Car parking - solutions?

[somebody]

That article is stupid!  Do cars have to pay a fee to enter the airport like planes do?

[SurfRail]

2 return trips by Airtrain would not cost $150.00.  If you want to pay for the convenience of having your car monitored in a long-term carpark for $20-ish per day (very cheap compared to some other places), then stop whinging.

[Golliwog]

That article is stupid!  Do cars have to pay a fee to enter the airport like planes do?

Agree! Complete beat up. There are plenty of cheaper options for getting to and from the airport. If you want the convenience of parking right infront of the terminal, be prepared to pay through the nose. I don't see how the price of parking a plane has anything to do with parking your car.

[Jonno]

To me it just reinforces the inherent inefficiency in moving people by motor vehicles.  The cost to cater for this inefficient form of transport are now bring felt!

[#Metro]

It is possible to fit all the cars in the CBD provided that the space is made available and that the CBD is expanded (not really possible in Brisbane).
Houston does this, but you have to wonder whether it is a nice city when the whole thing is just skyscrapers in what is a gigantic car park.

See here ---> http://goo.gl/maps/VbL9

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane Airport drop-off access jammed

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Paid parking at Carindale shopping centre a cool earner for Westfield

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Protest hails start of paid parking at Westfield Carindale

[Jonno]

Council rather than trying to ban paid-parking they should change the town plan at each of the Centres to enforce subdivision into a town centre, development controls to create a CBD and car parking ratios at TOD levels.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Paid parking: Is Garden City next?

[Gazza]

Couriermail --> Paid parking at Carindale shopping centre a cool earner for Westfield

Patrick Shinners, 28, and partner Sarah Carter, 23, said they would probably stop shopping at Carindale.

"It's going to turn us off coming here. We'll probably start going into the city," he said.

LOL, good luck finding free parking in the city.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Mixed reaction to Westfield Carindale paid parking

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Park and pay battle in courts as Westfield fights Brisbane City Council's decision to ban paid parking at Chermside extension

Park and pay battle in courts as Westfield fights Brisbane City Council's decision to ban paid parking at Chermside extension
Sarah Vogler
From: The Courier-Mail
July 30, 2012 12:00AM

RETAIL giant Westfield is fighting a decision by City Hall to ban paid parking at its new Chermside shopping centre extension.

The retailer confirmed it had lodged an appeal in the Planning and Environment Court against Brisbane City Council's decision to approve its application to build a 35,000sq m entertainment precinct at the Chermside centre on the condition about 530 new car parks included in the plan were provided free of charge.

According to court documents, the retailer claims the free parking condition is unreasonable.

The appeal will test whether City Hall has the legal right to prevent a property owner from charging motorists to park at their premises.

Westfield introduced paid parking at its Chermside shopping centre last year and began charging shoppers parking for more than three hours at its Carindale centre this month.

It is expected to roll out similar paid-parking schemes at its other Queensland centres in the future, including Garden City, although no immediate plans have been revealed.

[somebody]

Godspeed to Westfield.

Never thought I'd say that!

[ozbob]

Godspeed to Westfield.

Never thought I'd say that!

  yes, polyticks before reality hey ...

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Job cuts leave Brisbane's CBD like a ghost town and carparks empty

Job cuts leave Brisbane's CBD like a ghost town and carparks empty

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    July 31, 2012 12:00AM

HUGE cutbacks to Queensland's public service are draining Brisbane's CBD, leaving entire floors of carparks empty and retailers struggling to stay open.

Secure Parking's David Knight said it was not only the shrinking CBD workforce that was hurting operators; fewer people in general were coming into the city for business.

"People aren't going to see that lawyer or architect or engineer, and they're not going to government offices because there's no new projects happening," Mr Knight said. "It all dominoes right through the economy."

National Retail Association spokesman Gary Black said CBD retailers had been doing it tough since late 2009 and many were now on death row.

"You would expect the public service job cuts to have some impact (on retailers)," he said.

Mr Black said rent hikes and increasing labour costs were also hurting city stores, and having an impact on service.

"Independent retailers in particular don't have the resilient characteristics that chains have," Mr Black said. "To expect them to continue to survive in the face of this prolonged downturn I think is not realistic. We're certainly going to see continued business failures in the retail sector until the end of this year."

Premier Campbell Newman announced on Friday that public sector numbers had fallen by 4400 full-time employees.

He said the Government's reforms to build a "right-size public service" would continue.

