Green Park Match Day Parking

[RoyalBlue]

I have used the park and ride from Mearoak every home game this season. Good service and very easy to get out onto the A33 to go either way after the game. I guess it wouldn't be so good if coming from the town end.

Used to park in the old HP car park but not done that all season.

Park and ride is fine for those who live locally and/or are able to get there early enough to add that extra leg to their journey. However, it is no good for those who are racing from work to try to get to an evening game or who already have lengthy car journeys to get to the vicinity of the stadium.

Understand the evening game situation, I work in Basingstoke so it isn't too bad for me as I just shoot along the A33 after work, easy.

I don't understand why park and ride is only fine for those who live locally and/or get there early enough. I have gotten to the park and ride @ 2 before and never been at the ground later than 2:30. The walk from the ground + time spent getting out of the HP Car Park is actually longer than getting the bus from stadium -> Mearoak.

I get everyone has different situations though.

Yes, should correct that. Probably fine regardless of the time you arrive, provided that they are running enough buses to cope. However, if you already face a pretty lengthy car journey to get to and from Reading, the last thing you want to do is add two bus journeys (complete with waiting time) on top of that.

Regardless of culpability, a significant reduction in the car parking available within walking distance of the stadium will hit attendances quite significantly, particularly when most of the entertainment on offer is as dire as it has been for the majority of the last 2+ seasons.

[Hendo]

Regardless of culpability, a significant reduction in the car parking available within walking distance of the stadium will hit attendances quite significantly, particularly when most of the entertainment on offer is as dire as it has been for the majority of the last 2+ seasons.

I will be happy to be proved wrong if this turns out to be the case but I really don't think this will happen. A quite significant reduction would see attendances fall to around the 11K mark and I just can't see that happening, unless we get relegated. I'm pretty confident in saying the attendances will remain around 15-18K if we stay in the Championship. I think a significant proportion of the fans live locally enough to deem park+ride a viable option.

[Silver Fox]

I have used the park and ride from Mearoak every home game this season. Good service and very easy to get out onto the A33 to go either way after the game. I guess it wouldn't be so good if coming from the town end.

Used to park in the old HP car park but not done that all season.

Park and ride is fine for those who live locally and/or are able to get there early enough to add that extra leg to their journey. However, it is no good for those who are racing from work to try to get to an evening game or who already have lengthy car journeys to get to the vicinity of the stadium.

Not to mention those who want the moon on a stick

[westendgirl]

I'd welcome you to try my match day journey and then still suggest it's convenient. I would have thought that £7 per car park space would seem a pretty good deal for most organisations that might have parking available on Saturdays and occasional weekday evenings. Could the difficulty be that our club are looking for a share of that income, thus making it considerably less attractive? As for parking that doesn't exist, the owners/club seem set on making that situation even worse with REP. Yes, there may well be a multi-storey car park provided at some point but whilst construction is taking place supporters are going to lose even more parking availability.

I know the club struggles to anything right for you but as I have been involved in discussions to get extra parking for supporters (I had arranged parking on Green Park with some tenants on there when we got promoted in 2002 which got stopped by Prudential as they would not allow football supporters on their hallowed ground) I am more aware of how much trouble the club do go to without necessarily succeeding. Rather than looking for a share of the parking income I am aware that it actually costs them, but money is seldom the stumbling block in arranging extra parking.

It is going to be difficult is REP goes ahead but unlikely to be insurmountable - the big problem may well be that most of us dislike change but you never know you might find the new options better. Certainly Mereoak seems to be working well (and adding to the current frustrations to those parking at the ground as the buses block the exit onto the A33!)

[leon]

I have used the park and ride from Mearoak every home game this season. Good service and very easy to get out onto the A33 to go either way after the game. I guess it wouldn't be so good if coming from the town end.

Used to park in the old HP car park but not done that all season.

Park and ride is fine for those who live locally and/or are able to get there early enough to add that extra leg to their journey. However, it is no good for those who are racing from work to try to get to an evening game or who already have lengthy car journeys to get to the vicinity of the stadium.

