16 February 2009

Parking sucks at ANU... Anyone surprised?

| johnboy
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The Canberra Times is carrying an epic whinge by one Gillian Crick who is cheesed off at the parking provided by ANU for part-time students.

This is hardly surprising or new. It’s an ancient right of non-driving full time students to sell their parking permit to Civic workers for beer money.

And many years ago in a lucid moment I came across a quote on a door at ANU which said, as far as I can recall: “a university is a collection of disparate buildings united by a common lack of parking space”.

Is ANU’s parking for part-timers worse than anywhere else? Seeing as it’s forced Gillian into full time study is that actually an intended result? Or should they make it a little easier for the part-timers?

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About those non driving ANU students who sell their parking permits for beer?
I’m not saying that doesn’t happen but up at the art school It’s apparent that the permits SEEM to be being sold by staff, as the back carpark is full of people who get out of their cars displaying STAFF permits, then head off toward the city.
Wy would they need to solve the parking crisis at ANU?
They would be earning enough out of this to drop all student fees!

Just a thought. A possible option is to talk to fellow students in your class who are living/renting nearby and ask if you can park your car at their house. Might even have to come to a financial arrangement but it’s worth a try.

Yes, parking at the ANU is appalling. But i notice that our Ms Crick does not offer any real solutions. Even if she were eligible for a parking permit, she would still not be able to find a convenient park if she arrived after 8:30/9am. The ANU campus is enclosed on all sides, expansion is not possible. What are the options?

i notice with some amusement those who deride academics for being impractical (is that tall poppy syndrome i detect?) but it is those very academics who very often take the extremely practical step of cycling/jogging in. In my department, a good percentage of academic staff and students do this. None of the administrative staff do.

There are no easy, practical solutions. What a waste of the CT’s space.

I recommend the “park as close as possible for free then ride bike/scooter/walk” option.

By far the best, and I often used to find that parking in O’Conner and walking was quicker then finding a park and then having to walk for ten minutes from wherever that was anyway.

Alternatively ‘Park and Drive’, Crickles.

Ignore the trolls crickles. Public transport between Queanbeyan and Canberra is not only expensive but almost unworkable when you have a serious schedule to keep.

And there is no decent solution to your problem. Canberrans love their cars, earn decent money and can afford to park all day every day near Civic.

Best you find a regular spot in the vicinity and enjoy our lovely nature on your walks.

It is comments like that of ‘bigred’ that made me very hesitant to contribute to the article in The Canberra Times when asked. This has been an ongoing saga for me for about a year and, after exhausting every avenue I could think of within the university, I wrote a letter to the Editor of The Canberra Times. I expected, at best, for it be published as a letter and was suprised when they contacted me last week to do an article; I am obviously not the only student who has contacted them about this.

I have paid over $250 in parking fines in the last semester alone, received purely because I could find no suitable place to park within a 10-15minute walk of where I needed to be; as a result I think I am entitled to an ‘epic whinge’. I routinely check as many pay and display car parks that I know of and if I have no success I then park where I can find a space, which is often in a permit car park (student, staff, or ANU vehicle only). I don’t begrudge anyone their parking permit, and am well aware that there is not enough parking even for those with permits on campus. The point of my contacting The Canberra Times was to raise the issue in general of parking at ANU, as I had no success with anyone within the University administration.

I spoke to the journalist about taking the bus and had done some research as to whether or not this would be an option for me this year. At the moment I live in Queanbeyan and a return trip would be in the order of $15 a day. Looking at the class timetables currently available I am expected to be on campus five days a week this semester. It is simply cheaper to drive and pay to park for the day.

I thank those of you who have read the article and can appreciate my point of view. I will definitely be looking again at parking around ‘Old Canberra House’ and London Circuit, thanks for tips.

can I paraphrase this story a bit:

Fat chick with attitude wants to park outside her lecture theatre because she is too lazy to walk a bit. Perhaps she could apply for a disabled parking spot due to her size and stay on an ever increasing cycle? If I have offended any sensitivities, that is just too bad.

The fact that the ANU student association is permanently run by people living on Campus doesn’t help. During my second year of uni (way back in 2000) a large chunk of the car parking was turned into building sites, and when I complained to the SA it was clear that they had no comprehension of or interest in the issue.

It’s worth noting that the intertown bus route goes right past the edge of the ANU. If Canberra buses didn’t suck during the day or if it was actually possible to park and ride there’d be less demand on parking at the uni.

The ANU grounds are federal land (similar to the Airport) and thus there is no requirement to build additional carparking facilities to offset the new development taking place, or the car spaces lost under these new developments. There will no underground parking facilities in the new facilities (short sighted, I know..), because it is expensive and, again, there is no requirement to do so. The parking spaces in the existing multistory carparks are overbooked, and long since unavailable (possible exception for the carpark near law). Parking permits will again be overbooked and oversold by a factor of two/three. Those who claim parking exists on campus during the day, but further away from the science / union court precinct, presumably attended ANU in the past as this hasn’t been the case during the last two or so years.