Mr Knight said the plunge in demand for car parking started just before the June school holidays and had only got worse.

"At first I thought everyone had gone away to the snow. But after the holidays business didn't pick up like it normally does," he said.

The lack of interest had prompted price cuts, with all-day early bird parking now available for $9 in Fortitude Valley and $12-$15 in city parking stations - down from usual rates of $20 to $26.

But it is still cheaper to fly to Sydney to shop than park your vehicle in Brisbane's most expensive city car parks. Visitors to Secure Parking's MacArthur Central, Festival on Charlotte, Parkade on Albert St, AM60 on Albert St, and 140 Elizabeth St premises' are being slugged $72 for a three-hour-plus stay.

An annual bill, calculating the cost of parking for three hours, five days a week, comes to more than $18,000 - the price of a new car.

A short lunch-break is also denting motorists' wallets, with a 31-minute ticket at the carpark operator's Emirates House site on Eagle St costing $33 - that's more than $1 per minute.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Wayne Swan launches petition for a Nundah park 'n' ride while LNP State Member dismisses it as a political stunt

Wayne Swan launches petition for a Nundah park 'n' ride while LNP State Member dismisses it as a political stunt

    by: Bill Johnston, Northside Chronicle
    From: Quest Newspapers
    August 02, 2012 12:00AM

While Federal Member for Lilley Wayne Swan launched a petition for a Nundah park 'n' ride last week, State Member for Nudgee Jason Woodforth dismissed it as a political stunt.

Mr Swan said the area's parking was already under pressure with the growth of Nundah Village and he had been approached by parents about the impact on schools and residential streets.

"We're going to see around 800 Energex employees alone moving into Nundah Village, on top of the additional employees and shoppers flocking to the new exciting retail development,'' he said.

However, Mr Woodforth said Mr Swan was grandstanding before the federal election.

"This demonstrates Labor's lack of doing anything with (their) 20 years (in state office) and when they've held three levels of government in the area,'' he said.

Mr Woodforth said he had not been approached by anyone about a park 'n' ride during election campaigning at the railway station.

Meanwhile the State Government would investigate acquiring land it had identified on the eastern side of the railway for park 'n' ride site.

Resident Julie Morrison said school pick-ups around Nundah State School had become more dangerous over the past seven years with people double parking and stopping in No Standing zones due to lack of parking.

"I've noticed it more this year,'' she said.

[#Metro]

800 car parks (LOL) x $40 000/car park = $32 million dollars (= 5 BUZ routes)
Good luck funding that!

[Jonno]

Got to love it when the major parties are bickering over bad policy.  Not one mention that park n rides are expensive and not effective. No just bickering about who did or did not fund it.  Great!!!!!!

[somebody]

$30k/space is about the ball park figure of what increase parking spaces have cost in QLD.

[Mr X]

Not sure I can agree here, rtt.

Greater Brisbane is on average a low density spawlled city, while bus routes suit many areas as a feeder, they don't suit all. Agree that some stations have lessor need, but disagree there should be total opposition. I'm not sure where the $40,000 per car comes from, but I highly doubt a few I have used at QR stations cost even a fraction of that and little would have changed with regard to upkeep in 30-40 years. 

The $40,000 figure is just a ball park figure, but it seems to be quite accurate when we look at recent park n' rides and their cost:space ratio.

The issue is that these park n' rides are not only expensive in terms of materials, labour, land etc. for their construction, but we also loose out on a valuable opportunity cost, in terms of other high order functions which could have occupied the same space. Of course this opportunity cost is reduced when we build underground carparks.
It's also an expensive waste of money when these parks are free, as the government is basically subsidising people's vehicle travel with no return on investment.

Yes the multiple story carparks and some of the other would be million dollar efforts pushing the $40,000 per spot. But you are building a transport hub in lieu of a station every 1000m so what you save in reduced number of stations means the stations where you can jam in a few car park spots here and there you have to do have are much larger. Operations wise longterm this is also probably alot cheaper to maintain and less stops for the trains. QR like a shoping centre is also required to provide parking for its customers, rather than let the surrounding streets suffer.

We don't need a transport "hub" at very single train station; we can have spaced out hubs that get their patronage from both the surrounding catchment area, as well as terminating feeder bus services. We don't need car parks to fulfil this function if we can provide a frequent feeder bus.

The issue is that the current feeders are slow and ineffective, hence no one wants to use it. Fix the bus services.

