Parking and traffic in Phoenix Park

zerosugarbuzz

What they do need in the Phoenix park is more coffee docks along with public toilets(Porto cabins or otherwise). Many signs in many languages telling people not to feed the deer. You could nearly bring them home with you the are becoming so domesticated.

micar

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

A few bogusly parked cars which would be easily rectified with additional double yellow lines.

Double yellow may deter some but not others.

Larbre34

ronivek wrote: »

Wouldn't what; advocate for paid parking along the avenue?

Yes.

People pay enough for tickets to the the Zoo etc. I would limit parking in all cases to 5 hours, thats easily tracked by the park staff on handheld devices and it would eliminate commuter parking.

But I wouldn't charge leisure users a cent, thats not in keeping with OPW facilities and a major national amenity. 5 hours is more than enough to handle any family outing, zoo visit, picnic, sports event, exercise session etc.

ronivek

Larbre34 wrote: »

Yes.

People pay enough for tickets to the the Zoo etc. I would limit parking in all cases to 5 hours, thats easily tracked by the park staff on handheld devices and it would eliminate commuter parking.

But I wouldn't charge leisure users a cent, thats not in keeping with OPW facilities and a major national amenity. 5 hours is more than enough to handle any family outing, zoo visit, picnic, sports event, exercise session etc.

Yeah I wouldn’t like to see charges for parking either.

Is there anywhere in the state currently that operates such a system?

ronivek

micar wrote: »

Double yellow may deter some but not others.

If it’s enforced then at the very least it would deter the regular commuters. My estate used to be used as an unofficial park and ride until we lobbied the council to add double yellows; completely different now.

Larbre34

ronivek wrote: »

Yeah I wouldn’t like to see charges for parking either.

Is there anywhere in the state currently that operates such a system?

Yes I've seen a mix of it in small towns and in some private shopping centre carparks. You get say 2 or 3 hours free but if you overstay you get a ticket or clamped. The warden or attendant has a device or phone app, they key in a reg or take a time indexed photo of a reg plate, that creates a record, if they record the same vehicle exceeding the time they have the discretion to penalise it.

Patser

Larbre34 wrote: »

Yes I've seen a mix of it in small towns and in some private shopping centre carparks. You get say 2 or 3 hours free but if you overstay you get a ticket or clamped. The warden or attendant has a device or phone app, they key in a reg or take a time indexed photo of a reg plate, that creates a record, if they record the same vehicle exceeding the time they have the discretion to penalise it.

I remember in Australia 15 years ago the attendants had a low tech solution of coloured chalk, that the would mark car tyres with as they passed, and then look to see who was still marked a few hours later - different colours for every hour they passed by,

jackofalltrades

Free parking disincentives people from switching to other more sustainable forms of transport.
Right now it's free parking and easy access to the park.
Or spend money and time on buses/trams/trains to get there.
There's no contest really.
Bring in parking charges and people will switch to other modes.
And those who really need to drive, will still be able to.
They're just isn't enough available parking anymore.
It has to be better managed or illegal parking is going to get a lot worse.
Every path will be blocked and the grassy areas will be destroyed.

Larbre34

Well then they should consider improving the cycle track in the grass verge by improving junctions and adding crossing points and widening it and then restore parking to the main Avenue.

Shefwedfan

Patser wrote: »

I remember in Australia 15 years ago the attendants had a low tech solution of coloured chalk, that the would mark car tyres with as they passed, and then look to see who was still marked a few hours later - different colours for every hour they passed by,

A little bit less rain in Aus than Ireland :-)

daymobrew

Larbre34 wrote: »

Yes I've seen a mix of it in small towns and in some private shopping centre carparks.

In Tesco Blanchardstown the attendant records reg plates into a device. I guess it alerts him when the car has exceeded the time limit.

