Car Parking in DCU

Rosita

I am starting a post-grad in DCU in a few weeks and was wondering about car-parking. I think I read something somewhere about it being €80 per annum for students but that might be my imagination.

Apart from the cost, how does one go about arranging this? I am just concerned in case it is done (some scanning thing) as part of your student card or whatever but when I registered on-line it didn't mention car-parking at all. So it'd be good to know prior to picking up a student card in a few weeks.

Thanks.

Wishbone Ash

Rosita, are you psychic? I was just going to post a similar thread. :cool:

I may be going to DCU college soon, 21 years after doing the Leaving Certificate and was also wondering about parking. €80 PA seems way too reasonable!

cognos

Its free if your early enough to get into car park 2 (fills up by 930).

The 80 euro is for the multi story car park but last year they werent letting new people pay cos they had too many.

Wishbone Ash

cognos wrote:

Its free if your early enough to get into car park 2 (fills up by 930)

Great! Thanks. What time does it open at? I would probably arrive much earlier.

Rosita

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Rosita, are you psychic? I was just going to post a similar thread. :cool:

I may be going to DCU college soon, 21 years after doing the Leaving Certificate and was also wondering about parking. €80 PA seems way too reasonable!

Not pyschic but I have been watching you.;)

Congratulations on going to Uni by the way.

H2G2

cognos wrote:

Its free if your early enough to get into car park 2 (fills up by 930).

In my experience that’s a bit optimistic… at least for the first few weeks of the new semester. Rosita / Wishbone Ash, if you want to guarantee a free space, I would suggest you plan to arrive no later than 8.45.

As for the multi-storey, the options are a year long pass or there is a 6 pass ticket available for staff & students for €7.00. It allows 6 entries & exits into the multi-storey car park and is valid for 3 months. But as cognos says you probably won’t be able to get them.

As an aside, unless they [the Builders] pull off a miracle, the new floor to the Business School doesn’t looks like its anywhere near being finished by next week [its original schedule], so the entrance to Car Park 2 will still be via Ballymun road… it will be a mad house, so you really should arrive early.

Rosita

This is a going to be a problem. I gave them a ring earlier and they confirmed the same details about the six-pass ticket. I don't know why they don't make it a ticket with more passes which would last for a couple of weeks rather than having to get a new one every three days. I won't be in before about 9.35-9.40 so I think I'll be looking for street parking elsewhere which is a pity though something I had anticipated. There is very few things you can do in Dublin these days where car-parking is not a fundamental problem.

But one thing is for sure I am not going back to the days of six or seven years ago when I worked in a company in town and you had people having a nap in the car before they went into work as they had to be in the car-park at about 7.15am to get a place rather than pay a fortune at a parking meter or car-park. Life's too short!

DublinDilbert

H2G2 wrote:

As for the multi-storey, the options are a year long pass or there is a 6 pass ticket available for staff & students for €7.00. It allows 6 entries & exits into the multi-storey car park and is valid for 3 months. But as cognos says you probably won’t be able to get them.

I started a post grad in DCU last year... yea you have to be in before 8:30 or so to get space in car park 2. I only use car park 2 if i'm going to the gym before lecturers etc...

I mainly used the multi story, i looked into paying the €80 for the year, but they said they were not issuing any more passes... so i just used the 6 entry tickets for €7, you can buy them in the basement of the multi story. There's no issue with buying the 6 entry passes, they normally ask for your student card.. The multi story also fills up ( usually worse on wet days), so its best be there for 9 or a little after....

jos28

I rang the admin office last week about the annual pass for the multi storey. They are no longer issuing them. I was told that there are about 70 extra on campus spaces (free) compared to last year. The tarmac men must have found an bit of space somewhere.

GavMan

Anyone know what the story is with the Car Park behind the nursing building is? I'm on intra at the mo and from what i remember, they were putting barriers on it. Are they trying to restrict access to it?(ie: is it going to be like a staff only car park or something?)

rugbug86

i was up there the other day and no barriers as of yet.

maybe they just removed the trailers/abandoned cars from the normal carpark - that'd account for the extra 70 spaces :P

KenHy

Is there any limit on the length of time you can use the free car park for, I'm living near DCU, but without a parking place this year, I'll be leaving and arriving at times that guarantee a place but I'm not sure what will happen if I leave the car days for a few days at a time.

