Parking and traffic in Phoenix Park

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683881#Comment_118683881

It's a 40 min walk you have to come back to where you started usually.

This is really the crux of this mindset though. You should want to 40 min walk to get to your 20 min walk in the park. Since it all is the same it doesn't really matter where you go in the park. Want to go to the zoo. Go to Furry Glen instead is all the same thing.

Besides if the car park never gets full and had infinite space as is claimed you won't have to park somewhere else anyway.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683905#Comment_118683905

There's another badly planned system. They could have a system to limit numbers into Glendalough etc. and report it online so people know to stay away.

But they don't do that so chaos reigns when it gets busy.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683905#Comment_118683905

Yes it's like Ticknock or Hellfire Club. Limited parking spaces so on a day it might be busy you either go really early or you go anyway and it's an absolute nightmare for traffic and finding somewhere to park (legally). Spaces are limited. The only other option is to start tarmacking everywhere so even more cars can go to these places, but sooner or later that wouldn't be enough anyway. Just go somewhere more accessible or get out and walk a bit you lazy gets.

Flinty997

All people are asking for is a better planned system. But instead we get let's concrete the park and such nonsense.

The thing to do is let the OPW do what they want. Get the popcorn out and see what happens. If it works great. Only time will tell.

there’ll always be limited parking for green spaces and beaches. Otherwise you’ll just be tarmacking over the green. Like another poster said….go earlier or go somewhere else.

VonLuck

This is just pure entitlement, assuming that if you have a car you should be allowed to park directly outside wherever you want. There are ample parking facilities and sometimes they get full. Such is life.

Alias G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683827#Comment_118683827

This statement is simply untrue. I commuted by bike through the park for over 10 years at all hours of the day doing shift work. Barring one occasion when a concert was just finishing, there was never any hindrance to cycling through the park. Chesterfield avenue backed up with cars? Just by-pass them. Pedestrians in the cycle path? Few and far between and again easily passed.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684445#Comment_118684445

And we're back to saying the park is never busy.

Yet we've been complaining on boards about the poor layout of cycle paths in the park for years, conflict with walkers and runners and wanted them moved. Someone was killed. This came to ahead with lockdown, and they've moved them off path.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2056883333/phoenix-park-cycle-lanes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055883012/cycle-lanes-phoenix-park

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684619#Comment_118684619

Is all that not a further justification for removing all the Chesterfield parking and changing it to a proper cycle lane? I thought you were against that

Spanish Eyes

I think the Zoo should be re located out of the Pheeno. That would solve a lot of issues wouldn't it? Next debate, where to?

The park should be just that, a park for open air, walks, wildlife, trees, a lung on the edge of the city with historical buildings such as Farmleigh and Ashtown Castle which were always there. Seems that access to the Zoo is taking up a vast amount of the parking available, and of itself causes a lot of the traffic issues.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118685059#Comment_118685059

I actually agree with you. They are doing this in Bristol. The zoo parking was spilling over onto Clifton Downs and the local neighbourhood, causing frustration for everyone. It’s being moved to a purpose built site out of town, with all the space it needs for access and parking (and a more up to date environment for the animals)

and before people say “but…..history….it’s always been there….etc”, Bristol zoo is the 5th oldest in the world, has been on that site since the early 1800s, and was a fixture and institution in that part of town. Was not an easy decision, but was the right one

Flinty997

How about put it back to a deer hunting park. Wasn't that it's actual original purpose?

Be very expensive though .....

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684687#Comment_118684687

Not at all.

I just think the parking could be organized better.

Though I never really had that much of an issue with the old cycle lanes. I would just avoid them when busy. I was mostly commuting when it's not busy.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118685059#Comment_118685059

Maybe. I think I lot of the traffic and parking is from people using the park. They won't go away because you've moved the Zoo.

Alias G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684619#Comment_118684619

Where did I claim the park is never busy? I mentioned a concert and a gridlocked chesterfield avenue in my post. I also never stated that the cycle path is well designed and never has pedestrians in it. In fact I clearly stated otherwise. I merely called out your statement for what it is. Bull.