Birdie Num Num

jackofalltrades wrote: »

Free parking disincentives people from switching to other more sustainable forms of transport.
Right now it's free parking and easy access to the park.
Or spend money and time on buses/trams/trains to get there.
There's no contest really.
Bring in parking charges and people will switch to other modes.
And those who really need to drive, will still be able to.
They're just isn't enough available parking anymore.
It has to be better managed or illegal parking is going to get a lot worse.
Every path will be blocked and the grassy areas will be destroyed.

There is already no shortage of bus routes that go to the Phoenix Park. Most of the main vehicular gates have bus stops just outside or within a short walk bar White’s Gate and Knockmaroon. Trams are not far off from Park Gate st either.

Larbre34

Birdie Num Num wrote: »

There is already no shortage of bus routes that go to the Phoenix Park. Most of the main vehicular gates have bus stops just outside or within a short walk bar White’s Gate and Knockmaroon. Trams are not far off from Park Gate st either.

Quite right too.

Except that they are on a forced capacity reduction of 50-80% for the foreseeable future and people with underlying conditions are advised to avoid public transport altogether.

One reason I pushed this issue was the disappointment of some elderly neighbours who liked to drive to the Park for their daily exercise and change of scene, who could not do so with ease these past few weeks.

AndrewJRenko

Larbre34 wrote: »

One reason I pushed this issue was the disappointment of some elderly neighbours who liked to drive to the Park for their daily exercise and change of scene, who could not do so with ease these past few weeks.

No-one was blocked from getting into the park. Worst case was that they had to use a different gate to their nearest gate, leaving them with a drive of 1km or 2km extra.

What driver couldn't drive 1km or 2km extra?

Former Former

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

No-one was blocked from getting into the park. Worst case was that they had to use a different gate to their nearest gate, leaving them with a drive of 1km or 2km extra.

What driver couldn't drive 1km or 2km extra?

The big problem was that all traffic was funnelled through two gates instead of six or seven, thus creating traffic jams and making the park much less accessible.

AndrewJRenko

Former Former wrote: »

The big problem was that all traffic was funnelled through two gates instead of six or seven, thus creating traffic jams and making the park much less accessible.

thelad95

I personally wouldn't mind if there could be clamping or removal of stupidly parked cars. People will do it so long as they can get away with it.

These people have zero respect for the environs they're visiting

liamog

Visited the park this evening to walk the dog, had a lovely time, I've discovered this great trick to avoid parked cars. Did you know the majority of the park is not made of roads? It's amazing there are all these fields and forested bits with trails through them, makes for a great experience.

ronivek

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

No-one was blocked from getting into the park. Worst case was that they had to use a different gate to their nearest gate, leaving them with a drive of 1km or 2km extra.

What driver couldn't drive 1km or 2km extra?

He didn't claim they were 'blocked'; he claimed it made it more difficult for them to access the park which is an objective fact. Couple that with the fact some elderly drivers can struggle with unfamiliar roads and routes and it can be the difference between getting out for some daily exercise in the park and just staying home.

micar

thelad95 wrote: »

I personally wouldn't mind if there could be clamping or removal of stupidly parked cars. People will do it so long as they can get away with it.

These people have zero respect for the environs they're visiting

Used to live in glasnevin. One day I came out and there was a car clamped on the road. But, there's free parking .

I rang the clampers to explain that they had unnecessarily clamped a car and that the document placed on the car referred to a different street.

You see, it was match day in Croke park.

The car had been parked on footpath on Botanic Ave a mile away.

The car was lifted, move a mile away and clamped

Imagine being that family, coming back to their car to find it gone......in there eyes stolen.....having to ring the guards.

Not sure the guards would have know it had been lifted and placed elsewhere.

While I agree to clamp the car.....I wasn't sure it should have been removed.

Some people might say ....tough and lesson learned.

Larbre34

liamog wrote: »

Visited the park this evening to walk the dog, had a lovely time, I've discovered this great trick to avoid parked cars. Did you know the majority of the park is not made of roads? It's amazing there are all these fields and forested bits with trails through them, makes for a great experience.

