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Garrett Cummins · 08-08-2007, 07:55

Please see press release issued by NRG yesterday - appreciate as much support on this one!!

Press Release

Decision Time Due for Rail Car Park

Last week councillors in Kildare County Council voted in favour of rezoning the land for the proposed new rail car park at Newbridge Railway Station. The decision to grant planning permission for the car park is now imminent.

Newbridge Rail Group (NRG) invited Irish Rail management and the candidates for the recent general election to a public meeting to discuss, amongst other thing, the proposals for the car park. Irish Rail intend to impose a new charge of €2 a day or €5 a week to use the new car park – they also intend to charge a similar fee for use of the existing car park.

NRG was mandated by the users of Newbridge Railway station to object the planning application on the following grounds:

1. The proposed development envisages pay parking at a suggested price of €2 per day. For a commuter who has an annual ticket currently costing circa €1,600 p.a., and uses the service 250 days a year, this represents a price increase of 31%. This increase will act as a deterrent to continued use of public transport and indeed lead to consumers reverting to using their cars thus leading to increased traffic congestion on major city roads and increase emissions which is contrary to recent EU statements calling for a reduction of car emissions
2. Public policy is to encourage the use of public transport. The introduction of pay parking for an existing rail service is contrary to public policy on transport

"This record level of investment in public transport will provide choice and an alternative to the private car, particularly in the major urban areas, thereby encouraging a modal shift from the private car to less polluting and less energy intensive forms of transport such as public transport"

- Extract from Dept. of Transport Statement of Strategy re Transport 21 and Sustainability.

3. Irish Rail do not and confirmed they will not provide a free public transport alternative to get to the train station in Newbridge like they do for Sallins, and Hazelhatch, therefore if Irish Rail want pay parking they must provide a free alternative to the car
4. Pay parking will encourage rail users to park their cars in near by housing estates to avoid the parking fee; encroaching and disturbing owners enjoyment of their property
5. Irish Rail plan to charge for parking in the existing car park, which is currently for free. This is a change of use - should a separate planning application be requested for this??
6. Effectively the parking facilities at Newbridge railway station will become a public car park with no priority for rail users. This is contrary to the spirit and intention of Council’s decision to transfer lands to Irish Rail for the purpose of providing adequate car park facilities for rail users – not as a for profit enterprise
7. The ‘pay and display’ parking machines in the car park are not appropriate for commuters. This car park will not have a constant flow of traffic rather a rush in advance of the next incoming train and then a complete fall off.
8. One pedestrian bridge is insufficient to enable rail users to access the platform from the new car park if parked nearer the town end of the proposed development
9. No provision of lifts to enable mobility impaired users access the platform from the new car park
10. Road access from the new car park causing a road hazard for traffic leaving the existing station car park

At the public meeting in March Minister for State, Sean Power T.D. stated it was “…Unacceptable and unnecessary to bring in the cost of car parking ….with modern technology the cost should be part of the rail ticket” Sean O’Fearghail T.D., Fianna Fail, was totally opposed to pay parking and was going to talk to then Minister for Transport Martin Cullen TD about it. He also promised to raise a motion against pay parking within the Fianna Fail parliamentary party.

NRG and the users of Newbridge Railway Station await this decision and warn that other towns on the Kildare line should also be wary; if the introduction of pay parking in Newbridge stations is successful it is then only a matter of time before it is introduced in other towns.

08-08-2007, 07:55	#15
Garrett Cummins New to the board Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 21	Pay Parking Please see press release issued by NRG yesterday - appreciate as much support on this one!! Press Release Decision Time Due for Rail Car Park Last week councillors in Kildare County Council voted in favour of rezoning the land for the proposed new rail car park at Newbridge Railway Station. The decision to grant planning permission for the car park is now imminent. Newbridge Rail Group (NRG) invited Irish Rail management and the candidates for the recent general election to a public meeting to discuss, amongst other thing, the proposals for the car park. Irish Rail intend to impose a new charge of €2 a day or €5 a week to use the new car park – they also intend to charge a similar fee for use of the existing car park. NRG was mandated by the users of Newbridge Railway station to object the planning application on the following grounds: 1. The proposed development envisages pay parking at a suggested price of €2 per day. For a commuter who has an annual ticket currently costing circa €1,600 p.a., and uses the service 250 days a year, this represents a price increase of 31%. This increase will act as a deterrent to continued use of public transport and indeed lead to consumers reverting to using their cars thus leading to increased traffic congestion on major city roads and increase emissions which is contrary to recent EU statements calling for a reduction of car emissions 2. Public policy is to encourage the use of public transport. The introduction of pay parking for an existing rail service is contrary to public policy on transport "This record level of investment in public transport will provide choice and an alternative to the private car, particularly in the major urban areas, thereby encouraging a modal shift from the private car to less polluting and less energy intensive forms of transport such as public transport" - Extract from Dept. of Transport Statement of Strategy re Transport 21 and Sustainability. 3. Irish Rail do not and confirmed they will not provide a free public transport alternative to get to the train station in Newbridge like they do for Sallins, and Hazelhatch, therefore if Irish Rail want pay parking they must provide a free alternative to the car 4. Pay parking will encourage rail users to park their cars in near by housing estates to avoid the parking fee; encroaching and disturbing owners enjoyment of their property 5. Irish Rail plan to charge for parking in the existing car park, which is currently for free. This is a change of use - should a separate planning application be requested for this?? 6. Effectively the parking facilities at Newbridge railway station will become a public car park with no priority for rail users. This is contrary to the spirit and intention of Council’s decision to transfer lands to Irish Rail for the purpose of providing adequate car park facilities for rail users – not as a for profit enterprise 7. The ‘pay and display’ parking machines in the car park are not appropriate for commuters. This car park will not have a constant flow of traffic rather a rush in advance of the next incoming train and then a complete fall off. 8. One pedestrian bridge is insufficient to enable rail users to access the platform from the new car park if parked nearer the town end of the proposed development 9. No provision of lifts to enable mobility impaired users access the platform from the new car park 10. Road access from the new car park causing a road hazard for traffic leaving the existing station car park At the public meeting in March Minister for State, Sean Power T.D. stated it was “…Unacceptable and unnecessary to bring in the cost of car parking ….with modern technology the cost should be part of the rail ticket” Sean O’Fearghail T.D., Fianna Fail, was totally opposed to pay parking and was going to talk to then Minister for Transport Martin Cullen TD about it. He also promised to raise a motion against pay parking within the Fianna Fail parliamentary party. NRG and the users of Newbridge Railway Station await this decision and warn that other towns on the Kildare line should also be wary; if the introduction of pay parking in Newbridge stations is successful it is then only a matter of time before it is introduced in other towns.