Free parking in city centre....don't hold your breath.

Comhrá

Just reading about the proposal for 30 mins. free parking in the city centre to help stimulate business - well, no need to get excited just yet by the sound of things. Bureaucracy & red tape seemingly alive and well in Limerick City Council.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/business-news/confusion-over-free-parking-plans-in-limerick-1-6329176

zulutango

Won't free parking just lead to traffic chaos?

We should be asking ourselves why so many people need to drive into the city centre in the first place.

1. People aren't living in the city centre, as they used to. That has to be addressed. We've the largest sub-urban population (as a percentage of the total urban population) in the country.

2. There is a fairly poor public transport system. The problem here is that we are unlikely to get a good one so long as the population of the city is so spread out.

sleepyman

zulutango wrote: »

Won't free parking just lead to traffic chaos?

We should be asking ourselves why so many people need to drive into the city centre in the first place.

1. People aren't living in the city centre, as they used to. That has to be addressed. We've the largest sub-urban population (as a percentage of the total urban population) in the country.

2. There is a fairly poor public transport system. The problem here is that we are unlikely to get a good one so long as the population of the city is so spread out.

I think the Bus Service was better when I was a kid.You can't get a bus after 6 in certain parts of the city-if you live in Clareview,NCR,Bracken etc.That's a woeful service if you ask me.The Caherdavin Bus used to go down the Ennis Road past Centra & the Gaelic grounds but they re-routed it.
Also surely some of the suburban bus services should be located by the train station or at least more info & where to get them.


There needs to be more quality apartments built in the city centre-the strand ones seem nice again.The ones in Mount kenneth look like Ghettos at this stage.The whole docklands needs a clean up, more lighting etc

Poxyshamrock

The council needs to put more pressure on Bus Eireann to provide a better service.

highlydebased

Vast areas of the city and surrounds are completely unserved by bus. They made things even worse at their last timetable change/rationalisation!

zulutango

highlydebased wrote: »

Vast areas of the city and surrounds are completely unserved by bus. They made things even worse at their last timetable change/rationalisation!

How can we have a decent bus service though, when the population of Limerick is so spread out? Hardly any routes are viable because they can only serve small numbers of people.

sleepyman

zulutango wrote: »

How can we have a decent bus service though, when the population of Limerick is so spread out? Hardly any routes are viable because they can only serve small numbers of people.

I understand that Zulutango.Don't think anyone expects a Dublin Bus service but surely the buses could be routed in such a way as to cover a lare portion of Limerick's population?Why can't the Caherdavin route go back to going down the Ennis Road?There used to be a bus stop outside where Jim's was on the North Circular-really was very handy,bus every hour that woud go up through Clareview, Shelbourne Road into town.majority would be heading for UL.
Then they wittled it a way to a bus @ 10am & 12.I think that's even gone.
clearly some of the people in Bus Eireann just don't give a toss.

zulutango

sleepyman wrote: »

I understand that Zulutango.Don't think anyone expects a Dublin Bus service but surely the buses could be routed in such a way as to cover a lare portion of Limerick's population?Why can't the Caherdavin route go back to going down the Ennis Road?There used to be a bus stop outside where Jim's was on the North Circular-really was very handy,bus every hour that woud go up through Clareview, Shelbourne Road into town.majority would be heading for UL.
Then they wittled it a way to a bus @ 10am & 12.I think that's even gone.
clearly some of the people in Bus Eireann just don't give a toss.

It could be that, or it could be that the routes just aren't viable given the low number of people that might use them. It's more than likely a bit of both.

thesimpsons

on a quick drive thru town today and saw loads of free parking - all the idiots parked up william street blocking a whole lane (but they had flashers on so it's ok !!), 2 cars double parked coming back down Roches Street, 2 double parked on lower Shannon Street (outside Jack Fitzgeralds) and then another idiot outside Clohessys. if the warders controlled this crap parking instead of ticketing the ones who while overtime on their disks are at least not holding up traffic, it'd be great.

