New Stadium / Parking

Medusa? · by **Medusa?** » 22 Mar 2007 21:02

Sorry if this has been covered before, I've become a bit of a sporadic visitor. But I just had to ask.

Given that I spent 30 minutes driving round before the ManU cup replay looking for somewhere to park (due to pretty much every road through S Oxfordshire being closed / having roadworks), what are the clubs plans to improve parking after the stadium is expanded?

I cannot see that it can go ahead unless this is addressed.

(And don't say don't drive - not everyone lives in Berks / S Oxon)

RG30 · by **RG30** » 22 Mar 2007 21:05

Park up at JJB, Pet Smart etc and walk it. 15 minute walk and have never paid a penny.

Winchester Royal · by **Winchester Royal** » 22 Mar 2007 21:07

We did have to call up the car park's operator to let us out after the West Ham(?) game though...

AthleticoSpizz · by **AthleticoSpizz** » 22 Mar 2007 21:13

No answers....and a subject that doesn't affect me personally (I walk/cycle to and fro).

But with the expected relocation of the Speedway Stadium to a location a further 500 metres away, things can only get worse in the interim.

The continued denial of parking spaces in Green Park and the developing housing complexes in the vicinity of the ground can only add to exacerbate the problem.

Silly really, at a ground that was built on a rubbish tip in the middle of nowhere close to all accessible routes to the M4 and to Reading TC, things are possibly worse now than they were on the opening game 8/9 years ago.

Row Z Royal · by **Row Z Royal** » 22 Mar 2007 21:17

AthleticoSpizz wrote:No answers....and a subject that doesn't affect me personally (I walk/cycle to and fro).

But with the expected relocation of the Speedway Stadium to a location a further 500 metres away, things can only get worse in the interim.

The continued denial of parking spaces in Green Park and the developing housing complexes in the vicinity of the ground can only add to exacerbate the problem.

Silly really, at a ground that was built on a rubbish tip in the middle of nowhere close to all accessible routes to the M4 and to Reading TC, things are possibly worse now than they were on the opening game 8/9 years ago.

...when you could park at the holiday inn and walk to the ground along the as yet unfinished A33. Good times.

AthleticoSpizz · by **AthleticoSpizz** » 22 Mar 2007 21:35

yes

Progressively Worse are the words I was looking for

TheLawnMowerMan · by **TheLawnMowerMan** » 22 Mar 2007 23:59

FWIW
When the MadStad was originally opened only Wembley Stadium (in England) had more parking spaces.
Reading Council stole some for park and ride but there is still a lot more than other grounds have.
How many people parked in the Emirates car park a few weeks ago?
I'm sorry - but there's no pleasing some people.

Winchester Royal · by **Winchester Royal** » 23 Mar 2007 00:45

Why don't more people walk? Its not a bad walk in all honesty.

Why do people have to drive to the match? Can't they car-share?

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 23 Mar 2007 07:45

The consultation docs had lots about transport plans IIRC.

As has been mentioned, there is loads of parking and the new plans mean there will be fewer spaces.

Rightly the emphasis is in finding other ways of geting people to the ground, hence the additional buses laid on.

Most likely is the Green Park station which has the potential to take a lot of traffic off the roads.

People shouldn;t just rely on the club to sort it though. Can;t think of any reason why there should be cars parking at the stadium with empty seats in - perhaps the lcub should ONLY allow full cars to park. People would soon sort out car shares then !!

PieEater · by **PieEater** » 23 Mar 2007 07:55

If you wade through the stadium expansion thread, before the debate on standing there are details of the transport plans.

Basically the expansion will remove a significant amount of the current spaces to make way for 100 buses. The club expects a "modal shift" in the way people get the games, meaning don't bring your car and take the bus. There are few details on how they will precipitate this "modal shift" other than vague comments on bus subsidies. They are targeting 50% of people taking the bus, although they are planning to offer incentives for car sharing to make best use of the remaining spaces.

In short there will be fewer car parking spaces and 12000 more people.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 23 Mar 2007 08:22

Isn't the 'modal shirt' going to be casued by the fact that there won;t be anywhere to park !!!

