Parking and traffic in Phoenix Park

There is no logic or consistency to the decisions in the park. They want cars out. But frequently make cars do even longer routes through it.

It has become a main route and connector is because no alternative was ever planned or developed. Any possible alternate routes have been throttled to be slower than park. But yet they keep building more housing that will come through the park. But a fraction of the public transport to support it.

Any suggestion of a ring road to direct traffic away from of the majority of the park is shot down.

They normally close part of Chesterfield Ave during the weekends in the summer months. I guess thats dead in the water now.

They we’re, however given the size & the overtaking RR it presented a danger, enough of one that he was actually stopped by a Garda and was issued a ticket. I was taking the dogs for their walk so the Garda tracked me down as I was parking to let me know.

Because its far less safe to direct significant traffic around the narrow and winding peripheral roads, than it is to keep it on the wide Avenue with the long sightlines and the best lighting.

I'd have thought that much was obvious.

As well as this, people always seem to forget there are 3,000 jobs located within the Park as well as huge visitor attractions. The Zoo, on a busy day, can get thousands through the gates. There is a hospital, a school, the Ordnance Survey, civil defence HQ, Garda HQ, Garda stables etc.

Asking for no traffic on Chesterfield Avenue is just absolutely naive and its never going to happen.

You lost the room at "the Zoo should be moved out of the Park to a brownfield site."

Please stop talking nonsense.

No, but the focus of the Country is on the wrong stuff.

We are not investing in mass public transport in the cities quickly enough.

Metro should be under construction, out to Knocklyon, not Charlemont.

The original Dart+ which envisaged the Pearse Street hub and underground City centre route should be under construction.

Luas to Finglas, Lucan and Bray should all be under construction.

24 Hour trunk route bus services should all be in place.

The move to promote repurposing for City Centre housing is 20 years behind.

A model for lifelong co-operative apartment living in the cities is 20 years behind.

The sourcing of alternative energy is also about 20 years behind. There is no ambition there.

We shouldn't be starting with the inconvenient stuff, we should be starting with the inspirational stuff and letting the inconvenient stuff melt away as the new structure of City living naturally opens itself up to it, by obviating the need for private cars and by making the whole City navigable in one hour by seamless and comfortable public alternatives.

A perfect example of closed thinking with no rebuttal or reply. There is absolutely no reason why Dublin zoo could not be moved out of the Park in due course. A lot of the current parking and access issues are down to the Zoo. There was an opportunity for a massive overhaul to the way the park works for the public but as I said, closed thinking, what will the public think? Just do it already and move everything that is not necessary out of it. Keep the US Ambassador's Residence, the Aras, the hospital. Move everything else out and repurpose the lovely buildings that we all pay for but have no access to. A public park is no place for any of them, including the aZoo.

Jesus Christ the obtuseness.

Have you sense of history, of heritage?

The Park, without all those places you list, is just a field!

Let's move Dublin Castle out beyond the Airport, let's put Dáil Éireann in Athy. Let's ask Trinity College to decamp to Carrickmines so we can put high speed bikes lanes from Pearse Street to Dame Street.

The Zoo is there 191 years. The Viceregal Lodge is there 270 years. Deerfield opened the same year as the United States became independent.

What you're saying is total and absolute nonsense and if you suggested it seriously to Dublin people you'd be lucky to get away with your hide intact.

Can we stop talking stupid now please.

Of course I have a sense of heritage. No need to knock the buildings down at all, just re use them for the benefit of the public. As it is I have never seen the inside of the Garda HQ, nor have I had the need to go inside St. Mary's (the former Royal Hibernian Military School), nor the Ordnance Survey, nor any of the other wonderful buildings. But I have visited Farmleigh, and was very impressed. At least I could get inside the big house and wander the grounds. but we paid €29mil for it, and money well spent at that. At least we can see inside it. Same for Ashtown visitor centre, nice coffee too.

The Zoo should be moved eventually. Just my opinion, it could be in a great open space that is easily accessible to all, not just those who have cars parked nose to tail everywhere around it.

There are no cars allowed in Bru na Boinne. Maybe we could think of doing something similar for access to the zoo and other areas of the park in the meantime. Park the car in IMMA and get the flying bridge across to the bus. Sounds great.

