Parking and traffic in Phoenix Park

23-02-2022 08:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118680767#Comment_118680767

I have kids in my family, when I bring them to the park, it is to walk, run, play football, ride their bikes etc etc

the papal cross is 10 mins walk to ashtown castle. But I wouldn't consider that I would have to park in ashtown anyway.

Flinty997 · 23-02-2022 09:58PM

Google says 17~20. But I guess if I push Granny and fit low fiction wheels to the walker, she could do it in 10. Its probably down hill in one direction. To be honest even when the car Park is empty I make her walk a good 4k so she feels like she's earned that Lunch. I means its a park isn't it.

23-02-2022 10:02PM

Why the need to park in ashtown visitors centre anyway? The park is massive

Flinty997 · 23-02-2022 10:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681574#Comment_118681574

For someone whos there everyday, you seem unclear as to why people (of all ages and mobility) might choose to go to the visitor center over some other Random location, like the Magazine for example.

23-02-2022 10:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681615#Comment_118681615

If people only wish to visit one small part of the park, and park their vehicle in the one car park in that small part of the park, and are not willing to walk to that part from anywhere else, then my sympathies end there.

obviously not everyone can park in the same place and ridiculous to think otherwise.

Flinty997 · 23-02-2022 10:37PM

It's all just one field basically.

Former Former Former · 24-02-2022 08:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681574#Comment_118681574

Because that's where the playground, the hedge maze and the enormous trees that my kids love to climb are. It's where the toilets and cafe are. You cannot expect a small child to walk 20 minutes each way from the Pope's Cross car park. If you had kids you'd understand that.

I'm delighted that you have the time on your hands to visit the park several times a day and that you live close enough to walk there. That's great. But that's you, and the park is supposed to be for everyone. It is NOT a local amenity. A family in Donegal is supposed to have a much right to access the park as a lonely spinster in D7.

24-02-2022 09:05AM

So maybe they should tarmac all the park except the ashtown castle area, so there is plenty of parking for the playground? As I said, the children in my family can walk, when they could not walk they were pushed in a pushchair.

Not that it's any of your business, but I don't have 'time to visit the park ' several times a day. I'm in there several times a day, that doesn't mean I'm visiting the park.

Who is a lonely spinster in Dublin 7? Is there some reason you feel the need to throw out personal insults? Pretty disgusting attitude there, personally attacking posters.

Former Former Former · 24-02-2022 09:37AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683447#Comment_118683447

In fairness, you keep making digs at people, eventually you'll get one in return. Such is life.

24-02-2022 09:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683651#Comment_118683651

Can you point out one single post where I have made any personal attacks on any posters? I would be grateful if you could.

I don't engage in abusive bullying behaviour, online or in real life.

Now, I seem to have lost the point of this thread, I thought it was in relation to parking and traffic in the Phoenix park.

Flinty997 · 24-02-2022 09:58AM

Pointing out there are different types of people using the park isn't a personal attack. Unless by some unlike coincidence you are a family from Donegal. How is that offensive exactly.

I don't see how someone can be in the park all day every day for work or whatever and have such a narrow understanding of how it's used by different types of people. Unless of course they can't see beyond their own situation.

Flinty997 · 24-02-2022 10:04AM

People say the park will never get as busy as the lockdown.

But it has been that busy before the lockdown. When cycling home from work on nice summers evening I would often chosen to avoid my usual route though the park because it was impossible to cycle through. Paths and roads jammed.

If someone has never seen that, they don't use the park that often.

Seth Brundle · 24-02-2022 10:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683277#Comment_118683277

Your kids love being active in the maze and climbing trees but can't manage a 20 minute walk? I know my kids quite happily walked a lot further when they were small.

24-02-2022 10:16AM

I used to live in the Southside of Dublin, and went running/walking in the mountains with the dog everyday. In very good weather in holiday times, I would know that the car parks and roads around the popular areas would be full of cars. So, I then changed my behaviour. I went earlier, or went to less popular areas.

As pointed out many times in this thread, users cannot expect to park in the exact place they wish to at all times in a public park.

Flinty997 · 24-02-2022 10:32AM

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 · 24-02-2022 10:34AM

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 · 24-02-2022 10:37AM

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 · 24-02-2022 10:39AM

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.

24-02-2022 11:19AM

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 · 24-02-2022 11:31AM

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 · 24-02-2022 11:33AM

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 · 24-02-2022 12:06PM

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

24-02-2022 12:18PM

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 · 24-02-2022 01:19PM

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.

24-02-2022 01:28PM

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 · 24-02-2022 01:30PM

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

Be very expensive though .....

Flinty997 · 24-02-2022 02:05PM

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 · 24-02-2022 02:07PM

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 · 24-02-2022 02:26PM

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 · 24-02-2022 02:49PM

It's a general theme on this thread.

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

Parking and traffic in Phoenix Park

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