mind if planning to park there for several hours. At very least, ask if in doubt and of course patronise the shop and/or pub before or afterwards etc.

2) Private car park, brown square with white letter P. These indicate car parks intended typically for club member use - e.g. golf clubs. They are not open to the public and are shown simply for information as they are features on the landscape.

3) Parking spot, small purple letter P. These indicate a layby or spot along the road where you would normally be able to park from 1 to 4 cars, without blocking entrances and the road. They are not public car parks. We started plotting such spots to help with a perennial problem of people parking across gates and blocking lanes etc. If these parking spots are anywhere near a house entrance, please ask before using.

We have a small problem in that in attempting to solve one problem, we have worsened the situation in a few places. The public seem to be heading for these spots and even if they are full, squeezing in extra cars to the point of causing hassle & blockages. Please do not use these parking spots if they are hold more than a couple of cars - go somewhere else!

I would draw attention to a particular site at a place called Toor near Hollywood Glen in West Wicklow. The lanes are very narrow here and there is one largish layby near a house entrance marked with a 'Parking Spot' symbol. Please do not use this location at all - the residents are quite happy to see walkers pass by on the road but this spot has been swamped by 20+ cars on recent occasions and it is clearly not tolerable. I would also ask that if you do pass this way on foot, please pick up any rubbish that you see left behind by others.

For future editions of EastWest Mapping maps, I'm considering omitting this Parking Spot symbol altogether as clearly I can't monitor how the public use and sometimes misuse it. It's a pity as it's a useful small piece of information but that's the way of it Back to the old 'find you own spots'.

Please also pass on this information to anyone else whom you know that uses the above maps. Thanks for your help with the matter.

Barry Dalby, EastWest Mapping.

hmmm

I understand your problem but it'd be a pity if it had to be dropped - those symbols and the little feet symbols (for access points) are some of what sets the EW maps apart from the other maps - and probably too the upcoming OSI 1:25 series.

Alun

I agree it'd be a shame if they were taken off. Personally I always check with Googe Streetview (if available at the location) to see what's there, and how many cars it would support.

The 20+ cars arriving at what is clearly a small layby is clearly ridiculous. If it was a walking club, they really should know better, although I do have first-hand experience of certain well known Dublin clubs completely taking over even some of the bigger parking areas, all with single occupancy cars. The least they could do, as the group I walk with does, is to car pool wherever possible to minimize car use and leave space for others.

Losty Dublin

I'm a recent convertee to East West maps since I decided to wean myself back to hill walking. I must say, I find the marked public parking spots an excellent feature on the map; it is yet another small add on that makes them superior to OSI maps for walkers and it opens up different locations to walkers beyond the old reliable haunts of Kippure, Lugnaquilla, Cruagh et al simply because we know that can get parked at.

I agree with Alun's point; walkers need to use kop on when traveling to and parking on location and regular groups and clubs should know better. If nothing else it prevents others from walking if we can't get parked safely.

BarryD

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I find the marked public parking spots an excellent feature on the map

Thanks for kind comment - though it's hard for users to get the idea that these are not really public parking spots. They're just places where you could pull in a car or two and not block the road or entrance. Some probably could be regarded as public - e.g. a wide forestry entrance onto Coillte land, where you could park without blocking access.

I'm not sure if the particular site above at Toor is attracting clubs, it may just be various small groups that all head separately for the same spot. It's a bit of trouble to get in there and when they arrive and see it occupied, think it too much hassle and a change in plans to go back out. So then just squeeze in and then more and so on. Doesn't help when the local resident protests and someone produces map and says this is a public carpark!! Like vast majority of rural people, he's a decent chap and actually wouldn't mind the odd car or two parking there if they ask and keep well in - but that's not what happens. Worst case scenario was that he needed to call the Gardai one day so he could access his own house on return - not good

BarryD

It's a tricky one, people will continue to park at these sort of places anyway. It's a question though whether we take responsibility for publicising where they are or just let people find them by word of mouth, keeping an eye out etc. It's a long running problem in upland areas with cars parked willy nilly at gates into fields, blocking lanes etc. These parking spots symbols were an attempt to assist but they have unintended consequences etc!

Losty Dublin

BarryD wrote: »

Thanks for kind comment - though it's hard for users to get the idea that these are not really public parking spots. They're just places where you could pull in a car or two and not block the road or entrance. Some probably could be regarded as public - e.g. a wide forestry entrance onto Coillte land, where you could park without blocking access.

I'm not sure if the particular site above at Toor is attracting clubs, it may just be various small groups that all head separately for the same spot. It's a bit of trouble to get in there and when they arrive and see it occupied, think it too much hassle and a change in plans to go back out. So then just squeeze in and then more and so on. Doesn't help when the local resident protests and someone produces map and says this is a public carpark!! Like vast majority of rural people, he's a decent chap and actually wouldn't mind the odd car or two parking there if they ask and keep well in - but that's not what happens. Worst case scenario was that he needed to call the Gardai one day so he could access his own house on return - not good

Hi Barry,

I think it's more a case of they being marked car parks or places where you pay park safely, which you do mark them off as in maps. If they can't read it right, well there is only so much you can do

On the last point, fair enough though it's probably fair to say that there are walking or other clubs who choose to meet on site, more through innocence than anything. As for irresponsible parking, well there's little we can do about it, is there?

hmmm

How about something other than "P" as a symbol for these spots? Maybe a blue dot or something. If you're smart enough to read the legend, you're probably smart enough to realise it isn't a public carpark that's being marked.

Personally I think whatever gobsh****s took 20 cars down a narrow lane should be named & shamed, and they won't make the same mistake again.

BarryD

hmmm wrote: »

How about something other than "P" as a symbol for these spots? Maybe a blue dot or something. If you're smart enough to read the legend, you're probably smart enough to realise it isn't a public carpark that's being marked..

Thanks, yes that's an idea alright, might be some sort of half way house. Will still require people to use common sense if they arrive and find it occupied.

BarryD

I'd be interested to see what you think of this as an indication of parking spots. I don't think it can be interpreted as a car park, but still imparts the idea. Still relying on drivers to use common sense though.

BarryD

Or even this? Same idea in yellow?

Alun

I'd prefer the pink ones, the yellow ones kind of blend into the background too much.

duckysauce

Alun wrote: »

I'd prefer the pink ones, the yellow ones kind of blend into the background too much.

+1

loobylou

Pink to impart information, yellow to "hide" it.

BarryD

Thanks, thinking about it ..

Gasherbraun

A little off topic so apologies but does anyone know if the Kippure Estate still allow people to use their parking? I seem to recall reading a while back that they charge a fiver for the day but I cannot get it confirmed

Halloween Jack

Gasherbraun wrote: »

A little off topic so apologies but does anyone know if the Kippure Estate still allow people to use their parking? I seem to recall reading a while back that they charge a fiver for the day but I cannot get it confirmed

We parked there earlier in the year, was nobody around to ask and there was plenty of room, might be slightly different in summer when the activity centre might be busy etc.

We met a few heads when we returned to the car and had a chat, they didnt seem to mind.

Halloween Jack

On the subject of East West Maps, i bought the Lug/glendalough edition today, looks absolutely fantastic and cant wait to use it tomorrow.

Looks like a great product, kudos Barry.

Judge

Alun wrote: »

I'd prefer the pink ones, the yellow ones kind of blend into the background too much.

I would prefer the pink too. As an additional suggestion, maybe they could be marked in the map legend as "lay-bys" rather than parking spots. I've found that many of these places are more locations you can pull into to let a truck or a bus pass you rather than a place you can safely leave a vehicle for a few hours.