Not to mention those who want the moon on a stick

It's not too much to ask to be able to park at best 15 mins walk at an out of town stadium.

[paultheroyal]

Gutted to hear about this as a regular parker at Brook Drive in Green Park.

Mereoak interests me though and can see it as the only option.

Hendo - how often do the buses leave the car park? What time do you traditionally get there and is the bus journey straight in? As for leaving - where do you meet the buses from and are there many, or do you have to wait etc.? Typically if you leave at final whistle what time are you back at Mereoak or even back in Basingstoke. (which is where I am coming from.)

Cheers.

[Sutekh]

Never understand the stupidity of building grounds right on top of motorway junctions and then making it extremely difficult or idiotically expensive to park anywhere near the place.

Public transport is not a solution if you are not living local to a ground.

[Maneki Neko]

Never understand the stupidity of building grounds right on top of motorway junctions and then making it extremely difficult or idiotically expensive to park anywhere near the place.

Public transport is not a solution if you are not living local to a ground.

park and ride?

[Forbury Lion]

Good call, I forsee a significant rise in applications for a Costco card !!

I recall Boyd Butler from the club suggesting this in a wink wink kind of way once when asked about parking, However I suspect they too have restrictions in place and I heard the car park gate was locked once when fans returned to pick up their cars.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

If it just gets too difficult or expensive to get to them game I'm pretty sure attendances will suffer dramatically.

It's already a five and a half hour expedition from Tilehurst for 90 minutes of "entertainment." If it gets significantly worse I'll just stay home and watch better quality football from Seria A and the Bundesliga.

[Clyde1998]

I contacted the council and the club on Saturday night regarding the issue of parking. The club replied yesterday morning (I'm not holding out much hope for a response from the council). In relation to parking the response that I received was:

In recent seasons, the capacity of the Worton Grange site has been approximately 500 cars and looking at the number of cars using the site, these can in theory be accommodated in other offsite car parks which have been operating at under capacity. However, we clearly would want our average attendance to increase and we fully understand that ensuring the stadium is accessible is key to this. I would like to assure that the club have been actively seeking additional matchday parking from various local businesses and organisations, and we will keep supporters fully informed as and when any further parking become available.

Basically, the club are concerned about the reduction in parking, despite other off-site car parks not being at full capacity at the moment, and the impact that it could have on attendances if a suitable solution isn't found.

Having less car parking spaces will be an issue next Friday, for the Palace Quarter-Final. The total (off-site) parking capacity is currently just under 2,400, now that Worton Grange will be unavailable. The club's own car park has around 2,000 spaces, although these are almost all parking permits that are sold out for this season and not all of the car park is available for supporters either, as the players, journalists. etc use it. I'm sure that local residents would prefer for people not to be parked on the streets, although this may be a suitable short term solution for some who parked at Worton Grange.

In the initial email, I brought up Green Park as a solution to the parking situation - despite their, current, stance on preventing Reading fans from parking on the site. I've since found out that Green Park has space for over 3,000 cars - so even a small portion of that would be beneficial in helping reducing the problems that the loss of parking spaces at Worton Grange could bring. Additionally, Green Park would gain revenue from it - should they wish to allow fans to park there.

I'm aware of the buses that the club put on for supporters, although this may not be a viable option for people outside of Reading - particularly if the buses don't pass through their town/village. Additionally, trains can be completely overpriced - as to make it unaffordable to some.

[Top Flight]

Monorails are a cheap public transport system aren't they?

Would it not be possible for the Billionaire Thais to work with the council and invest in a monorail system from the Madejski Stadium and Green Park to Reading train station. That would benefit the town, the club, businesses, commuters and football supporters for many years to come and would generate ongoing revenue for the Thais.

Why is a monorail not a good transport solution?

[Born Again Royalist]

Mere Oak P&R will not accept Reading Bus passes for the trip into the Mad stad.

[Hendo]

Gutted to hear about this as a regular parker at Brook Drive in Green Park.

Mereoak interests me though and can see it as the only option.

