Parking and traffic in Phoenix Park

AlanG

Sounds like there could be some good changes although detail is what is important. The last shuttle bus was a complete failure - empty 99% of the times I saw it.

beauf

blanch152 wrote: »

I don't think that the Chesterfield Ave changes in isolation are a problem. The problem is simply that together with the restrictive nature of Chapelizod Village, increased congestion on Chesterfield Ave is inevitable once the bus gate is installed on the Old Cabra Road for Bus Connects and Dublin 15 will then be effectively cut off from the city, other than through Phibsboro and the M50.

The problem is not just commuter's though. But if you are commuter it might be time to consider an eBike.

beauf

AlanG wrote: »

Sounds like there could be some good changes although detail is what is important. The last shuttle bus was a complete failure - empty 99% of the times I saw it.

Was just stuck all the time is my memory. If they pushed cars to the north road and left the main road for the buses that might work.

However getting to the park is an issue because the catchment using it as route now is much larger. Urban sprawl and long distance commuter's etc.

beauf

I don't think it can be solved. Too many are not interested in compromise. If you are getting stuck in traffic all the time. Only you can solve that problem.

Larbre34

bubblypop wrote: »

I think it was the best thing!
It has made chesterfield ave a far safer place. And tbh, the car parks have not been full at all, so there was clearly plenty of parking for park users, it was commuters and /or lazy drivers parking along the avenue.

They are certainly full of leisure users, frequently. The weekend before last, in good weather, I saw many of them full before I got some roadside parking at Knockmaroon.

beauf

beauf wrote: »

Its often been packed at the weekends and during the holidays, since Covid, with car parks full and park users parked all over the place, on the grass everywhere. So repeat it's only commuter's causing the issue all you want but it's not the reality.

The reality is the park traffic plans can't cope with commuter's or park users when it's gets busy. The opw changes have caused chaos on a regular basis and have had to be reverted frequently.

At least they tried something different. But they need to keep trying because they haven't got the balance right yet.

There were around half a dozen days when the park was that busy all year.
Cannot make changes for the few weekends when it may be busy!

blanch152

beauf wrote: »

The problem is not just commuter's though. But if you are commuter it might be time to consider an eBike.

For a person with a bad knee that doesn't qualify as disabled, a bike isn't an option.

liamog

I'd say the opinions on the park differ greatly between those on the City side and us here in D15.
For myself, the park is a local recreational area that's about 15 mins drive away from the house.

I take the dog there on summer weeknights and a few weekends of the year, in the past I would of parked along Chesterfield usually either just before or just after the Phoenix Column (had to look up the name).
My other main use for the park was cycling along the cycle paths at the side of Chesterfield as part of a commute through the park between D15 and the City Centre.

The concept that Chesterfield Avenue was a death trap before the parking ban is completely alien to me, I generally found traffic to be reasonably well behaviour, way more so than the average 50km/h straight road in Dublin.

Seth Brundle

blanch152 wrote: »

For a person with a bad knee that doesn't qualify as disabled, a bike isn't an option.

That depends. I've some kind of arthritis or Rheumatism (albeit undiagnosed) and have issues, mainly with ankles, knees and fingers. Bizarrely, I can often predict rain in my joints. On occasion, I can find it difficult to stand up and in the past I collapsed (in front of a class when lecturing) when a knee just gave way.
However, I've no absolutely bother cycling at all. (If the weather suits, I can also run.)
Go figure!

ligerdub

liamog wrote: »

I'd say the opinions on the park differ greatly between those on the City side and us here in D15.
For myself, the park is a local recreational area that's about 15 mins drive away from the house.

I take the dog there on summer weeknights and a few weekends of the year, in the past I would of parked along Chesterfield usually either just before or just after the Phoenix Column (had to look up the name).
My other main use for the park was cycling along the cycle paths at the side of Chesterfield as part of a commute through the park between D15 and the City Centre.

The concept that Chesterfield Avenue was a death trap before the parking ban is completely alien to me, I generally found traffic to be reasonably well behaviour, way more so than the average 50km/h straight road in Dublin.

Completely agree. One thing I've softened my stance on though is the benefit of a pedestrian crossing of some kind along Chesterfield avenue. I mean it's not something I've ever needed, but I could see how it could be a problem at for the elderly or those with kids or people with slower mobility with the way it is now. I don't consider it a dangerous road though.

beauf

blanch152 wrote: »

For a person with a bad knee that doesn't qualify as disabled, a bike isn't an option.

Usually the opposite is true. But it's against the rules to discuss medical topics. Anyway my point was driving is going to get less viable.

beauf

https://www.buzz.ie/news/in-tweets-motorists-rage-as-traffic-brought-to-a-standstill-in-the-phoenix-park-401826

Best thing is to avoid the park when it's busy with commuters during the week and at the weekends with leisure users. So avoid those times and it's fine.

Be great to see a bus. But like others I won't use it. I only go to the park off peak when it's not busy and can drive easier than get the bus. Or I'm cycling anyway. I doubt I'll go back to full time in an office again. So I won't be commuting again. But I'm sure there are others it will be fantastic for.

Are the moby ebikes still near the park? Wanted to check them out but they disappeared from the gate after I signed up. I've seen them somewhere since but can't remember where.

Only in Ireland can you have such a gorgeous park and do everything you can to prevent people going...

I grew up beside the park but live in Meath now.

Have to leave the car somewhere and it’s the same for many others.

You can leave it in one of the car parks

Pinch Flat

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Only in Ireland can you have such a gorgeous park and do everything you can to prevent people going...

I grew up beside the park but live in Meath now.

