Dundrum Town Centre increased parking fee

ted1

lxflyer wrote: »

The 75 is actually very reliable - I'm not sure how you conclude it's a "very poor bus service"?

The frequency is poor and the route is takes makes it very slow.

Turtle_

VincePP wrote: »

Its €3 for up to 3 hours - so it disincentives those just going in for an hour. Its €3 an hour thereafter.

€3 flat rate from 6pm to 11pm


Compared to city centre its quite good value.

Compared to Liffey Valley, its bad value.

It's actually comparable to town, but most people don't both chasing prepay deals for town...

coylemj

lxflyer wrote: »

The 75 is actually very reliable - I'm not sure how you conclude it's a "very poor bus service"?

The 11:30 a.m. service from DL didn't run last Thursday meaning there was 50 minutes between two services and a few months ago I met someone for lunch in the DTC, I then walked up the hill to catch a 75 bus back towards DL but no bus arrived so I walked home. I have the real time app on my smartphone and while walking home I kept an eye on the service, there was no 75 bus on that route for over an hour meaning that at least two consecutive scheduled departures from Tallaght were cancelled 'did not operate'.

It was a Thursday afternoon and despite multiple requests for information to @dublinbusnews on Twitter, all I got was a wall of silence.

Sligo1

Am I missing something regarding the public transport argument? Surely a return ticket on the bus, dart or Luas is going to be close to €3 if not more? And you get 3 hours for the €3 right? So unless you're there all day it shouldn't be more than the €3. I defo be taking my car and using the park if I was going for 3 hours or less as opposed to the bus (and drag a load of shopping, a double buggy and 2 toddlers along with me).

Now, of course I'd prefer not to be paying €3 and have it free instead. And the hike from €2 to €3 is definitely annoying. But I'm glad of having a handy underground carpark especially on a wet day or if it's lashing rain. And I'd happily pay the €3 as opposed to using nutgrove or stillorgan which is free. Besides, stillorgan is an absolute nightmare of a carpark.

markpb

Sligo1 wrote:

Am I missing something regarding the public transport argument?.. . I defo be taking my car and using the park if I was going for 3 hours or less as opposed to the bus (and drag a load of shopping, a double buggy and 2 toddlers along with me).

Sometimes I find it easier to hop on the luas (with a pram, toddler and baby) rather than drive. It can take a surprising amount of time to get into the car park, find a space, assemble the pram, load children into the pram and make my way out of the car park and into to the shopping centre. On the way out, it takes time again to queue to pay for parking, load children into the car, disassemble the pram, negotiate your way round the car park and then queue to join the traffic outside.

I can even carry a decent amount of grocery shopping in the pram too but that's a side note because the majority of money being spent in Dundrum is not on grocerys.

Of course, at busy times all that goes out the window and you'd be mad to even try to drive to Dundrum. Busy times are most Saturday mornings, any weekend when it's raining, every school break and especially the month before Christmas.

And that's assuming that everyone has to pay for public transport. Tens of thousands of people in Dublin have weekly, monthly or annual public transport tickets. More will have reached the weekly cap on their Leap card.

Sligo1

markpb wrote: »

I find it easier to hop on the luas (including a pram, toddler and baby) rather than drive. It can take a surprising amount of time to get into the car park, find a space, assemble the pram, load children into the pram and make my way out of the car park and into to the shopping centre. On the way out, it takes time again up queue to pay for parking, children to be loaded into the car, disassemble the pram, negotiate your way round the car park and then queue to join the traffic outside.

I can even carry a decent amount of non-grocery shopping in the pram too.

Of course, at busy times all that goes out the window and you'd be mad to even try to drive to Dundrum. Busy times are most Saturday mornings, any weekend when it's raining, every school break and especially the month before Christmas.

And that's assuming that everyone has to pay for public transport. Tens of thousands of people in Dublin have weekly, monthly or annual public transport tickets. More will have reached the weekly cap on their Leap card.

Ah ok I've only ever paid cash on public transport so it would defo be cheaper for me using carpark. It's good that leap cards etc are cheaper.

