[ad_1]
Cars can return to Dublin’s Phoenix Park starting Monday, despite pleas from environmental groups to uphold Covid-19 restrictions on parking at the city’s main outdoor equipment.
The Public Works Office (OPW) will reopen the car parks at Phoenix Park on Monday, which have been closed since March.
However, they will only be open from 10 am daily to encourage their use only by “recreational users”, and parking along Chesterfield Avenue will continue to be prohibited.
Since March, car parking has been banned in the park, and most roads have been closed to traffic with only Park Gate Street and Castleknock gates open.
Gardaí has been on duty at both ends of Chesterfield Avenue, the linear road between the two doors, asking motorists for their destination and returning vehicles where Covid-19 movement restrictions were not being met.
Gardaí and the rangers have also been patrolling the park for motorists to break the new rules.
Starting May 18, the car parks will open every day from 10 a.m. M., Although “dedicated parking areas” will be provided for those who exercise early in the morning, and the Enclosed Garden of the Phoenix Park Visitor Center will be used for “cocoon space” from 10 a.m. .
However, parking will remain prohibited on Chesterfield Avenue, while heavily-used commuter parking spaces will instead be converted to bike lanes and existing bike lanes on the avenue will be used for trails.
Perimeter doors
Starting June 8, the perimeter gates, which are currently closed, will reopen to traffic. Parking on the grass or trails has always been prohibited, and continues to be.
A Taisce and the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network had asked OPW not to allow the cars to return to the park.
“The current restriction on traffic and car parking along the main strip shows the park what it should be like: a place for recreation, with families able to take young children for walks, bikes and riding. bicycle, with better air quality and amenities. for those seeking refuge against polluting urban traffic and noise. This should be the new normal, ”said a joint letter to OPW sent on Wednesday.
In particular, the previous use of Chesterfield Avenue as a “blunt parking strip for all-day commuters” conflicted with the Government’s sustainable transportation policy and the park’s designation as a “national historical park,” he said.
The letter praised the recent progress of the Dublin City Council in providing more space for cyclists and pedestrians in the city and suggested a “similar initiative to reduce the level of parking and car access” to Phoenix Park.
Electronic access to the door could be provided for vehicles serving Áras an Uacharáin, Garda headquarters, the zoo, and other facilities and residences. While parking could be continued for zoo visitors, incentives should be established to encourage the use of public transportation. The provision could continue for disabled drivers, the letter said.
Last year, OPW released a review of the park’s “visitor experience” that suggested extensive new parking for certain facilities, but said it was eager to reduce traffic and “tame” use of the park for commuter parking.
[ad_2]