Hendo - how often do the buses leave the car park? What time do you traditionally get there and is the bus journey straight in? As for leaving - where do you meet the buses from and are there many, or do you have to wait etc.? Typically if you leave at final whistle what time are you back at Mereoak or even back in Basingstoke. (which is where I am coming from.)

Cheers.

The buses leave the car park roughly every 15 minutes and on the 1/4hr. I traditionally get there about 1ish and usually end up on the 1.15 bus but the one before can be late leaving. On a Saturday the bus journey is straight in but mid-week it stops at the Verizon building, but it adds next to nothing onto the journey which usually takes 20 minutes. The bus drops you off at the round-a-bout at the bottom of the Hurst Way Hill and thats where you pick it up after the game, I leave the east stand at the final whistle and there is a bus waiting, longest I have had to wait for one after the game is 5 minutes. I'm usually back in Basingstoke (Leisure Park) by roughly 5:45/midway through Brian's post match interview on BBC Berks.

Hope this helps - any more questions, let me know.

[Top Flight]

I wonder if there is enough demand from West London based Royals fans for a bus from somewhere like Uxbridge direct to the Mad Stad. Leaving Uxbridge at say 1pm or 1:30pm and going straight to the Madejski. The West London fans can get to Uxbridge and go from there.

There must be a few Royals fans in Uxbridge, Ruislip, Ickenham, Northwood, Pinner, Hayes, Hillingdon, West Drayton etc that might use such a service.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

The situation is becoming more difficult each season and I go to more away games now - the railway station could have been an answer (certainly for me) but this seems further away than ever. The club and local council need to come up with a solution which involves public transport.

I have family in Tilehurst but where I used to get on the buses (near Elm Park) they are always full now.

[download]

Good call, I forsee a significant rise in applications for a Costco card !!

I recall Boyd Butler from the club suggesting this in a wink wink kind of way once when asked about parking, However I suspect they too have restrictions in place and I heard the car park gate was locked once when fans returned to pick up their cars.

Costco is closed at 8:30 during the week and locks its car park. So don't park there during the week and expect the car park to be open after the game. On a Saturday it closes at 6pm, so don't hang around too long after the game.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Don't expect too much "help" from RBC.....they have their own transport agendas..........expect even more double-yellows in S. Reading

[paultheroyal]

Gutted to hear about this as a regular parker at Brook Drive in Green Park.

Mereoak interests me though and can see it as the only option.

Hendo - how often do the buses leave the car park? What time do you traditionally get there and is the bus journey straight in? As for leaving - where do you meet the buses from and are there many, or do you have to wait etc.? Typically if you leave at final whistle what time are you back at Mereoak or even back in Basingstoke. (which is where I am coming from.)

Cheers.

The buses leave the car park roughly every 15 minutes and on the 1/4hr. I traditionally get there about 1ish and usually end up on the 1.15 bus but the one before can be late leaving. On a Saturday the bus journey is straight in but mid-week it stops at the Verizon building, but it adds next to nothing onto the journey which usually takes 20 minutes. The bus drops you off at the round-a-bout at the bottom of the Hurst Way Hill and thats where you pick it up after the game, I leave the east stand at the final whistle and there is a bus waiting, longest I have had to wait for one after the game is 5 minutes. I'm usually back in Basingstoke (Leisure Park) by roughly 5:45/midway through Brian's post match interview on BBC Berks.

Hope this helps - any more questions, let me know.

Hendo, that's really useful and thank you.

Will use it on Saturday with my little lad and a mate. Usually have a car full but some are missing this week. I will get the later bus this week but normally it would be the 1:15.

Thanks again.

[SCIAG]

Monorails are a cheap public transport system aren't they?

Would it not be possible for the Billionaire Thais to work with the council and invest in a monorail system from the Madejski Stadium and Green Park to Reading train station. That would benefit the town, the club, businesses, commuters and football supporters for many years to come and would generate ongoing revenue for the Thais.

Why is a monorail not a good transport solution?

That's more of a Wokingham idea.