as to the buses, theres a whole area of northside mentioned above with no buses which could do with a mini bus type service - Ennis Road, Caherdavin lawn/Clonmacken, Ashbrook, Clareview, Greystones, NCR. many elderly and those with young children who can't get to town without relying on neighbours or friends to drive them. Caherdavin Park seems to have a brilliant service. even if it altered the caherdavin route so that once an hour it serviced these areas it'd be better than whats there at moment

Special Circumstances

That's always been my take on parking in limerick - paying is only for honest fools. There's buckets of free parking if you are ignorant enough - double yellow line, restricting egress from an actual car park? Mighty. Double yellow and blocking the path? Double score.

zulutango

Special Circumstances wrote: »

That's always been my take on parking in limerick - paying is only for honest fools. There's buckets of free parking if you are ignorant enough - double yellow line, restricting egress from an actual car park? Mighty. Double yellow and blocking the path? Double score.

It's so hard to police though, and probably not economically feasible to do so.

We should really be looking at pedestrianising the streets anyway and limiting access to cars.

DarkJager

zulutango wrote: »

It's so hard to police though, and probably not economically feasible to do so.

We should really be looking at pedestrianising the streets anyway and limiting access to cars.

Pedestrianising streets in Limerick is absolutely pointless. That only works in city centres that have enough retail outlets and footfall in the first place. Limerick city has neither.

Vanquished

DarkJager wrote: »

Pedestrianising streets in Limerick is absolutely pointless. That only works in city centres that have enough retail outlets and footfall in the first place. Limerick city has neither.

That's a complete fallacy! Pedestrianising suitable streets can have hugely positive and beneficial results. An attractive, pleasant, relaxed environment is what draws people to these streets.

Look at how the likes of Thomas Street, Little Catherine Street, Bedford Row and even Foxes Bow have been transformed as a result of the pedestrianisation and streetscape works!

zulutango

DarkJager wrote: »

Pedestrianising streets in Limerick is absolutely pointless. That only works in city centres that have enough retail outlets and footfall in the first place. Limerick city has neither.

That's completely wrong. Vehicular traffic through city centres tends to stifle them. Pedestrianisation of city centres, if it's done right, usually helps them.

There is, of course, an optimum balance to be found, but we're way too deferential to the car in Limerick and it's not good for the city. We'd have a more vibrant city centre if we grasped the nettle and pedestrianised certain streets.

zulutango

Catherine Street is the poor relation of Limerick's streets, but I think it might be one of the best ones to pedestrianise (the full lenght of it). Imagine it as a long tree-lined avenue, dedicated to people rather than cars. Its Gerogian buildings could be a nice mix of residences and shops. It might also be easier to achieve this than the long-awaited for pedestrianisation of O'Connell Street and it could possibly be more benefical to the city too. One can dream, I guess.

Vanquished

We really are a way behind the curve on this one! You only have to look at how they maximise their civic spaces on the continent. Whereas in Irish cities obviously including Limerick the car is still king!

Yes the car needs to be accommodated but it shouldn't receive priority in the city centre. We need to make the primary city centre streets far more pedestrian friendly. At the minute we have an urban environment that is quite hostile to pedestrians with narrow footpaths, poor pedestrian crossing facilities, predominance of traffic and parking etc etc.

If only the relevant authorities showed some courage and ambition the city centre would be at least heading in the right direction towards reaching its potential!

It's easy to forget but here's a reminder of how Bedford Row looked in 2004. In a word; bleak!

Vanquished

zulutango wrote: »

Catherine Street is the poor relation of Limerick's streets, but I think it might be one of the best ones to pedestrianise (the full lenght of it). Imagine it as a long tree-lined avenue, dedicated to people rather than cars. Its Gerogian buildings could be a nice mix of residences and shops. It might also be easier to achieve this than the long-awaited for pedestrianisation of O'Connell Street and it could possibly be more benefical to the city too. One can dream, I guess.

Yeah I think longer term it would be a far more viable and palatable candidate for pedestrianisation than O'Connell Street! It's a pretty lightly trafficked street as it is.

There's no way the pedestrianisation of a portion of O'Connell Street as proposed in the 2007 upgrade project will go ahead now if indeed ever. That's not exactly a big deal anyhow. Just as long as the street receives a long overdue facelift at the earliest opportunity.