There will be further carpark closures, such as the removal of Sullivan’s creek carpark, and the science carpark during the construction of the new science buildings. I have heard rumours that the science carpark will become a multistory facility within a few years but this is no doubt little consolation to current students. The soccer fields south of union court, although popular, may become victim to the need for carparking as demand far exceeds supply this year.

Bikes and Buses are an option for students who intend to stay at University during the day, and only require hand luggage, but frequently students are required to leave and return to university during the day (for a variety of reasons), and to transport bulkier items occasionally. Increasingly potential visitors from other institutions and commercial organisations will refuse to share their knowledge at the ANU due to the difficulties in obtaining parking, and those who do agree are often late as they struggle to find parking, park off campus, or don’t show up.

Ultimately however, the reason for the lack of carparking on campus is caused by the lack of investment in underground / multistory carparking on the space constrained campus due to insufficient funding from successive Federal governments (the present government included), and the ANU’s desire to redirect all funding provided for infrastructure and undergraduate programs to their postgraduate research.

Indeed the parking at ANU has always sucked, it always caused me to be late most of the time, not that i missed much other than catching up on sleep. North Oval was decent most of the time if you got there at the right time, I did notice that they changed it to a 3 hour zone a couple of years ago, so that probably made more problems.

Get used to it, the parking situation is the same throughout the city since stanhopeless sold off all the carparks for buildings then showed great leadership in neglecting to ensure there was sufficient additional parking, which indeed normally allowed some excess parking for students from the ANU. You can’t get a carpark in city west after 8am and the rest of the carparks along london circuit fill by about 9-10am. Additional levels of the multi-story and the eventual opening of spaces under new buildings (if we’re lucky) in the next year or so may help, but will most likey just be taken by the extra people who occupy those buildings.

Bikes aren’t an option for most unless you live within a reasonable distance, and buses are great, if they were reliable and got you somewhere without going via the scenic route and taking more than an hour for what is a 15 minute drive.

I’m sure that Dr. Watchirs will be telling us that parking is a basic human right…..

There is always heaps of parking available on campus down near Old Canberra House – but of course the whinging students don’t use it because it’s more than 20m from whichever lecture they are attending.

Dry your eyes, Princess.

‘That’s handled by an administrative area staffed by people whose incompetence is exceeded only by their malevolence.’

Sounds like the overflow from any area ruled by Sonic or the arogant inebriate.

mmm yep Tyler – it all sux.

But as long as we live in a city that is designed around cars then we will continue to ask for places to park them when we get where we are going. Pretty simple really.

Now if only our fearless leaders actually had an idea….

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy4:24 pm 16 Feb 09

When I went to uni, there was heaps and heaps of free parking, and you could always get a park when you needed one.

I just wanted to share that with you all.

tylersmayhem3:53 pm 16 Feb 09

C’mon people. The ANU parking sux, Canberra CBD parking sux, Charnwood shops parking sux.

This is hardly a new event!

I’m not sure how ANU’s administration works but I’ve worked in a university and many administrators in the executive level are professors, association professors, deans and what you have. Well, my former boss, a professor, had to approve something as exciting as teaching staff’s campus accomodation. If something is put to their face, it will be considered. Having said that, yes, the non-academic administrators should be the ones who are suppose to come up with some proposals. Obviously, no one care enough to do anything.

UC is just as hopeless. I remember a uni mate who can’t afford to miss a class, couldn’t find a parking spot and had to park on the kerb. Needless to say, he was fined.

What about UC – don’t they have oodles of free parking? People who want a car park friendly uni could go there.
Correction:

People who want a car park friendly TAFE could go there.

Is it still possible to park in the CSIRO parking on the Black Mountain site? There have always been signs there saying staff only, but as far as I could tell there were never any way to tell which car belonged to whom.

And if you were doing Geol, Geog or Forestry etc, it is a minutes walk to lectures. The problems start when you get back an hour late from an afternoon field trip and find your car has been locked in.

canberra bureaucrat said :

bohemian said :

For a campus filled with top-rated academics and administrators, you would think that they’ve come up with a solution or two by now.

Alas, academics brain structures enable them to excel at their topic of interest, but often (not always) to the detriment of prosaic matters like parking.

Academics have nothing to do with parking and the roadnet on campus. That’s handled by an administrative area staffed by people whose incompetence is exceeded only by their malevolence.

If you’re pressed for time and concerned about parking, that’s why the ANU allows you to buy a space in one of the multistory lots. For everyone else, there is arriving early (or late) and knowing that you will not find a spot between 9:30 and 12:00.

They could, perhaps, build new parking lots rather than just removing them from around the science precinct (either by demolition & construction, conversion to pay parking [north oval], staff parking [science car park] or residents only parking [rear science car park]). However, (a) don’t hold your breath and (b) don’t expect any action to cause significant change.

