Parking In Ucd

ajc123

Hey, I was just wondering what the worst times for getting parked in UCD are? Most of my lectures don't start until 10 so I assume I'm fairly screwed!?! Any advice on this? i.e whats the latest times I should arrive and the least used car park. Also will I be able to leave for lunch and get a space when I get back?

Breezer

Mods, can we sticky a parking thread please?

Parking is usually bad between 10 and 3. Get in before 10. 9.40 or so and you'll be fine.

All car parks fill up fairly quickly. There's a gravelled car park around the back near the student centre, accessible by the Clonskeagh entrance in the mornings, that you might have more success with, but there's no spaces marked and it's very tight; you're risking someone hitting your car IMO.

Half of O'Reilly Hall car park is occasionally closed when there's an event on.


Can't think of any other tips.

Riamfada

Dont leave for lunch, I have spent up to 1.5 hours you best bet is to get there no later than 9:30.Car spaces begin again to free up from 3pm onwards. Also UCD closes various gates around the college from 7:30am to 10:00 am and again at 4:30 to 7:00pm to stop rat runners cutting off the Stillorgan dual carraigeway.

cHaTbOx

I am just in UCD a couple of days but it seems if you come in the side entrance(The easiest one to aCCOMODATION) well you can get to the car park easier.But I haven't seen it really busy yet .If I'm wrong just say

zap

gates are actually closed from 7-10:30 and 4 - 7:30

Breezer

zap wrote: »

gates are actually closed from 7-10:30 and 4 - 7:30

And it often takes Services a while to get round to each one and open it, as I found out one evening.

woop

Breezer wrote: »

Mods, can we sticky a parking thread please?
.

here here

convert

Parking around UCD is desperate and it's actually getting worse. I went in around 12 noon last week and spent at least 30 mins looking for a car park - ended up at the sports centre...

If you are driving then you'd want to be in by 10am in order to get a spot relatively easily....

However, if you live on an almost direct bus route or are within cycling distance I'd recommend it. I resorted to cycling and walking as parking is just too much hassle and time consuming...

Btw, don't park on the grass down at the Clonskeagh entrance... I saw cars clamped there last Thursday... Also, cars parked in the sports centre car park that aren't in designated spaces will also be clamped, so just be careful... €80 is an awful lot of drinking money!!!!

ajc123

I'll try going in early for the first few days and see how I get on. I might just get a bike instead, I'm actually not that far away! Ill report back as to how I get on. Thanks for the advice everyone!

Riamfada

Its not so bad , it pushes you to get up early and get to college

college2008

hi ajc123

yes i'd say a bike would be the best thing to do

especially if you don't live to far away. just find an easy route... and BOP.... you'll be there in no time.....BOP

Breezer

convert wrote: »

Btw, don't park on the grass down at the Clonskeagh entrance... I saw cars clamped there last Thursday... Also, cars parked in the sports centre car park that aren't in designated spaces will also be clamped, so just be careful... €80 is an awful lot of drinking money!!!!

In fact, don't do anything in the least way dodgy anywhere. The happy clampers are always watching...

Tayto2000

Most of the student centre car park is out of action for the next two weeks as well because of the societies tent...

Pride Fighter

I just saw the car park and all I can say is :pac::pac::pac::D:D:D:p:p:p
I am glad I take the bus.

Mikeyt086

Spent 1hour 15mins looking for a space today. None. I was there at 9.30, missed my first lecture. I had to park in an estate just outside the NovaUCD entrance.

Madness.

Dr Strange

There were a multitude of clamped cars all around the Health Sciences Centre as well as the drive up to the Conway.

Red Alert

Parking this morning was nothing short of desperate at 9.20am. I had to park in Trimbelston road/drive (the one beside the Montrose).

Now, the usual excuse trotted out by college is that everyone should get public transport - but the direct public transport available to UCD's campus is a shambles compared to any British or other European university. However we know full well that the administration wouldn't want too many people to start taking public transport since then their revenue collection activities from car parking would take a nosedive.

The main culprits however in the failure to tackle this whole mess are the SU. If you think about it, it doesn't directly bother the college whether people can find places to park, or even turn up. I know it's a sad state of affairs that many of us find the car to be the only sensible option for getting to UCD - believe me if I'd have known what was coming I wouldn't have come to this dump. I'd have gone to an accessible University. However, parking is one issue around which there's some strong feeling across the undergraduate and postgraduate student bodies alike. Most staff are disgusted with the parking setup too. That's the kind of issue from which a sensible and robust response from the SU could really rally support for the SU and make them relevant to the people that say that they're not relevant.

However I'm sure there's some protest in Equatorial Guinea needing their attention............

Riamfada

Had to park on the Clonskeagh Road today and walk in at 10am. I think Ill be aiming to be in for 7:30 tomorrow.


sigh.

dhaddock

I circled the car parks for about 50 minutes and missed my lecture this morning. So, broken and defeated, I just gave up and went home. Even trying to drive around some of the car parks is a disgrace, some peoples parking jobs are woeful, there is no order and how people still park on the grass when everyday i come back and see about 3 cars clamped is beyond me!!

gubbie

Red Alert wrote: »

The main culprits however in the failure to tackle this whole mess are the SU. If you think about it, it doesn't directly bother the college whether people can find places to park, or even turn up. I know it's a sad state of affairs that many of us find the car to be the only sensible option for getting to UCD - believe me if I'd have known what was coming I wouldn't have come to this dump. I'd have gone to an accessible University. However, parking is one issue around which there's some strong feeling across the undergraduate and postgraduate student bodies alike. Most staff are disgusted with the parking setup too. That's the kind of issue from which a sensible and robust response from the SU could really rally support for the SU and make them relevant to the people that say that they're not relevant.