Flinty997

It's a general theme on this thread.

Weirdly there's lots of threads on the cycle lanes going back years. Mass hysteria obviously.

Alias G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118685845#Comment_118685845

The cycle lane currently does get a lot of pedestrians in it. No one who actually uses the facility would dispute that. And it was a factor in the unfortunate fatality you mentioned. None of this made the paths unusable or necessitating a detour as you described. Or made the road unavailable to cycling. You were simply talking rubbish. As evidenced the rest of your contributions here.

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684349#Comment_118684349

Thats exactly it. I go to the beach on a sunny day in July. Do I expect to get parking beside the strand? No.

But that seems to be what people expect in the Phoenix Park.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118686169#Comment_118686169

Actually last time I few times I've had problems were fairly miserable cold days in Winter. For example getting a OAP out for a Coffee and Bun and away from being cooped up inside change of scene etc. They do great soup. Obviously everyone else had a similar idea.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118686142#Comment_118686142

Logically if its rubbish they wouldn't have changed the lanes (eventually) and neither would there be other threads complaining about it going a back a long time. So not just "currently".

Flinty997

Incidentally a popular alternative to the Visitor center is park at the north road and diamond and grab a coffee at the coffee dock at the hole in the wall. You can park at the hole in the wall either, and head into the park from there.

Farmleigh is a bit more awkward being bit of trek for someone with a walker or wheelchair. But sometime they'll let you through the barrier to drop someone off if you ask nicely and they can accommodate you.

getoutadodge

Went to view the bollards on Chesterfield ave this morning and sure enough they are being inserted all along at a rapid clip. White with a black base. 50Km limit still in operational since I was doing 30 KPH in the lane and the cars zipped by. Overall the bollards are not bad. Could ve been much worse.

On parking I went over to the Polo Ground and the verge was jammers with parents and kids heading to the Zoo I presume. Bike lane full of parents and buggys ...but what can they do?...since they had to avoid incoming cars heading for the same parking. Verge is trashed and a mud bath.

The walled garden complex of Ashtown Park is as usual decorated with parking cones as is the Papal cross zone....zzzzzzzzzz

daymobrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118690523#Comment_118690523

Does anyone know the history as to why the pedestrian and bike lanes were swapped? If they were reverted to pedestrians beside the road it might fix this issue, and the path would have better lighting (an issue for some pedestrians using the inner path in winter).

Flinty997

Good few years since I cycled the inner path. It's was very poor for cycling with roots etc back then.

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118690523#Comment_118690523

I drove through the park last night and the new bollards or whatever you want to call them are alarmingly bright and close together when headlights are shining on them. They are a bit much if I'm honest, maybe I am just used to the realtive darkness of the park but they felt extremely bright. Yes I understand the idea is for them to be reflective and keep cars away from the cycle lane but it feels like a bit of overkill. They'll probably tone down over time. They were only at either end of Chesterfield Avenue and not yet in the middle section.

Seth Brundle

they felt extremely bright

I presume that they'll be caked in a layer of muck soon so won't be too bright then.

daymobrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691240#Comment_118691240

That would not be too difficult to fix - they resurfaced the roadside path.

The bollards are going to be a bit of an eyesore but unfortunately the actions of some drivers make them necessary (because there is no other enforcement).

Good to see work progressing

https://irishcycle.com/2022/02/25/first-look-phoenix-parks-new-and-revamped-cycle-tracks/

https://twitter.com/Paulcorcoran10/status/1497263731616763908?s=20&t=BjP5mEC4eIlfrv-ovlzneQ

I wonder how long it will be until they remove through access, not long hopefully

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118686142#Comment_118686142

I used to live in Blanch and cycled to work daily through the park. Other than days of torrential rain, I never made it the length of Chesterfield without encountering at least a half dozen pedestrians in the cycle lane.

Flinty997

I had to upgrade my bell and lights just for the park. Ninja Walkers, Joggers and Dog walkers.