I only ever go to dundrum first thing in the morning so never have a problem parking right outside the entrance door. Have an easy fold double buggy that takes 2 seconds to unfold (even if it does look like a bus when I'm pushing it). So literally take me less than a few minutes to get the buggy and kids unloaded and in the door. I'd find it very difficult tho on a bus for example... We probably wouldn't even fit through the door! Lol. And would have to fold everything up if a wheelchair user or person with a disability came on? I couldnt do all that with 2 toddlers. Esp if I had groceries. But each to their own.

For monetary value and ease... The carpark is a godsend for me. It is defo annoying about the increase... But it definitely won't prevent me from using it....

P.s. I agree the Luas is really handy. But we'd have to drive to Ranelagh to get that... And then We'd have to pay for parking there anyway which is way more than dundrum so would defeat the purpose entirely

2RockMountain

VincePP wrote: »

The residents assoc must be strong about this and possibly get every resident to sign a petition to make the road disc parking monday to friday. It may cause a little hassle, but it will be well worth it - have a look at the residential roads around St Vincents Hospital to see how it works so well. I think you need near 100% of residents to sign the petition.

That's the problem. Often, when it comes down to it, there are many residents who won't want pay-and-display parking. I heard that each of the P&D terminals costs about €10k, so the Council are reluctant to put them in unless they get big business out of them.

EricPraline wrote: »

There's a reason why the centre can charge a premium for car parking.

The main reason is that the majority of people are horrified by the idea of travelling anywhere by public transport, bike or walking most of the time.

LXFlyer

coylemj wrote: »

The 11:30 a.m. service from DL didn't run last Thursday meaning there was 50 minutes between two services and a few months ago I met someone for lunch in the DTC, I then walked up the hill to catch a 75 bus back towards DL but no bus arrived so I walked home. I have the real time app on my smartphone and while walking home I kept an eye on the service, there was no 75 bus on that route for over an hour meaning that at least two consecutive scheduled departures from Tallaght were cancelled 'did not operate'.

It was a Thursday afternoon and despite multiple requests for information to @dublinbusnews on Twitter, all I got was a wall of silence.

That isn't the norm though on that route - it usually is very reliable.

I'm a regular user and I haven't had those kind of experiences for quite some time.

LXFlyer

ted1 wrote: »

The frequency is poor and the route is takes makes it very slow.

An orbital route every 30 minutes off-peak isn't that poor I would suggest.

It also doesn't take more than 25 minutes from DL to Dundrum and about 35-40 minutes from Tallaght.

There is a reason it goes the way it does - as with all orbital routes, very few people are making the exact same journey, therefore they have to maximise the number of traffic generators that they pass by to make them any way viable.

ted1

lxflyer wrote: »

An orbital route every 30 minutes off-peak isn't that poor I would suggest.

It also doesn't take more than 25 minutes from DL to Dundrum and about 35-40 minutes from Tallaght.

There is a reason it goes the way it does - as with all orbital routes, very few people are making the exact same journey, therefore they have to maximise the number of traffic generators that they pass by to make them any way viable.

Every 30 minutes is extremely poor. Dress up all you like it's a brutal service. It's pretty much 30 mins in peak hours too and 50 minutes on Sunday's

LXFlyer

ted1 wrote: »

Every 30 minutes is extremely poor. Dress up all you like it's a brutal service. It's pretty much 30 mins in peak hours too and 50 minutes on Sunday's

For anyone going to a shopping centre it's fine.

It's actually every twenty minutes in the peak.

Use the real time app you know when to get to the stop rather than standing around waiting unnecessarily.

ted1

lxflyer wrote: »

For anyone going to a shopping centre it's fine.

Use the real time app you know when to get to the stop.

Frankly all you're doing is coming up with pretty poor excuses.

No excuses needed it's a rubbish service. You need to take your head out of the clouds .

LXFlyer

ted1 wrote: »

No excuses needed it's a rubbish service. You need to take your head out of the clouds .

No - but maybe I approach life in such a way that every second doesn't count?