Must have got better in your 4 years though in order for you to stay on and do a postgrad. And I for one, as a non driving student, would not like to see more car parks because this place is a concrete jungle as it is

Mikeyt086

More car parks are needed. But there just isnt any room for them. What can the SU do about that?

I have driven in to UCD on 3 of my 4 days as a student. Those 3 days involved over 3 hours of circling for a space and missing my first lecture on each day. Bus is the only option.

Breezer

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

I have driven in to UCD on 3 of my 4 days as a student. Those 3 days involved over 3 hours of circling for a space and missing my first lecture on each day. Bus is the only option.

Well to be honest that's a bit ridiculous. I've been here 3 years, driven in on many occasions, at all hours of the day, and I've never taken 3 hours or anything like it to find a space. You may not find a space on campus but if you're willing to walk for 10 minutes there's plenty of room in the surrounding housing estates.

Red Alert

dhaddock wrote: »

I circled the car parks for about 50 minutes and missed my lecture this morning. So, broken and defeated, I just gave up and went home.

Yes, I've done this a couple of times too - thank god for Remote Desktop! It's not too bad for me because I do all computational stuff and no actual hardware lab work. But still it's annoying.

Pride Fighter

It Dun-Laoighre/Rathdowns fault from what I have heard. Apparently UCD are only allowed 3,000 parking spaces with a campus that size. It should be doubled IMO and done right with multi-storey car parks built on half the current car parks with a capacity of 6-7,000. It would free up some land too but they will never get planning permission.

delta_bravo

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

More car parks are needed. But there just isnt any room for them. What can the SU do about that?

I have driven in to UCD on 3 of my 4 days as a student. Those 3 days involved over 3 hours of circling for a space and missing my first lecture on each day. Bus is the only option.

Do get the bus then, its quite a viable option if you live in Bray

Pride Fighter wrote: »

It Dun-Laoighre/Rathdowns fault from what I have heard. Apparently UCD are only allowed 3,000 parking spaces with a campus that size. It should be doubled IMO and done right with multi-storey car parks built on half the current car parks with a capacity of 6-7,000. It would free up some land too but they will never get planning permission.

I think that a multi storey facility is part of their new gateway programme but if funding keeps going the way that is you can forget about it. A lot of people that drive in have plenty of other methods of commuting but the convenience factor is hard to beat and the parking problem is only going to get worse in future years.

Pride Fighter

UCD has plenty of liquidity Delta, they have sold some huge land banks such as the Terrace and other city centre locations. I believe they can pay for most of the gateway with that cash, they would want to do it quick though so they are not tempted to use it to pay the wage bill.

Breezer

Pride Fighter wrote: »

UCD has plenty of liquidity Delta, they have sold some huge land banks such as the Terrace and other city centre locations. I believe they can pay for most of the gateway with that cash, they would want to do it quick though so they are not tempted to use it to pay the wage bill.

I say this as someone who drives to UCD regularly: there is absolutely no way in this economic climate that UCD should be diverting funds towards building car parks, Gateways, etc. The 3rd level sector is grossly underfunded, and courses are being cancelled in UCD due to budget restrictions. College fees are back on the agenda once more. Of 3 UCD students who have committed suicide in the recent past, 2 were on the waiting lists to see our one and only counsellor.

If there's money available then it should be spent either on academic programmes or on essential services for students. Extra parking spaces to allow even more people who live within a 3 mile radius of UCD to drive in is not an essential service and I would loudly protest against any attempt to prioritise it over an improved student health and welfare service or the continuation of academic programmes.

Pride Fighter, I'm not picking a personal fight with you here, it just made sense to quote your post in relation to my point.

Guys, seriously, parking has been discussed to death here. Giving out on Boards won't progress the issue. Either come in early, be willing to park on a street and walk a short distance to campus, or find some other mode of transport. It's not that difficult: I've been doing it for years.

Alternatively, start a car parking campaign, but be prepared to meet resistance from those who disagree with you.

gubbie

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

More car parks are needed. But there just isnt any room for them. What can the SU do about that?

I have driven in to UCD on 3 of my 4 days as a student. Those 3 days involved over 3 hours of circling for a space and missing my first lecture on each day. Bus is the only option.

County council won't allow more car parks. I think its got to do with the number of buildings, not the amount of people here... or so I've heard. The SU has more important things to be worrying about. Would you still be complaining if the SU switched its attention from the free fee's to the losing battle of getting more car parks?

Tayto2000

Multistoreys are coming as part of the new student centre first, so that will help matters a bit... Unfortunately, I don't think there'll ever be enough spaces, demand far outstrips supply and even when it's a major inconvenience, as is the situation now, people still bring the cars.

I think an increase in spaces would just be eaten up by people switching back from other methods to their cars... That was what happened when all the temporary car parks were brought in anyway...

Here's a pic from the back of Conway on Monday... all the cars in the picture except the ones seen through the trees in the Conway carpark have been clamped... Happened again next day though.

Red Alert

Well gubbie, less than a year ago the Student's Union considered Shell to Sea a more worthwhile pursuit than parking - hardly a more important issue to be thinking about.

Something tells me that a bit of muscle from UCD would make DLRCOCO allow more parking spaces. The fact of the matter is that none of this would be needed had proper planning been done in UCD and this city as a whole with regard to public transport - no other university nor european city is such a combined shambles.

Tayto2000

Be prepared for it to get worse again... P&D parking is being brought in all over Dublin in residential areas when the locals get fed up with being used as an extended car park. Parking and walking might not even be an option in the near future...