In terms of Catherine Street, I'd settle for a pedestrian priority scheme for now. An extension of the existing upgraded section from Thomas Street to Roches Street would do very nicely indeed. Quality natural stone paving, wide footpaths, reduced parking, upgraded lighting, trees, planter boxes and appropriate street furniture would redefine and revitalise the street beyond recognition.

Iranoutofideas

It would be nice to see more cycle lanes around Limerick City. Safe ones.

Totally Tropical

zulutango wrote: »

It could be that, or it could be that the routes just aren't viable given the low number of people that might use them. It's more than likely a bit of both.

Limerick has one of the lowest bus usage rates in the country along with Waterford.According to the statistics Cork and Galway have the highest bus usage rates outside of Dublin.Cork has bigger usage numbers than the all the stats combined for the other regional cities while Galway recorded higher bus usage numbers than Limerick and Waterfords combined totals.For whatever reason people in Limerick are not using the bus.I think apart from the 304 the other routes are recording low loading totals.

Doom

Nothing in the city, no need to go into it.
Thank both the councils working against each other for years...only one council now, but damage is done.

d1980

Vanquished wrote: »

We really are a way behind the curve on this one! You only have to look at how they maximise their civic spaces on the continent. Whereas in Irish cities obviously including Limerick the car is still king!

Yes the car needs to be accommodated but it shouldn't receive priority in the city centre. We need to make the primary city centre streets far more pedestrian friendly. At the minute we have an urban environment that is quite hostile to pedestrians with narrow footpaths, poor pedestrian crossing facilities, predominance of traffic and parking etc etc.

If only the relevant authorities showed some courage and ambition the city centre would be at least heading in the right direction towards reaching its potential!

It's easy to forget but here's a reminder of how Bedford Row looked in 2004. In a word; bleak!

big transformation!!!

thesimpsons

If they ran a bus inwards on condel road in morning after picking up in caherdavin, ennis Rd and NCR areas, it'd boost bus usage and reduce morning traffic a lot. The amount of cars in morning full of students getting dropped to city schools is mad but there's not a single bus for them. Vast majority of parents I know aren't working in town so just turn around and come straight home again. Bus would be great. A bus stop on condel Rd for Villiers and then again at the lights for ardscoil and salesians and bingo!

maryk123

I brought my kids to town one Saturday on the bus and to be honest it was more hassle. Waited at bus stop - checked next bus on my phone - waited and waited no bus came. Gave up on the bus. Car a lot easier.

highlydebased

The reason bus usage numbers are so low is because the service is terrible! Doesn't go where people want, infrequent, usually late and unreliable, the list goes on!

Iranoutofideas

I live on the outskirts, 5 miles from city centre. Bus at 8am, 9:20am, 1:40pm into town.

I'd use it a lot more but the timetable is rubbish.

zulutango

Totally Tropical wrote: »

Limerick has one of the lowest bus usage rates in the country along with Waterford.According to the statistics Cork and Galway have the highest bus usage rates outside of Dublin.Cork has bigger usage numbers than the all the stats combined for the other regional cities while Galway recorded higher bus usage numbers than Limerick and Waterfords combined totals.For whatever reason people in Limerick are not using the bus.I think apart from the 304 the other routes are recording low loading totals.

The populations of Cork and Galway are not as dispersed as Limerick, I think. In a city like ours, where the populace is so spread out then it's going to be very hard to have viable bus routes.

wotswattage

Even the bus lane planning is poor around Limerick. Separated bus lanes where there is no traffic (hence no advantage) and once the bus approaches somewhere a bus lane would make a difference it has to merge back in with normal traffic...

The on street parking in town is probably 95% occupied during the day at the moment, so allowing free parking for a period of time won't attract many more people in. What would make a difference would be free/reduced cost parking in the numerous multi story car parks in town. None of the ones i go into seem to be more than half full at best...

shutuplegs96

agree that reduced car park fees would be good idea - was in Cork recently and it was a random half price day in all the car parks.

Never have any problem getting on street parking in the city centre - 2/3 times a week I'd get it very handy.