I can usually find something to do at home if there is a gap in the service, and if I'm at the centre I'd have a quick check on the app to see when a bus is due - it can be very easy to use public transport if you use the tools provided.

What you clearly want is your own personal door-to-door chauffeur service that doesn't facilitate other passengers.

That frankly is asking a bit much of an orbital bus service.

The large numbers of people who use the 75 every day would suggest plenty of people don't share your opinion.

ted1

lxflyer wrote: »

No - but maybe I approach life in such a way that every second doesn't count?

I can usually find something to do at home if there is a gap in the service, and if I'm at the centre I'd have a quick check on the app to see when a bus is due - it can be very easy to use public transport if you use the tools provided.

What you clearly want is your own personal door-to-door chauffeur service that doesn't facilitate other passengers.

That frankly is asking a bit much of an orbital bus service.

The large numbers of people who use the 75 every day would suggest plenty of people don't share your opinion.

I cycle pretty much everywhere unless I'm taking the kids. So no need for a chauffeur service.

What I do expect is a realiable bus service, not some third works equivalent. Go to another European capital and you'll not find so many routes with 30 minute intervals.


If you look at the LUAS it's a great success because of its frequency. A bus service that is so infrequent will never get much use.

LXFlyer

ted1 wrote: »

I cycle pretty much everywhere unless I'm taking the kids. So no need for a chauffeur service.

What I do expect is a realiable bus service, not some third works equivalent. Go to another European capital and you'll not find so many routes with 30 minute intervals.


If you look at the LUAS it's a great success because of its frequency. A bus service that is so infrequent will never get much use.

My comment about the personal chauffeur service was in relation to your statement that the route was too slow or long - I've already pointed out the fact that for orbital services to work they need to hit as many major traffic generators along the route as possible - it's not just you that they serve.

The other point I made and continue to make is that with very few exceptions the 75 is actually very reliable - it comes when it is supposed to.

Ok so some examples of buses not showing up have been quoted - but that is the exception to the rule on hat route.

And actually if you travel around, you will see plenty of orbital services with that level of service - it is far from unusual.

And have a look at the numbers using the 75 - they are anything but low.

Idbatterim

The last buses are a joke. The drivers absolutely flying it and leaving stops way before timetabled. There should be certain times they are not permitted to leave certain stops before , to stop this ...

loyatemu

Dundrum has a huge catchment area in South Dublin and North Wicklow. The alternatives are the city centre (much more expensive parking), Carrickmines (free parking but poor selection of clothes shops), Liffey Valley and Blanch (significantly longer drive, you'll end up spending the extra money on fuel anyway).

LXFlyer

Idbatterim wrote: »

The last buses are a joke. The drivers absolutely flying it and leaving stops way before timetabled. There should be certain times they are not permitted to leave certain stops before , to stop this ...

The only time that the 75 is timetabled for is, like most routes, the terminus departure time. There is no other timetabled point along the route. I'm not sure how then you're concluding that drivers are leaving stops "way before timetabled"?

The only exception to this are cross-city routes which have an official departure time from the city centre.

_Kaiser_

I lived in the area 3 years and can count on one hand the times I bothered going to Dundrum Centre... aside from the traffic, the crap layout inside (it's like they took Blanch SC and shoehorned it into an area a third the size), the idea of paying €2 to park in the place (even if only picking up something from Argos) didn't sit well with me at all. I used to go to Carrickmines or across to Liffey Valley/Blanch if out for the day/see a movie etc.

Not surprised they've hiked the parking now that we're back in the Good Times... the place always gave me that Celtic Tiger South County Dublin "notions" impression.

intheclouds

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Not surprised they've hiked the parking now that we're back in the Good Times... the place always gave me that Celtic Tiger South County Dublin "notions" impression.

The bit I find creepy about it is all these women (and men too I guess) who actually get dressed up to just go and wander about there. I just dont get why youd do that!!

GrumpyMe

intheclouds wrote: »

The bit I find creepy about it is all these women (and men too I guess) who actually get dressed up to just go and wander about there. I just dont get why youd do that!!

