18 April 2012

Best city parking?

| thehutch
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Whilst Mr Coe has raised the issue of parking increases and the impact on families, I thought it’d be a good time to ask other rioters about the best parking in the city?

Especially city west where it appears there is some competition in the private market.

So what’s the cheapest parking in town?

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sepi said :

Bus is 8.00 a day.

Which includes free petrol, free rego, free insurance, free tyres, free maintenance……….

JC said :

One would assume if you caught the bus everyday you would have a myway card, in which case it would be $5.04 per day so bit closer to your half price.

I’m lucky enough to be able to use the bus. If you can travel in off-peak times (between 9am and 4.30pm, or after 6pm), it’s cheaper again. And if you top up your MyWay card using BPay, you save another 5%. I often pay just $1.90 for a one-way trip.

On topic, I occasionally drive to city west (from Belconnen) & usually park in on top of IGA or behind the police station. They are convenient, but not so kind on the wallet. Am very keen for other suggestions, particularly any free parking within a 30 min walk?

thehutch said :

FioBla said :

kepayne said :

Yeah sometimes that bus can be more expensive. I live in Queanbeyan and the student rate is $3.60 one way. It’s double that for adults, so driving is usually the cheaper option.

My car (7.4 L/100km) would cost $1.50 to drive 15 km one way (distance from Queanbeyan to Civic). Helps to carpool.

Whilst I’m not a mathematical genius, I strongly doubt your calculations are correct. Doesn’t take into consideration costs of wear on the car and the fact petrol consumption differs depending on speed & traffic conditions.

You are right. I meant to say petrol cost, but I left it out. It was an error. The calculation is from a spreadsheet, so I suppose takes into account my driving history. But it is ballpark-ish.

My garage, brought myself a house in Turner last year and now walk 7 minutes to work. Smug or what.

FioBla said :

kepayne said :

Yeah sometimes that bus can be more expensive. I live in Queanbeyan and the student rate is $3.60 one way. It’s double that for adults, so driving is usually the cheaper option.

My car (7.4 L/100km) would cost $1.50 to drive 15 km one way (distance from Queanbeyan to Civic). Helps to carpool.

Whilst I’m not a mathematical genius, I strongly doubt your calculations are correct. Doesn’t take into consideration costs of wear on the car and the fact petrol consumption differs depending on speed & traffic conditions.

kepayne said :

Yeah sometimes that bus can be more expensive. I live in Queanbeyan and the student rate is $3.60 one way. It’s double that for adults, so driving is usually the cheaper option.

My car (7.4 L/100km) would cost $1.50 to drive 15 km one way (distance from Queanbeyan to Civic). Helps to carpool.

I haven’t worked in Civic for a few years now. I think the $8/day parking in Woden is steep on the occasional day I drive.

Does anyone know what motorcycle parking in the City is like these days? Many years ago it could be hard to squeeze in if you got there after about 9am (when the weather was nice, on rainy days, there would always be plenty).

Innovation – there are heaps of people that park down along Flynne Drive and in and around Lennox Gardens with bikes on tows. They park there, unload and then ride in. Same as happens in the big car park across the road from albert hall.

The walking distance from Lennox Gardens to city west is approximately 2 km. Some people even park there and bus in. Me? I like find 30. or more

Yeah sometimes that bus can be more expensive. I live in Queanbeyan and the student rate is $3.60 one way. It’s double that for adults, so driving is usually the cheaper option.

JC said :

sepi said :

Bus is 8.00 a day. It is outrageous. Should be about half that to encourage anyone to catch it.

One would assume if you caught the bus everyday you would have a myway card, in which case it would be $5.04 per day so bit closer to your half price.

Having said that though not everyone is in a position to catch a bus. The poster above who said to park in the garage and catch a bus made a huge assumption about the OP. For all they know they may well live somewhere outside of the ACT where the bus, if it exists would cost a lot more or maybe they need their car to pick-up kids etc from child care on the way home. So back in your box. (not you sepi)

+1. If you live a long way out or juggling kids, driving may be unavoidable. Otherwise, catch a bus. Better for the environment, will save you money and you can catch up with reading, listening to podcasts etc.

sepi said :

Bus is 8.00 a day. It is outrageous. Should be about half that to encourage anyone to catch it.

