Parkwest....yet again!

DWCommuter

Parkwest has been in the doldrums a lot lately. Last year roadworks bogged it down in absolute hell. Add in the fact that in terms of public transport, its desert like and we can conclude that works unrelated to it are causing mayhem in the area again.

Due to works on the Kidare route project, Station road (Clondalkin) is closed. Therefore traffic that would usually use this route out of and into Parkwest at peak times, is now forced to use the route from the Nangor road. While I accept that the KRP is an important public transport project, is it unreasonable to expect better traffic management for Parkwest during this particular closure? Its bad enough without this upset. No Gardai, no changes to the single sequences....nothing at all.

Im a huge critic of public transport planning in Dublin and a non-subscriber to the "world class transport system" that the Government are pedalling under the T21 banner and this small example in Parkwest is yet another pointer to how Ireland just doesn't understand the concept of public transport and actual transport management. One could cite several other examples of where it all goes wrong, due to a lack of joined up thinking and basic appreciation and understanding of Dublins car dependency and how it requires management during the forthcoming building frenzy that will inevitably cause chaos.

These are simple matters to help keep things moving.

scruff321

yeah had to workout in park wst last year an absolute nightmare to get out to if you dont have a car

dogmatix

DWCommuter wrote: »

Add in the fact that in terms of public transport, its desert like and we can conclude that works unrelated to it are causing mayhem in the area again.

I live in ParkWest and would not agree about the public transport option:
1. You've got the 79A (grand in the mornings/evenings but avoid sitting upstairs).
2. The privately run AMC coach (ok, the buses are best described as jalopies).
3. And nearby is the 151.

So it's not so bad.

The 79A is a lot quicker now that it is no longer routed through inchicore. And there will be another transport option when the new train station finally opens.

kelzer

The new train service will hopefully bring some life to the place as well as some relief to commuters. As a regular visitor to Parkwest it surprises me how quiet the place is and the lack of basic amenities there are there. You should be happy that you will have a train service right on your doorstep.

OTK

Is there no shuttle bus up and down Park West Road to Kylemore Luas? It wouldn't cost much.

Davidth88

Is there no shuttle bus up and down Park West Road to Kylemore Luas? It wouldn't cost much.

There was one to McD's , however I think it was stopped due to lack of interest so to speak.

There will be a train station in Park West by Sept ( assuming IE/RPA are on time ) then you won't have to walk down to Cherry Orchard to get a train.

The train stn there is really horrible , and dangerous ( one of the girls in our office was attcked there ).

It always amuses me to see the bus loads of tourists in the Days Inn , I wonder what the tour company said something like ' two days at leisure in Dublin City ' or something like that , and they get dumped next to a prison in a concrete wilderness.

dogmatix

Ah now - the prison is a good half mile away! And the local traveller kids doing their evening constitutional with horse and trap add a bit of local colour too. I'll bet the tourists love that. I'm surprised they haven't been offering jaunts to tourists for a few quid - where's their entrepreneurial spirit?

I'm not sure how useful the train station will be to the residents here - it will leave you at hueston and then you have to get another mode of transport into the city centre. Why bother when you can hop on a 79A and go all the way. I think the train option might be better suited to people working in ParkWest coming from the likes of Kildare or thereabouts.

I believe that while the station is due to be complete later this summer or the autumn there might not be any trains actually stopping there until next year?

You can luas it to ParkWest but it is a 30 minute walk from the Kylemore stop.

shanemort

Living in rathgar and not driving getting to parkwest was mental,

I used to get the bus to town and then the AMC shuttle out to parkwest which was a Joke, never on time, sometimes doesnt show, how can anyone plan a morning route when they dont bother there ass to run a prper bus service.

I now walk to harolds cross get the 18 over to the long mile and the 151 to the nangor rd, leave the house @ 8am every morning and im on joyce way @ 9am. Same come rain or snow, cant beat old dublin bus.

all in all parkwest is a dump, and AMC suck as$ but if you are willing to walk 10mins you have a great bus 151 every 10 mins.

DWCommuter

dogmatix wrote: »

I live in ParkWest and would not agree about the public transport option:
1. You've got the 79A (grand in the mornings/evenings but avoid sitting upstairs).
2. The privately run AMC coach (ok, the buses are best described as jalopies).
3. And nearby is the 151.

So it's not so bad.

The 79A is a lot quicker now that it is no longer routed through inchicore. And there will be another transport option when the new train station finally opens.

You live in parkwest. Im talking about all those workers who don't. Frankly during evening peak, theres more cars on the road than people at bus stops in the area. As for the new station, I have no doubt that its more suitable for residents than workers. While Cherry Orchard was uninviting, it was more centrally located in the core of the estate. With the Interconnector up and running, one would hope that a local feeder bus will connect with the station. Otherwise many people will deem it useless.