Its staggering, isn't it. 7 million square metres of space, no less, that isn't roadway! Who'd have thought.

jackofalltrades

Larbre34 wrote: »

Well then they should consider improving the cycle track in the grass verge by improving junctions and adding crossing points and widening it and then restore parking to the main Avenue.

Improving the cycle path in the grass verge is a waste of time so long as cars park in the hard shoulder.
People will get out of their car and walk to the nearest path and use that.
Or if they realise they're on a cycle path they'll walk on the path until they can get to a footpath.
Which takes time, especially in the areas where the rails are.

There are 4 lanes down most of Chesterfield Avenue, to want all of them to be used for cars is just greedy in this day and age.

Seth Brundle

micar wrote: »

Used to live in glasnevin. One day I came out and there was a car clamped on the road. But, there's free parking .

I rang the clampers to explain that they had unnecessarily clamped a car and that the document placed on the car referred to a different street.

You see, it was match day in Croke park.

The car had been parked on footpath on Botanic Ave a mile away.

The car was lifted, move a mile away and clamped

Imagine being that family, coming back to their car to find it gone......in there eyes stolen.....having to ring the guards.

Not sure the guards would have know it had been lifted and placed elsewhere.

While I agree to clamp the car.....I wasn't sure it should have been removed.

Some people might say ....tough and lesson learned.

Was there no way for them to have avoided that hassle?

Birdie Num Num

Would love to know how often Marc Ó Cathasaigh visits the Phoenix Park.

ronivek

Birdie Num Num wrote: »

Would love to know how often Marc Ó Cathasaigh visits the Phoenix Park.

It’s to be expected from just about any member of the Green Party I suppose.

For those who maybe didn’t catch it: https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2020/0712/1152831-phoenix-park-gates/

Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh has said the order to reopen almost all gates and roads in the Phoenix Park to through traffic is a "poor decision, made in haste" and he wants to see it "revisited at the earliest opportunity".

Birdie Num Num

ronivek wrote: »

It’s to be expected from just about any member of the Green Party I suppose.

For those who maybe didn’t catch it: https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2020/0712/1152831-phoenix-park-gates/

I would guess I swam in Tramore more times last summer than he visited the Phoenix Park. And that wasn’t very often.

Shefwedfan

Birdie Num Num wrote: »

Would love to know how often Marc Ó Cathasaigh visits the Phoenix Park.

Why? would it make any difference if it was 10 or 100?

daymobrew

micar wrote: »

The car was lifted, move a mile away and clamped

Imagine being that family, coming back to their car to find it gone......in there eyes stolen.....having to ring the guards.

Not sure the guards would have know it had been lifted and placed elsewhere.

While I agree to clamp the car.....I wasn't sure it should have been removed.

Some people might say ....tough and lesson learned.

It would have been removed if it was blocking stuff - clamping in place doesn't solve the issue.

The Gardai would have known to check with the clampers.

Shefwedfan

micar wrote: »

Used to live in glasnevin. One day I came out and there was a car clamped on the road. But, there's free parking .

I rang the clampers to explain that they had unnecessarily clamped a car and that the document placed on the car referred to a different street.

You see, it was match day in Croke park.

The car had been parked on footpath on Botanic Ave a mile away.

The car was lifted, move a mile away and clamped

Imagine being that family, coming back to their car to find it gone......in there eyes stolen.....having to ring the guards.

Not sure the guards would have know it had been lifted and placed elsewhere.

While I agree to clamp the car.....I wasn't sure it should have been removed.

Some people might say ....tough and lesson learned.

If they lift the car they bring to a depot. Why would they drop off along the side of the road? I don't understand this?



They lift the car because it is blocking access to something. No point clamping it and it keeps blocking access

Former Former

The High Priestess of Shrill Woke Outrage is weighing in again in today's paper:
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullally-phoenix-park-travesty-is-a-litmus-test-for-the-greens-1.4302678