Free morning parking in the city centre for November

Mrs OBumble

Galway City's website says

Free On-Street Parking in Galway City Centre!

Monday-Friday only

10 November - 28 November

10.00 a.m. - 12 noon

The streets available in the initiative are as follows:-

Map of Included Streets

Augustine Street Bothar Irwin Bridge Street
Dominick Street Eyre Street Forster Street
Forthill Street Frenchville Street Headford Road
Lombard Street Merchants Road Middle Street
Cross Street Newtownsmyth St. Brendan's Avenue
Market Street Woodquay/Potato Market Courtlane
Raven Terrace
Accompanying map shows above listed streets.

This initiative does not include car parks.

ref: http://www.galwaycity.ie/news/129/59/Free-On-Street-Parking-in-Galway-City-Centre/

cgcsb

A parochial approach to transport if ever there was one.

biko

It doesn't give a reason in the link. Maybe early Christmas shopping.

antoobrien

Did the same thing last year, article from the tribune last year.

biko

Iwannahurl banned from thread. Not every thread that mentions "cars" are a soapbox for you.
Sorry everyone that also got posts removed.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Galway City's website says



ref: http://www.galwaycity.ie/news/129/59/Free-On-Street-Parking-in-Galway-City-Centre/

it is interesting the Council do this when they say in their own City Development Plan 2011 -> 2017

http://gis.galwaycity.ie/devplanflipbook/pdf/DevPlan_20112017.pdf
Page 32 -->

3.5 Integrated Sustainable Transportation Plan
"
Parking

The need to reduce the number of trips by car particularly to the city centre by limiting car parking requirements is a critical element of an integrated transportation plan. To do this effectively requires that alternative options must be made available. The GTU as part of the integrated sustainable transportation plan will undertake a detailed assessment of car parking in the city and devise an overall strategy for car parking.

"
Why bother with a City Development Plan if your not going to go about implementing it?

antoobrien

what_traffic wrote: »

Why bother with a City Development Plan if your not going to go about implementing it?

There's no point in having one if fully implementing it makes it harder to collect the primary source of income - commercial rates.

http://connachttribune.ie/free-parking-citys-streets-144/

The initiative will run until November 28, when the annual Christmas Park & Ride will be launched.

One of the Council’s roles is to support economic activity in the city, so along with Galway Chamber and the Galway City Business Association for the last couple of years, we’ve been trying to encourage people into the city centre during the quieter period before Christmas.

Mrs OBumble

It's even possible that the GTU have developed an overall strategy, and that addressing the November morning under-utilization via price signals is part of it.











Possible I said. Not commenting on whether it's likely, factual or whatever.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's even possible that the GTU have developed an overall strategy, and that addressing the November morning under-utilization via price signals is part of it.











Possible I said. Not commenting on whether it's likely, factual or whatever.

Do you have a breakdown of the car parking revenue the Council get per month?

what_traffic

antoobrien wrote: »

There's no point in having one if fully implementing it makes it harder to collect the primary source of income - commercial rates.

http://connachttribune.ie/free-parking-citys-streets-144/

Sounds like a robbing Peter to pay Paul argument? The Council is not a commercial entity - the remit has to be far bigger than simple economics.

antoobrien

what_traffic wrote: »

Sounds like a robbing Peter to pay Paul argument? The Council is not a commercial entity - the remit has to be far bigger than simple economics.

You might recall the front page article on the City Tribune a few weeks back, stating that the city council is owed €30m in rates arrears? Making it harder for commercial entities to do business is not in the best interests of the city council's coffers, so and if this helps them claw back some of those arrears it will be a good thing for the city.

what_traffic

antoobrien wrote: »

You might recall the front page article on the City Tribune a few weeks back, stating that the city council is owed €30m in rates arrears? Making it harder for commercial entities to do business is not in the best interests of the city council's coffers, so and if this helps them claw back some of those arrears it will be a good thing for the city.

Is there any economic study done to back this up?
The rates arrears is not just for the City Centre.
Have the council released any such information showing if they forgo parking rates for 2 hours for 18 days for certain City Centre Streets it will generate X in extra revenue for City Centre businesses?

antoobrien

what_traffic wrote: »

Is there any economic study done to back this up?

The arrears figure is publicly known and the practice of using "loss leaders" to get bodies through the door is well established.

what_traffic wrote: »

The rates arrears is not just for the City Centre.

Who said or implied it was?

what_traffic wrote: »

Have the council released any such information showing if they forgo parking rates for 2 hours for 18 days for certain City Centre Streets it will generate X in extra revenue for City Centre businesses?

Not that I know of, but then why should they waster their breath explaining something like this to people that don't seem to care what the explanation will be.

This is the second year they've done it, like the shopping park and ride, time will tell just how effective it is at attracting extra bodies into Galway.

However the reason for this must surely be the lobbying by Galway businesses, who have have bemoaned the price of parking in Galway for quite a while, having convinced the city council of the potential benefits to them.

what_traffic

With Park and Ride they can at least tell the number's using it and the revenues that it generates and how much it is subsidized by the Council. No such measurements have been given with regard's to this Free Parking initiative. Also park and Ride fits with their own Development Plan - this Free Parking does not. It contradicts it.

antoobrien

what_traffic wrote: »

With Park and Ride they can at least tell the number's using it and the revenues that it generates and how much it is subsidized by the Council. No such measurements have been given with regard's to this Free Parking initiative. Also park and Ride fits with their own Development Plan - this Free Parking does not. It contradicts it.

But it doesn't, from the next line in the doc you quoted

In order to encourage the transfer to public transport and to discourage commuter parking, the Council will restrict new car parking within the city centre area.

Contrary to your (selective) reading of the text, they are not acting outside the development plan, in that they are not adding new capacity (in fact they have been removing it).

what_traffic

antoobrien wrote: »

But it doesn't, from the next line in the doc you quoted



Contrary to your (selective) reading of the text, they are not acting outside the development plan, in that they are not adding new capacity (in fact they have been removing it).

This is great news - what streets has the capacity been removed? Merchants road comes to mind for the Coach Parking. What other streets?