Davidth88

all in all parkwest is a dump,

Oh come on it's not that bad, what other business park can you watch the wildlife on the lagoons at lunch-time.

Ok , I drive in but I actually quite like it.

Does anyone know the real story behind the pub ( bennigans/hannigans or whatever ) that closed due to ' flooding ' ?

I was only in there twice , TBH after dark it became rather scary with most of the people in there obviously banned from any other pub in the area I guess.

DWCommuter

Davidth88 wrote: »

Does anyone know the real story behind the pub ( bennigans/hannigans or whatever ) that closed due to ' flooding ' ?

I was only in there twice , TBH after dark it became rather scary with most of the people in there obviously banned from any other pub in the area I guess.

Its now a working set for a reality TV show with a horror theme. Think Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers etc.

dogmatix

DWCommuter wrote: »

You live in parkwest. Im talking about all those workers who don't. Frankly during evening peak, theres more cars on the road than people at bus stops in the area. As for the new station, I have no doubt that its more suitable for residents than workers. While Cherry Orchard was uninviting, it was more centrally located in the core of the estate. With the Interconnector up and running, one would hope that a local feeder bus will connect with the station. Otherwise many people will deem it useless.

You have a point. I sometimes wonder if the concept of "business parks" located well outside city centres is a good idea. I used to work in the eastpoint many years ago and getting there from ballinteer was a pain. I would imagine CityWest must be the worst one from a transport point of view. Maybe the powers that be should encourage business to centrally locate rather then move to office parks.

As for Bennigans/hannigans - first they where told that they would have their asses sued if they continued to use the bennigan name by the aforementioned US restaurant chain. Hence the name change. After that they began to attract unsavoury characters - the sort who had been banned from every other drinking den (legal or otherwise). The "closed due to flooding" was just an excuse to shut down.

Blush_01

dogmatix wrote: »

I live in ParkWest and would not agree about the public transport option:
1. You've got the 79A (grand in the mornings/evenings but avoid sitting upstairs).
2. The privately run AMC coach (ok, the buses are best described as jalopies).
3. And nearby is the 151.

So it's not so bad.

The 79A is a lot quicker now that it is no longer routed through inchicore. And there will be another transport option when the new train station finally opens.

The train service is patchy at best, and the bus service is only decent when traffic isn't bad. If the traffic is backed up coming towards the roundabout from Cherry Orchard the bus can be over 30 minutes late. The 151 isn't fantastic either.

Luckily the Luas is only about 25 minutes walk from Parkwest.

trellheim

I used to cycle up the canal from Ranelagh and it was fine .. only pain is getting your bike up the last slope to the overbridge into Parkwest.

Back the other way in the evenings was a blast as it was so fast. - all downhill.

L1011

dogmatix wrote: »

As for Bennigans/hannigans - first they where told that they would have their asses sued if they continued to use the bennigan name by the aforementioned US restaurant chain. Hence the name change. After that they began to attract unsavoury characters - the sort who had been banned from every other drinking den (legal or otherwise). The "closed due to flooding" was just an excuse to shut down.

Admittedly, it did actually flood at least once whilst I worked directly above it, due to the toilets in Block 1 of the plaza offices leaking in to it...

dogmatix

MYOB wrote: »

Admittedly, it did actually flood at least once whilst I worked directly above it, due to the toilets in Block 1 of the plaza offices leaking in to it...

But I think the flooding thing was just an excuse - they have defo gone into liquidation now.

dogmatix

trellheim wrote: »

I used to cycle up the canal from Ranelagh and it was fine .. only pain is getting your bike up the last slope to the overbridge into Parkwest.

Back the other way in the evenings was a blast as it was so fast. - all downhill.

I normally join the canal at the Kylemore road bridge when cycling - is it espcially hard going up/down that mud path with a bike and bag on your back? I'm thinking it would be even worse in wet weather, but would like to try as I hate sharing park west avenue with the artic lorries at 8am.

Davidth88

But I think the flooding thing was just an excuse - they have defo gone into liquidation now.

Interesting

trellheim

I normally join the canal at the Kylemore road bridge when cycling - is it espcially hard going up/down that mud path with a bike and bag on your back? I'm thinking it would be even worse in wet weather, but would like to try as I hate sharing park west avenue with the artic lorries at 8am.

yes it was at that time since you had to hoist the bike over a barrier . haven't been there in a long while now have to say.

Quint

I had a Parkwest to Merrion Square commute, the car was so much better than public transport!