Have to leave the car somewhere and it’s the same for many others.

How are you prevented from getting there? Setting aside the current 5km travel restriction.

Larbre34

Having read the report now, its Option 7B for me.

Pinch Flat

Pinch Flat wrote: »

How are you prevented from getting there? Setting aside the current 5km travel restriction.

Can I definitely still use the car parks though?

And is there enough capacity?

On a hot summer day, it wouldn’t be unusual to see cars from castleknock gate right down to the zoo and on the north road as well.

polesheep

beauf wrote: »

Its often been packed at the weekends and during the holidays, since Covid, with car parks full and park users parked all over the place, on the grass everywhere. So repeat it's only commuter's causing the issue all you want but it's not the reality.

The reality is the park traffic plans can't cope with commuter's or park users when it's gets busy. The opw changes have caused chaos on a regular basis and have had to be reverted frequently.

At least they tried something different. But they need to keep trying because they haven't got the balance right yet.

Walking around the US Ambassador's residence yesterday got me thinking. It is a massive, mostly unused space that is not justified. It is also slap bang in the middle of the Park. You could have a large amount of parking and facilities in there that would be very discrete i.e. not seen from the rest of the Park. Let visitors park there and explore the rest of the park on foot, bike or shuttlebus.

polesheep

polesheep wrote: »

Walking around the US Ambassador's residence yesterday got me thinking. It is a massive, mostly unused space that is not justified. It is also slap bang in the middle of the Park. You could have a large amount of parking and facilities in there that would be very discrete i.e. not seen from the rest of the Park. Let visitors park there and explore the rest of the park on foot, bike or shuttlebus.

Lol!
Do you think the Americans will hand it over to us
Be nice if they did!

polesheep

bubblypop wrote: »

I think it was the best thing!
It has made chesterfield ave a far safer place. And tbh, the car parks have not been full at all, so there was clearly plenty of parking for park users, it was commuters and /or lazy drivers parking along the avenue.

The car parks are almost always full... as are the grass verges. It's a mess at the moment.

polesheep

polesheep wrote: »

The car parks are almost always full... as are the grass verges. It's a mess at the moment.

Honestly, they are not! I'm in there every single day, particularly in these covid times, the car parks are empty.
Half a dozen weekends a year are super busy, but that's about it.

I'm not against car parks in there at all, the US residence would be a great idea:)

polesheep

Deleted User wrote: »

Can I definitely still use the car parks though?

And is there enough capacity?

On a hot summer day, it wouldn’t be unusual to see cars from castleknock gate right down to the zoo and on the north road as well.

That means that the parking is full, so you can't park. No different than if you went to a shopping centre carpark and found it full. The answer isn't to provide more parking and less park.

polesheep

bubblypop wrote: »

Lol!
Do you think the Americans will hand it over to us
Be nice if they did!

I'm pretty sure that they don't own it. Also, the Papal Nunciature was eventually moved.

polesheep

bubblypop wrote: »

Honestly, they are not! I'm in there every single day, particularly in these covid times, the car parks are empty.
Half a dozen weekends a year are super busy, but that's about it.

I'm not against car parks in there at all, the US residence would be a great idea:)

Honestly, we must be looking at different parts of the Park. I'm in it twice a day, every day. The car parks near the Furry Glen are almost always full and it leads to parking on the grass. Although the two car parks near the football pitches are almost always empty. Obviously not such a popular part of the park.

beauf

Struggled to get parking in the visitor center the other week. Center wasn't even that busy as it was all takeaway service.
I assume people park there and then walk back out to the park. Since there were a lot of walkers on the way into it. A while before that again struggled to get parking on Fuze Road. Same at Furry Glen. Car park was a mud bath, space was tight so parked in the spaces at Sackville.

That said eventually did get a space, but I generally have to wait for one or its the last space.

Catherines Park is also been difficult to get parking on a nice day or when the food market was on. I think its been the same at many parks. Was in St Annes Park a while back that was even busier. I've only been there for matches before. But I've never seen it been as busy as a few months back.

People just want to get out from the house, once the weather is anyway decent.

beauf

polesheep wrote: »

Honestly, we must be looking at different parts of the Park. I'm in it twice a day, every day. The car parks near the Furry Glen are almost always full and it leads to parking on the grass. Although the two car parks near the football pitches are almost always empty. Obviously not such a popular part of the park.

I hardly ever go there either. Only for organized events, like races and the like pre 2020. I do know people who train there though, runners and cyclists.

liamog

polesheep wrote: »

That means that the parking is full, so you can't park. No different than if you went to a shopping centre carpark and found it full. The answer isn't to provide more parking and less park.

Remove over 1,200 car parking spaces and wonder why the remaining parking spaces are now under capacity

polesheep

polesheep wrote: »

That means that the parking is full, so you can't park. No different than if you went to a shopping centre carpark and found it full. The answer isn't to provide more parking and less park.

That’s what I thought/feared.

For years and years, cars have parked along Chesterfield avenue and I’m struggling to see what is so wrong with that. It gives people the opportunity to enjoy the park.

If they really want no parking, then there should be car parks with plenty of capacity or else people will park on the grass or just not go. And people not using the park would be a shame.

In Dublin in general, we keep trying to do what we can to stop people using cars. There needs to be an understanding that public transport is tragic and the housing crisis has people living further and further away.

polesheep

polesheep wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that they don't own it. Also, the Papal Nunciature was eventually moved.

They do own it

polesheep

liamog wrote: »

Remove over 1,200 car parking spaces and wonder why the remaining parking spaces are now under capacity

The Op was referring to a time when the Chesterfield parking was still available.