People will have to take a more intelligent approach than just hopping in their car, and the council will have to get off their backsides...

There are opportunities for all sorts of local groups to run coaches, it happens at other lcubs and it ought to happen here.

EASTENDER MARKY · by **EASTENDER MARKY** » 23 Mar 2007 09:50

Get the bus from the Prince of Wales

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 23 Mar 2007 09:51

Not a solution for 15,000 though !

However if 100 pubs ran buses it might work....

royalflush · by **royalflush** » 23 Mar 2007 10:19

Here are the details from the planning application dated 24th Jan:

weybridgewanderer · by **weybridgewanderer** » 23 Mar 2007 10:56

Medusa? wrote:Sorry if this has been covered before, I've become a bit of a sporadic visitor. But I just had to ask.

Given that I spent 30 minutes driving round before the ManU cup replay looking for somewhere to park (due to pretty much every road through S Oxfordshire being closed / having roadworks), what are the clubs plans to improve parking after the stadium is expanded?

I cannot see that it can go ahead unless this is addressed.

(And don't say don't drive - not everyone lives in Berks / S Oxon)

As per the plans above, after the expansion the stadium will have less parking available than it does at present. The club has introduced bus services from Bracknell, Basingstoke and farnborough. I know you say "don't say don't drive".

The club wants to move those that can away from the car leaving the car park for those that have to come from further afield

Personally, when I can't use the train and bus service from the station, I use the park and ride at shire hall. i am looking to see if I can park soemwhere in nine mile ride / crown wood and use the new bus service from there

kevan · by **kevan** » 23 Mar 2007 13:14

Its more than likely being imposed as part of the planning approval. "Don't allow cars and we will play our part by not improving public transport."

Off to Wembley this weekend and there are dire warnings about taking your car as the stadium is designed to be public transport only.

So of couse major tube works will close a large part of the transport nwtork on Saturday.

It's called integrated transport plannning apparently

Harps stay sharp · by **Harps stay sharp** » 23 Mar 2007 13:25

EASTENDER MARKY wrote:Get the bus from the Prince of Wales

Get there early though, it was full for Pompey!

RoyalBlue · by **RoyalBlue** » 27 Mar 2007 13:47

PieEater wrote:If you wade through the stadium expansion thread, before the debate on standing there are details of the transport plans.

Basically the expansion will remove a significant amount of the current spaces to make way for 100 buses. The club expects a "modal shift" in the way people get the games, meaning don't bring your car and take the bus. There are few details on how they will precipitate this "modal shift" other than vague comments on bus subsidies. They are targeting 50% of people taking the bus, although they are planning to offer incentives for car sharing to make best use of the remaining spaces.

In short there will be fewer car parking spaces and 12000 more people.

Beginning to sound like the new Wembley stadium! Less than 60,000 people on Saturday and yet the Chiltern Line Trains into Wembley Stadium station were still packed. Looking at the increased station capacities for Wembley, they will only be able to cope if everyone spreads their journies out neatly both in time slot and by station.

Thou shalt not use thy cars but don't rely on the politicians to provide effective, affordable, public transport solutions as an alternative.

Unless business finances Green Park station it will never happen.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 27 Mar 2007 14:02

Do you not think they laid on trains according to the numbers expected, and will run more for 90k crowds ?

We came on the Met line from Uxbridge which was pretty full both ways but not excessively so. Train were running every 9 minutes IIRC and so I would see scope for fitting extras into the schedule for big games.

It cost us under a tenner for 5 people (return) which seemed fairly good pricewise.

I'm not sure who else should pay for Green Park station other than the Pru/ RFC. Would it be right for the rate payers to fund a facility that would only be used by clients of a small number of commercial operations.

TBM · by **TBM** » 27 Mar 2007 16:23

RG30 wrote:Park up at JJB, Pet Smart etc and walk it. 15 minute walk and have never paid a penny.

To be fair it'll take longer than 15mins to walk from Wigan