DublinDilbert

KenHy wrote:

Is there any limit on the length of time you can use the free car park for, I'm living near DCU, but without a parking place this year, I'll be leaving and arriving at times that guarantee a place but I'm not sure what will happen if I leave the car days for a few days at a time.

Don't think there is any limit on the amount of time... there seems to be a camper van for days in car park #2... also there seems to be an abandoned for fiesta in car park #1...

markpb

Rosita wrote:

I think I'll be looking for street parking elsewhere which is a pity though something I had anticipated. There is very few things you can do in Dublin these days where car-parking is not a fundamental problem.

There are two places to park on-street around DCU, Ballymun Road and Collins Avenue. I'm fairly sure Ballymun road is pay and display and the residents on Collins avenue get fairly shirty if they think students are using their "private" road to park on.

rugbug86

where exactly do you propose to park on ballymun road?!

roads around the area to park:
- around shanowen/shanard/shanliss
- albert college estate
- eurospar (clamped after 3 hours)
- collins avenue (pay and display)

Wishbone Ash

Thanks for the informative replies folks.

Rosita wrote:

they confirmed the same details about the six-pass ticket. I don't know why they don't make it a ticket with more passes which would last for a couple of weeks rather than having to get a new one every three days

I presume the six-pass ticket allows for six entrances and exits, .i.e. valid for six days?

If so, is it six consecutive days or any six days at random within the 3 months?

Rosita

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Thanks for the informative replies folks.

I presume the six-pass ticket allows for six entrances and exits, .i.e. valid for six days?

If so, is it six consecutive days or any six days at random within the 3 months?

I can't remember exactly how long it's valid for but I think it might have been a couple of months. I remember thinking when I heard it that you'd definitely use it in the time allowed so I just put it to the back of my mind.

My understanding of it is that if you enter and exit on the same day that it lasts just three days. That is to say that you have six uses of it and entrance and exit both count as a use. Though I must check that again. Everything seems clear until someone questions it!

KenHy

The 6 time pass counts for 6 entrances and 6 exits, DCU will rip you off given half a chance, but their not that bad!

Wishbone Ash

KenHy wrote:

The 6 time pass counts for 6 entrances and 6 exits

Thanks.

Rosita

KenHy wrote:

The 6 time pass counts for 6 entrances and 6 exits, DCU will rip you off given half a chance, but their not that bad!

That actually makes it pretty good. I'm there only four days a week I expect so it means that I would get three weeks parking (12 days) for €14. Of course actually getting a place in the car-park is another matter.

KenHy

I've never experienced, or heard of anyone experiencing car parking problems in the multi-story.

DublinDilbert

KenHy wrote:

I've never experienced, or heard of anyone experiencing car parking problems in the multi-story.

The odd day, if its lashing rain and you come in at around 1:45pm for a 2:00pm class you might have a problem..... but in general its fairly good....

H2G2

KenHy wrote:

I've never experienced, or heard of anyone experiencing car parking problems in the multi-story.

Last year for the first time I couldn’t find one place… not one free place from basement to top floor. Happened three times. Common connection was very wet day and me arriving mid-day.

gizmo

H2G2 wrote:

Last year for the first time I couldn’t find one place… not one free place from basement to top floor. Happened three times. Common connection was very wet day and me arriving mid-day.

Gotta love that lecturing job eh?

Cionád

Hey,

I'll be starting on Monday (when i'll also pick up my student card)

Will i have to pay visitor rates in multistory? - or will there be free parking (is there any free-parking?) somewhere cause it will be early on monday....

DublinDilbert

Cion&#225 wrote: »

Hey,

I'll be starting on Monday (when i'll also pick up my student card)

Will i have to pay visitor rates in multistory? - or will there be free parking (is there any free-parking?) somewhere cause it will be early on monday....

I'd say you'll need to pay visitor rates in the multi story till you get your student card... when you have your student card you can use carpark2 or buy a 6 entry pass to the multi story...

Cionád

DublinDilbert wrote:

I'd say you'll need to pay visitor rates in the multi story till you get your student card... when you have your student card you can use carpark2 or buy a 6 entry pass to the multi story...

thanks, so ill pay visitor rates on monday and from then on i can park in multistorey using the 6 entry passes (7 euro) or carpark2 which is free for students right?

