25 May 2012: SEQ: Carindale and the high cost of 'free' parking

[ozbob]

Media release 25 May 2012

SEQ: Carindale and the high cost of 'free' parking

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers says the continued expansion of park and ride will make our traffic problems worse.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track notes today's announcement that Westfield Carindale will introduce paid parking to its 5922 parking spaces from July this year. The stated aim of this measure is to shift commuters from the shopping centre - or at least make them pay up to $20 if they decide to leave their car there all day."

"We understand that this is a highly controversial issue. However, while there is some place for measured park and ride, particularly in the case of low-density outer suburbs and for patrons with special needs, the facts are that, due to the high cost of land acquisition, it is not surprising that calls to retain free parking have not been met."

"The fact is land costs money, so that cost has to be recovered somehow - recouped through shopping centre rents which ultimately are paid by all shoppers (even the ones that rode a bicycle or caught a bus there) or recouped through state funds (in the case of commuter park and ride). Indeed, there is no such thing as free parking. Just because the cost is hidden or obscured doesn't mean that we aren't all somehow paying for it."

"Car parks can easily cost up to $40,000 each. To fill ONE 65-seat bus using park and ride, you are looking at $2.6 million. For that amount of money you could buy two buses and employ two drivers and still have cash to spare. To fill ONE 1000-person capacity 6-carriage train using park and ride, you'd need to spend an astronomical $40 MILLION DOLLARS. Got money for that? We didn't think so either!"

"Nobody can complain that shopping centres are introducing paid parking when Brisbane City Council itself charges for car parking around Brisbane. At least the shopping centres have a 3 hour grace period. We agree that staff should be reimbursed for parking, as the is effectively a wage cut for many staff."

"What is needed are decent feeder bus services - frequent, fast and with a decent span of hours (so that workers and shoppers can get to the shops before they open and get home after), 7-days a week. The 590 and 598/599 buses into Carindale also needs to be fixed. Where decent bus services exist and demand exceeds supply, charges for car parking (park and ride) should also be considered. Over in Perth, Western Australia, they already do this."

"Free car parking for everyone is a myth and a fantasy. There is no such thing."

References:

1. Carindale sets paid parking timetable
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/carindale-sets-paid-parking-timetable-20120523-1z568.html

2. How free is your parking? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l_O6dR7YfvM#!

3. 16 May 2012: SEQ: Kippa-Ring and the high cost of 'free' parking
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8335.0

4. SEQ: Core Frequent Network: 590 & The Great Circle Line Overhaul http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8126.msg94870#msg94870

5. Perth Park and Ride http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/UsingTransperth/CarParking.aspx

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=532.msg98545#msg98545

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Community support group Rail Back on Track say paid parking at Westfield Carindale was an inevitability

Community support group Rail Back on Track say paid parking at Westfield Carindale was an inevitability

    by: Josh Alston, South-East Advertiser
    From: Quest Newspapers
    May 25, 2012 9:41AM

COMMUNITY support group Rail Back on Track have supported this week's confirmation that paid parking is coming to the local Westfield store in July calling free parking a `myth'.

Group spokesman Robert Dow has also raised extreme doubts over calls for a free park and ride facility in Carindale saying the costs outweigh the benefits.

Despite five petitions containing 7658 signatures in opposition being presented to Council on Tuesday it was confirmed on Thursday that the centre will follow the lead of Westfield Chermside and introduce paid parking for its 5922 car spaces.

Shoppers will be allowed to park for free for three hours or with purchases over $150. Anything beyond that will attract a fee of anywhere up to $20 a day.

The move is expected to discourage residents using the centre as a day parking service while they use public transport operating out of the centre.

It is a move Mr Dow said was inevitable.

"Free car parking for everyone is a myth and a fantasy. There is no such thing,'' he said.

He said the solution lay in creating better bus services to the region.

"What is needed are decent feeder bus services - frequent, fast and with a decent span of hours so that workers and shoppers can get to the shops before they open and get home after, 7-days a week,'' Mr Dow said.

"The 590 and 598/599 buses into Carindale also needs to be fixed.

"Where decent bus services exist and demand exceeds supply, charges for car parking (park and ride) should also be considered. Over in Perth, Western Australia, they already do this.''

[#Metro]

Alan Davies picked this one up over at the Urbanist

Apart from paying up, the other option for workers is public transport. As I understand it there're reasonably good services to the CBD from Chermside and Carindale. The vast bulk of suburban retail workers however are likely to live within the region, so Brisbane City Council (the bus operator) would need to ensure local feeder services are adequate.

(link to our release is in there in the original)

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2012/06/07/is-charging-for-parking-un-australian/#more-17507

[HappyTrainGuy]

I've been saying that for ages about Chermside to Aspley to the railway line, along/near Gympie Road and to Trouts road corridor. Good to the city. crap for the locals that work anywhere in the area

[Gazza]

We agree that staff should be reimbursed for parking, as the is effectively a wage cut for many staff.

Why is this in the release? CBD workers, workers at the major hospitals and many other places don't get free parking, why should these people?

[STB]

Personally I think this is just laziness on the people living out there, where most would at least be in walking distance to their local stop, in which case there is no need for them to go to Carindale to pick up the services there.  Exception to those living in places such as Gumdale (although surely they can just go to Sleeman Centre park and ride and catch a 243, 250 or 270, or any number of Veolia routes along Old Cleveland Rd?), and people needing access to intermediate areas, such as someone living in Cannon Hill and needing to go to Carina, even then, they can catch a 590, 598/599 or 213 to Carindale and transfer.

I have heard in the past that people who drive to their local interchange/station etc, don't consider getting from their car to public transport as a transfer, even though it technically is.

Which reminds me, I read recently of a guy who used to drive to Cleveland railway station from his residence in Redland Bay to catch a train into the city, why in the world didn't he simply catch the 281 (if he was within it's catchment) or drive or get dropped off at Victoria Point bus station to catch a 276, 279 or 281???   

[somebody]

I have heard in the past that people who drive to their local interchange/station etc, don't consider getting from their car to public transport as a transfer, even though it technically is.

I don't consider it a transfer either.  It doesn't have waiting time.

You could say that changing mode to walking is a transfer if you wanted to get crazy.

[Gazza]

I don't consider it a transfer either.  It doesn't have waiting time.

On the first trip no, but at the interchange you have to factor in time to get a park, plus being there early enough as not to miss the bus/train.

[Otto]

Which reminds me, I read recently of a guy who used to drive to Cleveland railway station from his residence in Redland Bay to catch a train into the city, why in the world didn't he simply catch the 281 (if he was within it's catchment) or drive or get dropped off at Victoria Point bus station to catch a 276, 279 or 281???   

My wife drives from Redland Bay to Cleveland to catch the train. She works at Toowong.
Past history says the bus simply is not consistently reliable enough for long trips in peak hour..