Showing respect to the God of Mammon!:D

Awaaf

lxflyer wrote: »

The only time that the 75 is timetabled for is, like most routes, the terminus departure time. There is no other timetabled point along the route. I'm not sure how then you're concluding that drivers are leaving stops "way before timetabled"?

The only exception to this are cross-city routes which have an official departure time from the city centre.

Leaving aside the fact that they leave termini before time (and you will get nowhere if you complain - I wonder how the Dublin Bus staff feel if it was their daughter left behind?), go to London and see how a Bus service runs with reliable departure times across the route. It is an absolute pleasure to use and the feeling of reliability must greatly enhance usage figures and thereby the longterm sustainability of the service for staff and users.

PS and the customers don't have to worry about momentum to the same extent as on Dublin Bus

qrx

This will kill the cinema. Brought the little one to a movie and McDonalds. €6 parking. It's the fact that the parking cost more than my cinema ticket that made it stick out. I prob wouldn't have given €4 a 2nd thought.

For most movies people are going to be clock watching, skipping the trailers etc trying to get under the 3 hours. Who needs that on a day out to the cinema.

markpb

qrx wrote:

This will kill the cinema. Brought the little one to a movie and McDonalds. €6 parking. It's the fact that the parking cost more than my cinema ticket that made it stick out. I prob wouldn't have given €4 a 2nd thought.

I would have expected that few people travel from outside the area just to go to the cinema. I can somewhat understand people travelling from around the city to go shopping there but a cinema is pretty much a cinema.

The population directly around Dundrum is more than enough to support a cinema without any need for parking.

nullzero

qrx wrote: »

This will kill the cinema. Brought the little one to a movie and McDonalds. €6 parking. It's the fact that the parking cost more than my cinema ticket that made it stick out. I prob wouldn't have given €4 a 2nd thought.

For most movies people are going to be clock watching, skipping the trailers etc trying to get under the 3 hours. Who needs that on a day out to the cinema.

There goes their plan to have screenings of Once upon a time in America.

qrx

markpb wrote: »

I would have expected that few people travel from outside the area just to go to the cinema. I can somewhat understand people travelling from around the city to go shopping there but a cinema is pretty much a cinema.

The population directly around Dundrum is more than enough to support a cinema without any need for parking.

Its the local cinema for a large surrounding area. Using public transport to get to the cinema is not something I have ever done nor will ever do. It's just one of those activities you put as little effort into as possible.

markpb

qrx wrote:

Its the local cinema for a large surrounding area. Using public transport to get to the cinema is not something I have ever done nor will ever do. It's just one of those activities you put as little effort into as possible.

A huge number of people live very close to Dundrum, no more than a few minutes walk away. Sandyford is only five minutes on the luas and has tens of thousands of people.

You might not take public transport to the cinema but you are not everyone.

qrx

markpb wrote: »

A huge number of people live very close to Dundrum, no more than a few minutes walk away. Sandyford is only five minutes on the luas and has tens of thousands of people.

You might not take public transport to the cinema but you are not everyone.

And a lot of people might take public transport to the cinema but they are not everyone. Pick at my words all you like, I'm not unique in driving to the cinema and I'm not unique in having a problem with paying more in parking than I do on my ticket.

They've lost me as a customer and there will Br others like.me. That's all I'm trying to say.

intheclouds

markpb wrote: »

A huge number of people live very close to Dundrum, no more than a few minutes walk away. Sandyford is only five minutes on the luas and has tens of thousands of people.

You might not take public transport to the cinema but you are not everyone.

But people come from all over for the cinema. Most areas don't have one or have one with small screens. It's not just locals that use it by a long shot.

We used to use the one in dundrum even though we live very close to the one in tallaght. Liffey valley is next nearest.

I'd rather travel for a nice cinema but I wouldn't be bothered paying so much for the parking.

Fratton Fred

New cinemas are planned for Cherrywood and Carrickmines, so that will inevitably hit the one at Dundrum.

Maybe they will start giving free parking as part of a cinema ticket.