[#Metro]

Why would anyone catch a bus to Nundah? I think all buses in that are should use Toombul as the interconnection point.

And if the car park is full - CHARGE FOR PARKING FIRST before considering any expansion.

[HappyTrainGuy]

It all still goes back to the days of rail vs bus. Park and rides were so people catching trains could drive to their local railway station and jump on a train with a prepaid station to station pass without having to pay for a bus ticket and then fork out more for a rail ticket (2 seperate fares). Translink formed but they did jack all and have still kept the rail vs bus alive today without designing a proper network for BT routes that feed into the railway line. 327 doesn't feed into strathpine during peak hour/nothing feeds Bracken Ridge into the nearby railway line, 326 is just a royal mess of a route, 326/327 are pointless through Geebung as they arrive at the same time the trains do, 338 cuts out strathpine in arvo peak hour or runs poor frequencies for those that live nearby, roads that have a direct line to a nearby railway station have bugger all bus routes. A fantastic example of a feeder fail in the PT network is the 336/337 that services Aspley, Chermside and Geebung. It feeds Geebung Railway Station (a train every 7 mins in peak hour), Aspley bus interchange (345 buz), gympie road stops (340 buz), the Chermside bus interchange (330 buz, 333 buz, 340 buz, basically a whole series of routes that feed into Toombul bus interchange/city/GCL), has the fastest route from Aspley interchange to Geebung railway station at 9 mins, has 3 major shopping areas, a rsl stop, services roads that normally don't have bus routes along it/hourly city routes and goes past 8 or so schools. Yet, its run every 2 hours, 5 times a day, doesn't run on Sundays and only between 8.30am and 3.30pm. Fantastic feeder route, sh%t house execution. That is then compounded across the network with everything going to the city with hourly scenic tours.

[#Metro]

- Charge them, not against this, but based on current very high PT fares, you know where some of these cars may end up being parked, not at home or the station.

I agree, but actually if there is space there that isn't being used, then just paint lines. I don't really understand the whole 'Don't let other cars park in MY street' thing, because (a) that's parking space not used, and (b) most people are at work during the time a car will be parked in their street! They're not even there!! Just draw lines where there is space.

- QR is not subsiding anymore than any business that provides carparks for its customers that not every customer uses. As I before, QR has a requirement to provide carparking for same reason as shopping centres

I agree with this. Some people do want to drive, end of. Give them some car parking. Definetely NOT 800 spaces though!!

Railway stations need car parks and seriously much of this space used wouldn't be used by other means, maybe green stuff as on the older stations the carparks on generally on long narrow strips of land along the tracks.The newer stations have the mega parks.

It depends. Something like Nundah might be a good candidate for a TOD, but it also depends on the shape of the car park; No one is going to build a TOD on a narrow 'plank' shape  piece of land.

[Gazza]

No one is going to build a TOD on a narrow 'plank' shape  piece of land.

Oh really?

http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-27.408647,153.058417&z=19&t=h&nmd=20120618

[#Metro]

http://goo.gl/maps/OpB1Z



Does it fit?

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Park-and-ride opens at Westfield Carindale

Park-and-ride opens at Westfield Carindale

    by: Alex Strachan, South-East Advertiser
    From: Quest Newspapers
    August 03, 2012 10:43AM

CARINDALE residents could receive some relief from commuters parking in local streets after the controversial park-and-ride car park opened this week.

The opening comes two weeks after Westfield Carindale introduced its paid parking system, a move which has seen cars clog local streets.

The Creek Rd park-and-ride features 300 standard, six disabled and 15 motorcycle parking spaces, and includes upgraded pavement and line marking, new lighting and signage.

Public Transport Assistant Minister and Member for Chatsworth Steve Minnikin said he was delighted the State Government had delivered one of his election promises.

"The Carindale park-and-ride facility will mean residents commuting to the city and other areas of Brisbane will have access to hundreds of parking bays free of charge," he said.

[ozbob]

From The Satellite click here!

QUEENSLAND Rail has left a commuter in limbo after

QUEENSLAND Rail has left a commuter in limbo after

Kiri Ten Dolle | 28th August 2012 3:56 PM

QUEENSLAND Rail has left a commuter in limbo after a tree in a train station car park came smashing down on top of her car.

Nursing student Crystal Davies had been parking her car at Goodna for the past six months and commuting into the city to attend university.

But two weeks ago, she returned to Goodna Train Station to find a borer-ridden tree had fallen on top of her car, causing her roof to cave and snapping off her antenna and rear spoiler.