DublinDilbert

Cion&#225 wrote: »

thanks, so ill pay visitor rates on monday and from then on i can park in multistorey using the 6 entry passes (7 euro) or carpark2 which is free for students right?

Yep assuming you get your student card on Monday... also assuming you can get a space in car park2 on Tuesday

I've afternoon lecturers, so i'll probably be using the multi story most days... does anyone know if carpark2 empties out at lunch time?

Malteaser!

ehh not really, once they fill up they seem to stay full...

You could always be really cheeky and just create a new space at the end of one of the rows...I had to do that a few times last year

Branoic

I'm starting a part-time post grad next week - lectures start at 6:30pm - I assume I shouldn't have a problem getting a parking space at that time as most of the day students will be gone?

Malteaser!

You shouldn't have a problem, the carpark is usually clear after 5!

Malteaser!

I've never ever seen the carparks as full as they were today...UGH

Caryatnid

So, to park in Carpark 2, do you need to have your car registration registered somewhere as a student's car?

cognos

no, you have to use your student card to get in

Malteaser!

there was a big queue to get into that carpark today!! f*cking disaster...I'm in at 9 tomorrow so better not have the same problem!!

Pietro

DublinDilbert wrote:

Don't think there is any limit on the amount of time... there seems to be a camper van for days in car park #2... also there seems to be an abandoned for fiesta in car park #1...

That van.... he is of a really cool guy :cool: , so he had a special permission :rolleyes:

Seriously,
I was out for conferences, and asked the security if I could leave the vehicle in the carpark. They had no problem with it, but (a) they knew where to get my collegues if there was a problem. (b) it was not term time.

I don't think it would be very wise to leave the car there without letting someone of the security know, just in case they might think it's abandoned.

Cionád

cognos wrote:

no, you have to use your student card to get in

I used my 6 entry pass thing to get in to carpark 2, does that count as an entry?

I asked yer man in the multistorey and he said that the 6 entry pass is just for the multistory, but it worked in the other one.... should i have used my student card (somehow!?)

cognos

put your sudent card in the same slot as you put the ticket thing

Cionád

cognos wrote:

put your sudent card in the same slot as you put the ticket thing

Do you think it will work doing that to get out? - seeing as i didnt use it to get in.

Malteaser!

Cion&#225 wrote: »

Do you think it will work doing that to get out? - seeing as i didnt use it to get in.

Should do, I've used different cards to get out of the carpark then i used to get in and never had a problem!!

dubdcugirly

Question for you car park know it all's! (not that im not grateful )

My student card isnt accepted into car park two??? Ive gone to the registry and they sent me to the estates office who just said my card was faulty...duh it says that on the machine...and registry just gave me a new card...but my card works everywhere else so im puzzled???!! Any ideas? Im a second year so its not as if they assume I aint driving (started first when I was under 18)...HELP its very annoying esp as I always see a free space wen I cant get in :mad:!

Malteaser!

Mine doesn't work either.

It didn't work in 1st and this years card isn't working either, my friend lent me his last year and I'm still using that!!

I really should try to get it sorted!!

DublinDilbert

All last year my card didn't work in car park 2, although it wasn't a big issue as i mainly used the multi story...

but over the summer i was using the gym a good bit so decided to get it sorted... went to estates, the girl tried swiping my card but the magnetic strip was blank, she told me to goto the registry and they would sort it out.... so went to the registry explained what had happened and they made me up a new card on the spot, for free...

rugbug86

registry made a faulty batch of student cards with no details on them - maybe yours is one?

dubdcugirly

Thanking you!

brownbinman

Hi all

as this is a bit of an old thread, has the situation regarding parking improved for gotten worse?

Im starting there in Sept and might be handy to know

cheers

condra

The situation in dismal

joey54

Yeah it's pretty bad at the moment. Anyone else think that the free car parks should be for students only? Surely the lectures and other college staff could afford to pay €7 a week for the multi storey?

Is it something the students union could lobby for?

condra

It's only going to get worse. They need to build new parking facilities.

Albert College estate has become a car park and the residents are getting very tired of the situation. Same goes for Santry.

Cy_Revenant

I cycle.

There's no shortage of places to leave my bike!

The_Wobbler

I park in the Gateway apartments in Ballymun. They have spaces left. €100 for the year. Don't hafta b a resident!