One would assume if you caught the bus everyday you would have a myway card, in which case it would be $5.04 per day so bit closer to your half price.

Having said that though not everyone is in a position to catch a bus. The poster above who said to park in the garage and catch a bus made a huge assumption about the OP. For all they know they may well live somewhere outside of the ACT where the bus, if it exists would cost a lot more or maybe they need their car to pick-up kids etc from child care on the way home. So back in your box. (not you sepi)

This question got me thuinking again. I’ve seen an increasing number of electric bicycles in the City (including those fold up ones). I was wondering if people are starting to park just outside the city and are getting these bikes off the back of their cars, or out of their boots, and riding the rest of the way? It’s probably quicker than the stop start traffic anyway.

New parking under the ANU Exchange accomodation block on Marcus Clarke / Barry Drive is excellent – if you arrive before 9:30 and leave after 4:30, you pay $9. If you leave before 4:30, though, it’s $14. reasonable short term rates, and two large levels of parking. Much easier to come out of than 121 Marcus Clarke (the Ernst & Young building).

sepi said :

Bus is 8.00 a day. It is outrageous. Should be about half that to encourage anyone to catch it.

Yeah I occasionally get the bus and a myway card brings it down to under $5… Pretty reasonable i think. Will check out parking options thanks everyone.

Bus is 8.00 a day. It is outrageous. Should be about half that to encourage anyone to catch it.

I park near the boatshed, the turnoff/s are on Commonwealth Avenue, just before/after the bridge. Parking is $8/day.

long term government parking is the best way to go…usually the cheapest ones are the $7 a day zones which when you buy as a monthly pass work out around $5 a day.

park somewhere north of the City and walk a few blocks. Park south of Commonwealth bridge and walk.

bitzermaloney3:48 pm 18 Apr 12

What’s the cheapest parking town?

Your carport/garage.

Walking, ride a motorcycle/bicycle or catching a bus are all cheaper than any parking options in town.

madamcholet said :

Iwork in City West and I park behind the police station. It’s not the cheapest – $11 all day, and only gets cheaper if you arrive after about 12.30 due to the strange way that parking fees work. It is up for re-development and I suppose it’s only a matter of time before this one too disappears.

I used to park over behind the IGA before I went on Mat leave, but it’s way too popular to even think about getting a park in after 8.30 so no longer suits me. It was by far cheaper also – especially if you purchased parking on advance from the shopfront.

Many of my colleagues park in the multistorey or under the new office bloc on that side also. It seems more convenient in that you don’t have to have change for the those damn machines that still pervade most of our carparks. Heaven forbid we should get up to date with any technology – but then that would be an excuse to put the prices up again!

The parking under the office block next to the City West multistory is where I go when I drive. Much better than the multistory above the City West IGA. They’ve got a weird earlybird fee structure though…you arrive before 10am (I think, perhaps 9.30), but then if you leave before 4.30pm it’s $10. Leave between 4.30 and 6pm (again, time might be a bit off) it’s $12, then after that it’s back to $10.

Still, cheaper than the early bird at city west next door, with the advantage of being able to park anywhere, not having to drive up to the roof and hope you’re there early enough, then paying $15 if you have to park on another level. Plus they let you use a credit card to pay.

There’s another new one as part of the ANU Exchange development a towards the Barry Drive end of Marcus Clarke too – haven’t been in it though, not sure what it costs.

On a motorbike.

Provided you don’t use any common sense or initiative. The ACT government don’t like it when you do that.

Iwork in City West and I park behind the police station. It’s not the cheapest – $11 all day, and only gets cheaper if you arrive after about 12.30 due to the strange way that parking fees work. It is up for re-development and I suppose it’s only a matter of time before this one too disappears.

I used to park over behind the IGA before I went on Mat leave, but it’s way too popular to even think about getting a park in after 8.30 so no longer suits me. It was by far cheaper also – especially if you purchased parking on advance from the shopfront.

Many of my colleagues park in the multistorey or under the new office bloc on that side also. It seems more convenient in that you don’t have to have change for the those damn machines that still pervade most of our carparks. Heaven forbid we should get up to date with any technology – but then that would be an excuse to put the prices up again!

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