If I were this wee lassie I’d be buying a basic bicycle and a means of carrying it in or on the car, and parking in a street in Turner or O’Connor and riding in. Or perhaps down by the lake somewhere closer to Commonwealth Ave bridge, as I imagine she’d be coming that way. Nice little folding bikes suitable for a 2-3km commute are available for instance I just googled this little beauty http://www.bicyclestore.com.au/Dahon-Eco-1-pr-23134.html for $349.

So problem solved. Next!!!

Woody Mann-Caruso1:12 pm 16 Feb 09

Remember people, the act of driving and parking wherever the hell you want when you want isn’t a god-given right.

He’s a WITCH! BURN HIM!

Tetranitrate1:05 pm 16 Feb 09

The situation isn’t helped by the fact that over the past several years the ANU has worsened the existing parking crisis by bulldozing car parks to build new buildings.
Unilodge 1 and 2, along with a new building out the back of Copland.

canberra bureaucrat said :

bohemian said :

For a campus filled with top-rated academics and administrators, you would think that they’ve come up with a solution or two by now.

Alas, academics brain structures enable them to excel at their topic of interest, but often (not always) to the detriment of prosaic matters like parking.

Many academics live nearby and can ride or walk to work.

It is true that it is difficult to find car parks during the day, a problem faced by part-time students who commute to ANU at various times after 9am.

What about UC – don’t they have oodles of free parking? People who want a car park friendly uni could go there.

canberra bureaucrat12:40 pm 16 Feb 09

bohemian said :

For a campus filled with top-rated academics and administrators, you would think that they’ve come up with a solution or two by now.

Alas, academics brain structures enable them to excel at their topic of interest, but often (not always) to the detriment of prosaic matters like parking.

canberra bureaucrat12:37 pm 16 Feb 09

Parking near the ANU union building, and presumable other parts of the uni, is now 3 hours max. It was all day, and changed just a couple of weeks ago. This should stop those nasty tie wearing office dwellers parking at ANU (dammit!).

ANU parking used to be free for students.

Then they brought in annual parking vouchers that you had to pay for. When they did this , they promised to use the money earned to build a multistorey carpark at ANU, so that everyone who paid for a parking permit would be able to get a spot.

I guess that was an ‘aspirational target’.

ANU parking permits are actually hunting licences. Good luck with finding a spot.

I am finding it hard to muster a lot of sympathy for the person in the CT article, who has had two years to figure out a way around the issues she is experiencing and seems only to have come up with “someone else has to fix it for me”.

There’s a pay carpark on the west corner of London Circuit that always has free spaces.
15 minutes to drive from Mawson to there, 15 mins walk to Robertson = the half hour she has to go from work to lectures.

If you are desperate to drive, then arrive before anyone else thereby ensuring you get a parking place. First in best dressed.

If unable to arrive early, get there by another mode of transport.

Problem solved.

Remember people, the act of driving and parking wherever the hell you want when you want isn’t a god-given right.

Nope, hardly surprising. ANU’s parking spots were indeed scarce, roads too narrow and people can still drive like a maniac at 20km per hour.

For a campus filled with top-rated academics and administrators, you would think that they’ve come up with a solution or two by now.

TheScientist10:20 am 16 Feb 09

or riding bikes? i ride the 7km each way every day, rain wind or shine, except for the occasion when i need a car for something later on (about 4 times a year).

free parking, right next to my building, and exercise, and it only takes about 5 mins longer than driving (less if there’s traffic).

when i do drive, i leave early to beat the traffic, and get a carpark next to my building!

Also if you ride and take the bus (particularly good if you need an intertown bus) then you can ride the bus for free! If you’re a part time uni student this should be the best solution because you’re unlikely to face unavailable bike spots on the bus, because you probably aren’t travelling on it at peak times.

AND it would lower congestion.

If you have a wee tike however, i’m sure this information becomes less useful.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:54 am 16 Feb 09

Aren’t we all supposed to be using buses?

When Ah wert lad at ANU, we didn’t have to worry baht parkin cos we didn’t have blooody cars, did we, no, we ddn’t, not like these poncy spolit generation-bloody-Yers or what ever they are..tha don’t know tha born!

Proximity to the CBD probably makes it worse, but it’s also difficult in the far western reaches of the campus. The situation isn’t helped by the ACT gov. selling off several large car parks in the CBD in recent years. (Marcus Clark x several, Childers St, Bunda St etc etc.) I’m surprised uni students and DAFF staff aren’t out there punching-on every morning!

Ah yes, the good old days of civic parking.

When I was working in the city about 3 years ago, it cost me $150 for a 6 month student parking ticket. I did this for about 3 years, and was never an ANU student. Pretty cheap in anyones book. I’d imagine the asking price is more than $150 these days.

ANU’s parking is crap, but only because of it’s proximity to the CBD, and the fact that 99 times out of 100 full time office workers will be able to afford to pay more then students, thus pricing them out of the market (or paying them in beer for their parking space).

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