COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

HEADED ITEM NO. 11

Rosemount Car Park

The car park at Rosemount was surveyed in late 2012 and it was undertaken to resurvey the car park following the opening of the library. The car park can accommodate 112 vehicles and serves the local shops, community centre, church and the new library. The centre is served by a bus stop and park and ride is possible. Recent observation of the car park indicates that demand continues at a level where congestion is a significant problem.

The survey in October 2012 showed that at its busiest period short and medium term parking (duration of parking up to and including four hours) represented 65 of the 112 available spaces and longer term parking 33 of the 112 spaces. The source of long term parking is not known and may be staff of the centre or bus users. Now that the library is open and has its former compliment of spaces (10 kerb side and 16 off street spaces), library users will most likely increase the demand for short and medium term parking.

Various steps can be implemented to improve access to the car park

Mark out the remaining bays near the entrance to the car park where spaces are not demarked for efficient parking use. Also mark the kerb side spaces at the library.

Manage parking duration, with one third of spaces used by long term parking a limit on parking duration can improve space turnover. In reviewing the distribution of long term parking it is noted that there is a strong trend for long term parking to occur at the church end of the car park (25 of 33 cars parked for longer than 4 hours), perhaps this is in consideration for access by others to the shopping area. It is possible to place a time restriction on part of the car park there by regularising current practice. A time restriction on the entire car park could provide much needed space, primarily at the community centre and church. Some displacement of long term parking may occur nearby.

The enforcement of parking restrictions requires use of Council resources. Enforcement is funded through the income from pay and display parking. Outside of pay and display parking areas occasional and non-routine enforcement can be considered as issues arise.

Adding additional spaces is calculated at €12,000 for a 4 space bay at the old bus terminus on Anne Devlin Park. Any meaningful increase in car park space would be a multiple of this amount.