21 November 2010

Working hours parking at Woden

| sandysusie
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I moved to Canberra from sunny Qld back in 1992 to work in Tuggeranong, which is the only place I’ve ever worked in Canberra.

Out of the blue, my employer says we’re relocating to Woden next month, and I’m trying to work through the options for getting to work.

At Tuggeranong, I have all sorts of choices. Usually I drive – there’s free parking at work as long as I’m there by 8:15 or so, or paid parking for the occasional time I’m late. Or, I can ride my trike (no, I never learned to ride a bike) and park it in the on-site bike parking area. I can walk it in about 40 minutes, or catch a bus – although I’d usually just walk if it was down to walk vs bus!

Woden is just a bit further away – at 7.5km, I won’t have time to walk and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere safe to leave the trike. Catching a bus is an option, but at least once or twice a week I’m going to have to drive and apparently, pay to park when I get there.

My question is about parking in Woden – I know about parking there on the weekend for shopping, but parking there for work is a whole different story. I’ve found the stuff on the TAMS web site about the $5.50 and $7.00 per day parking (ouch), but that doesn’t tell me just how easy / hard it is to actually get a park. For example, one day a week I’m likely to arrive at Woden at 9:00am – what are my chances of getting into one of these parks at that time of the morning? Am I going to find myself driving around the car park forever waiting for someone to leave? Are there any places where you’re actually allowed to park and where it costs less than this? – I’m not interested in parking in dodgy unmarked spots, call me stupid but parking where I’m not supposed to stresses me out.

Thanks for your thoughts!

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What’s wrong with the bus option?

They run semi-expresses at least every 5 minutes on the intertown route between Tuggeranong and Woden.

Cheap too, especially with a weekly, monthly or Fare Go ticket.

trevar said :

I’ve never seen a tricycle for a grown up… do many people have these? I think such a thing should be made more readily available for us unco folk.

There are lots of brands and models – mine is a Greenspeed that I bought from the very helpful Ian at Flying Furniture in Dickson. I’ve seen a few of them around town, but no, they’re not really common. They’re a lot dearer than a normal bike and I’ve never been able to find anyone who would insure it, which is why I’m a bit cautious about where I leave it.

ns said :

On another note I think you should be able to find a safe place to leave your trike without too many issues. How big is it?

Not much longer than a normal bicycle, but wider obviously. Where I work now, I can lock it up in the bike shed and it only takes up one spot, but there are limits – for example I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t fit into one of those bike lockers at the bus interchanges.
In any case, it turns out that there might be spots available for bikes somewhere in the building carpark – they’re trying to find out.

ML-585 said :

Without revealing any personal details, why will you need to drive twice a week? Would getting a Park and Ride permit be an option?

Oh, it’s nothing exciting – appointments with a personal trainer at a gym at Tuggeranong – we get along well and I don’t want to change to another trainer, or gym for that matter.

If you don’t mind a bit of a walk there should still be some parks at 9am in the car park between Phillip Oval and Canberra College and across the street from the Hellenic Club (you access it by driving past the swimming pool and then circling behind Phillip Oval and ending up back alongside Launceston Street). I think it’s called the Irving Street car park and it’s $7 a day.

Or like AndyC mentioned the Easty Street carparks are $5.50 a day and sometimes there are still parks there at 9:30am.

On another note I think you should be able to find a safe place to leave your trike without too many issues. How big is it? Westfield Woden has free covered parking for motorcycles in all their carparks.

Without revealing any personal details, why will you need to drive twice a week? Would getting a Park and Ride permit be an option? On those days where you cannot (for whatever reason) catch the bus for the entire journey you can park your car for free at Tuggeranong (assuming that’s where you live) and then continue your journey to Woden by bus. This would be cheaper than paying for parking at Woden. Having a Park and Ride permit does not obligate you to use it every day.

For more details about Park and Ride, visit this webpage: http://www.action.act.gov.au/park_n_ride.html

outdoormagoo1:15 pm 22 Nov 10

Where ar you going to be working?? I know the building I am in has secure pushbike parking in the basement.

If you are in the plaza, good luck.

I wouldn’t start my car for that distance. At 7 km you wouldn’t even get hot and sweaty on a bike so you could look into that. I’m sure there are many people prepared to teach you. Even me! 🙂

And if you google Pedal Power they run adult beginner courses. And if you’re worried – just double lock it to something. I survived for years in Melbourne through uni by double locking it on the street. Lots of others locked up insecurly went for a walk to the great beyond but mine was always fine.

lilmisschatterbox11:25 am 22 Nov 10

I work at Woden and rarely at work before 8.55am. If you are at work before 8.30am you can park in the $7 a day out the front of the old Albermarle building on Furzer Street. After 8.30 you can get in at the Phillip pool (also $7 a day). I’ve never missed out on a park at the pool, but some days when I’m very late (read: woke up late and despite the lack of time, decided I still needed bacon and eggs for breakfast) I end up almost in front of the Southern Cross Club gym, but luckily my aforementioned breakfast helps me to walk the extra few steps.

I have previously contemplated going to the $4 a day carpark but am sufficiently deterred by the hoodlums and would be quite happy if my car’s paint job remained un-keyed.

Swinger Hill Shops. Close enought to walk too and from, or carry the bike in the car and ride to work from the shops.

I’ve never seen a tricycle for a grown up… do many people have these? I think such a thing should be made more readily available for us unco folk.

At around 9am you should still be pretty right getting a park on the gravel parks off Easty Street – you might end up right at the top end and will pay $5.50. Then there is some temporary parking run by EziPark off the very end of Tank Street (go past the 2 round abouts..). This is only $4 a day and always has plenty of spots – but provides a quiet, low trafficed place for the young hoodlums to have all day to scope out your car, steal your iPod, wheels, hub caps or generally cause you grief…

And of course, in the near future there will be the 10 storey park opening up at the Hospital – no idea whey the gubbermint wants to charge you to park there though….and how many of Stanhopes statues you will need to endure while using the park..

Get a bike.

Gungahlin Al7:47 pm 21 Nov 10

Parking at Woden is always a pain – ask anyone who has to go to an APSC course. And the meters onloy take changes – $7 of it. What a pain, and SOO 90s.

But the bus services there are incredible – every few minutes. Buy a 10-pass ticket for $25.20 and that means $5.42 per day total cost. No daily shrapnel scrabble.

Otherwise try and find a quiet street in Lyons/Hughes/Curtin and enjoy a 10-15 minute walk in.

I park in the 5.50 zone but I arrive at work around 7:30am and there are plenty of spaces. As for 9:00am, you will be hard up trying to find a space. Your best bet is to park in a 2 hour zone and move your car later on in the hope that some spaces have become available.

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