A Queensland Rail (QR) worker onsite at Goodna told the Brookwater woman they would look after the matter, but after reporting the incident to the company she was informed she would have to foot the costs herself.

"The lady at the train station booth said it would be fixed, but QR retracted that," the 24-year-old said.

"First they (QR) said their insurance company had declined the request and were not paying for it.

"They said the tree was in good condition, but I have photos of the borer damage where it snapped.

"They told me parking at your own liability and risk means exactly that."

Miss Davies said QR also informed her it had been a very windy day, but no warnings had been issued for Ipswich on the Bureau of Meteorology.

"I was pretty upset, they haven't provided me with a written letter or anything," she said.

"They told me it was going to take a while for them to look into it."

To make matters worse Miss Davies worked for Alliance Insurance, but had her car insured under Youi who also rejected her claim.

QR has since chopped down the tree and a stump was the only remaining remnants.

Miss Davies said she felt QR should take responsibility and pay for the estimated $2000 worth of damage.

QR would not comment on the case, but said they would investigate the issue.

"Queensland Rail is currently considering the request and is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible," a QR spokeswoman said. 

[Gazza]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/central/train-station-upgrade-brings-parking-pain-to-commuters/story-fn8m0qb4-1226466175248

More than 20 carparks removed during the Eagle Junction station upgrade have made commuting from the popular station more of a headache.

The upgrade, finished last month, improved facilities at the station, which services more than 3000 commuters daily, but carparks on the Junction Rd side were removed.

Steven Welsh from Wavell Heights drives to the station every day and said the parking situation was not good.

``I was flabbergasted when I saw what they were putting in  I thought it would be some kind of multi-storey carpark,'' Mr Welsh said.

He said the carpark was usually full by 7am.

Jolanta Edwards from Hamilton also thought the upgrade would include additional parking.

``I couldn't believe it because at first when they put up that new building I thought they were putting in new parks,'' she said.

Mrs Edwards, who does volunteer work with a young disabled man, said the lack of disabled parks on the Junction Rd side of the line was a concern.

``During the day there's absolutely nothing and you have to go several blocks down, past the park, to find one,'' she said.

Wayne Milheron is also a daily commuter, driving in from Banyo because the hub station services several lines.

``They could build on the back carpark, that might work,'' Mr Milheron said.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said there was a reduction in spaces to construct the new building to improve access at the station.

``There was a reduction in the number of car spaces by 22 bays, from approximately 120 to about 100, due to the new building being constructed within the original carpark area,'' the spokeswoman said.

The kiss `n' ride facility was also improved.

This is the risk with park and ride, that they get used in ways not intended.

Quality of service, for instance on the frequency on the Shorncliffe line, is critical. As it is, many drive to Northgate, don't they?

[HappyTrainGuy]

The zone price difference also plays a part.

[beauyboy]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/central/train-station-upgrade-brings-parking-pain-to-commuters/story-fn8m0qb4-1226466175248

More than 20 carparks removed during the Eagle Junction station upgrade have made commuting from the popular station more of a headache.

The upgrade, finished last month, improved facilities at the station, which services more than 3000 commuters daily, but carparks on the Junction Rd side were removed.

Steven Welsh from Wavell Heights drives to the station every day and said the parking situation was not good.

``I was flabbergasted when I saw what they were putting in  I thought it would be some kind of multi-storey carpark,'' Mr Welsh said.

He said the carpark was usually full by 7am.

Jolanta Edwards from Hamilton also thought the upgrade would include additional parking.

``I couldn't believe it because at first when they put up that new building I thought they were putting in new parks,'' she said.

Mrs Edwards, who does volunteer work with a young disabled man, said the lack of disabled parks on the Junction Rd side of the line was a concern.

``During the day there's absolutely nothing and you have to go several blocks down, past the park, to find one,'' she said.

Wayne Milheron is also a daily commuter, driving in from Banyo because the hub station services several lines.

``They could build on the back carpark, that might work,'' Mr Milheron said.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said there was a reduction in spaces to construct the new building to improve access at the station.

``There was a reduction in the number of car spaces by 22 bays, from approximately 120 to about 100, due to the new building being constructed within the original carpark area,'' the spokeswoman said.

The kiss `n' ride facility was also improved.

This is the risk with park and ride, that they get used in ways not intended.

Quality of service, for instance on the frequency on the Shorncliffe line, is critical. As it is, many drive to Northgate, don't they?