I would love to be a fly on the wall of the meeting where the first poor fool suggested it.

I could care less if they moved the zoo. But I know it's significance

But its beyond comical the way people won't hear of changing a gate for historical reasons, even if it's a safety issue. Or even any other things in the park. But are quite happy to make enormous changes to an equally historical zoo.

Zero consistency.

I'm utterly confused what the OPW want. They close and open gates and roads with no consistent logic. They want people, they don't want people.

Wasn't there a plan to have bridge out to the memorial gardens at one point.

So you want to copy Bristol Zoo...

".....The decision to close the zoo and relocate was taken after the second national lockdown, with the zoo having missed out on large sums of money due to dwindling numbers in the spring and summer - a time when zoos are usually at their busiest in the year....

...Plans to build more than 200 homes on the current site, and a public park were revealed late last year, to ‘safe-guard’ the future of the site.

The process is currently underway to sell all 12 acres of the land, with the subsequent housing to provide a solid income for the new zoo at the Wild Place.

The Charity claims that a fifth of the new homes to be built, will be affordable to those looking to purchase a house, or below the current market rate.

The grounds will still remain open to the general public, free of charge. A conservation hub, an exhibition space, a children’s play area and a lake will feature when the move is completed later this year..."

I dunno they seem to just decide to do something then get reigned in by political and public pressure. Rather than the other way around.

You can't say they don't have wild ideas...

I really don't believe that.

Anyway, why is this nonsense thought that any changes to things like this is based on a popularity contest so prevalent on this thread? Is it people trying to convince themselves that a minute or two inconvenience to themselves is so hated by the general public that it's become an echo chamber? So much so that the factual comment as to the additional seconds it adds becomes a circle jerk of ranting against the Green Party, who have nothing to do with this.

I'd be shocked if they roll back the 30 km limit. It might go completely ignored and totally unenforced but it will remain in place.

It is, but when trying to obey the new limit having people up the back of you and aggressively overtaking between the entrance and the first round about is frustrating and stressful and it’s just not worth it to me.

I usually find attending and driving in the park to be a peaceful enough experience, not so much now.

There's 9 car parks in the phoenix park.

I'm a daily user of the park - it's on my cycle route to work. I'd also occasionally drive to go for a walk or kick a ball with my son. We'll sometimes cycle there was well. I'm glad that there's safe cycling provided along Chesterfield avenue - although I was perfectly happy with the old cycle way. Issue was with the mass parking in the hard shoulder, pedestrian / cyclist encounters were frequent as people came from their cars and inevitably across the cycle way to get to the inner pedestrian path. Pedestrians straying on the cycle path was an issue at summer time and peak, for example Christmas events. Also around the zoo could get hairy with people straying on the cycle path.

Or perhaps this inner path could have been retained and used for cycling - the surface is not great in parts. So the Chesterfield solution with the bollards is probably the best solution given the infrastructure available. I'm also glad to see the parking gone off Chesterfield avenue - it was dangerous with people trying to get across and I've seen many a near miss with people (sometimes children) popping out from between cars into busy traffic trying to cross - dedicated pedestrian crossings will improve this.

I am also acutely aware of the car culture that prevails - I too am a driver. A number of years ago, I posted a thread about being overtaken while stopped at the raised ramp leading to Ashtown Castle by an impatient driver - I stopped to let a young family cross, mother and father, wheeling a pram and a young kid with a new bike who'd strayed about 20 meters in front of them and was following the path to the raised ramp to cross. This was on a St Stephen's day and the comments (I think I posted it in the motoring forum) condoning the driver that overtook me was a bit of an eye opener. Apparently, it's not a proper pedestrian crossing, so I shouldn't have stopped or given way to them and I would have been liable for an accident .So that's hat you're up against.

On the 30 kph limit, I'd be okay with 50 kph being retained. Problem was, 50 kph became 80 kph handy enough. At the moment, some drivers are maintaining the 30 kph, but there's some crazy overtaking going on with impatient drivers. Only way to police it (what ever limit is decided on) would be average speed cameras. But I do realise there's an issue with enforcing this and that the Gardai have limited powers in enforcing speed limits in the park. Ultimately, the only thing that'll work is some form of policing, as drivers will soon realise the 30 kph is unenforceable.