That story is the perfect example of what is wrong with the media. I have no doubt we need better frequency the fact that guy comes from Banyo drives me nuts. Then that bloke from Hamilton give me strength.

There were problems while that station was being rebuilt. One of the CBD BUG members had a running battle to get some bike racks installed. Originally they were only going to install a bike cage, but nothing for the casual bike/train user. It took a battle but he got there.

I must inspect that station.

Donald

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

New Ferny Grove train times leave commuters with nowhere to park

New Ferny Grove train times leave commuters with nowhere to park

    by: Allira Preece, North-West News
    From: Quest Newspapers
    October 03, 2012 12:00AM

The State Government will introduce 15-minute off peak trains on the Ferny Grove line from Monday, but already commuters struggle to find car parks at stations.

The $18 million State Government investment will see the new services available on weekdays for a trial period of two years.

Commuters and residents have been frustrated by parking limitations at Ferny Grove station since construction of the transport hub began in 2010.

Highvale commuter Laura Finlay said she was often forced to drive to Mitchelton to park.

She said it was unacceptable to provide additional train services without addressing parking issues at the same time.

"When we need the train there are no parks and it's only going to get worse,'' she said.

Upper Kedron resident Jodie Connolly agreed.

She said she received a $50 Brisbane City Council fine for parking in Bunowen St when she could not find a park at the station.

"It is not fair to punish commuters for using public transport,'' she said.

"I do not believe it is far-fetched to consider that the parking limits should be waived or overlooked during the period of construction.''

Bunowen St resident Cheryl Maguire said commuters regularly parked illegally but she would not complain to council during the construction period.

A Brisbane City Council spokesman said fines were issued as a result of residents' complaints.

He said in August and September eight parking fines were issued in streets around Ferny Grove train station.

Member for Ferny Grove Dale Shuttleworth said an extra 500 car parks would be provided for commuters once construction was completed in August 2013, providing a total of 1000 car parks.

He said 700 car parks would be available in December.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

3rd October 2012

There are solutions ...

More car parking angst:

New Ferny Grove train times leave commuters with nowhere to park

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/north/new-ferny-grove-train-times-leave-commuters-with-nowhere-to-park/story-fn8m0rl4-1226486748681

There are solutions.  Some park n' ride is needed, particularly as you move away from inner suburbia but more emphasis must be placed on proper feeder buses to key rail and bus stations, frequent with a span of hours that allow most to use. That way shift workers, those that need to drive can get a park.

We have been highlighting this issue for years.  As is typical for Queensland, nothing much is done.  Just fine the punters!

Car parking - solutions?  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=532.0    A long read, but again it highlights the sheer incompetence of the authorities to come to terms with car parking issues and solutions.

Time to get cracking?

Best wishes
Robert

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

[somebody]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

New Ferny Grove train times leave commuters with nowhere to park

Whinge whinge!

This is a good news story, but they've found a negative aspect.

She said it was unacceptable to provide additional train services without addressing parking issues at the same time.

It's very acceptable.

[Jonno]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

New Ferny Grove train times leave commuters with nowhere to park

Whinge whinge!

This is a good news story, but they've found a negative aspect.

She said it was unacceptable to provide additional train services without addressing parking issues at the same time.

It's very acceptable.

It is actually leading practice around the globe but don't let that stop our politicians from complaining!!

[Golliwog]

Pretty sure the parks along Arbor st on the bushy side are usually only about half full during the day. People just don't like walking from there up past the station. The new car park along Conavalla St is also usually the last to fill. It is dissapointing that they're not upgrading the feeders at the same time either.

[Gazza]

Those metro systems in Europe and Asia must have had massive car park upgrades once they started running trains every 3-5 minutes 

[Jonno]

Those metro systems in Europe and Asia must have had massive car park upgrades once they started running trains every 3-5 minutes 

I am sure you just drive your car onto to Metro carriage

[SurfRail]

Proportion of people who access public transport by driving = 10%
Proportion of people who access public transport by driving who think there should be more car parking = 100%

[Golliwog]

Proportion of people who access public transport by driving = 10%
Proportion of people who access public transport by driving who think there should be more car parking = 100%

Haha, close. I drive down, but would much prefer they improve the 362 or change the 367 to do a Ferny Grove station-Great Western SC-Ferny Grove station leg all day rather than just the curent FG station, Great Western SC, Upper Kedron loop in the off peak.