Park and Ride Overview
Many people in regional towns, rural areas, and even within some metropolitan zones lack easy access to high-quality public transport due to distance, limited pedestrian and cyclist facilities, and mobility challenges. Appropriately located and designed Park & Ride facilities can bridge this gap, enabling more people to use public transport and thereby enhancing their travel options sustainably. By facilitating access to public transport for those in less connected areas, the Park & Ride programme promotes sustainable travel and contributes to reducing the environmental impact of transportation. Park and Ride projects are expected to receive an estimated total investment of €100 million by 2030, will varying allocations depending on the scope and complexity of each project.
The Park & Ride Objectives
- To maximise the opportunities provided by on-going investment in public transport infrastructure and services, particularly in relation to the commencement of service of new public transport projects.
- To provide the appropriate type and scale of Park and Ride at the right locations, with connectivity to the road and public transport networks and designs that supports integration with the surrounding walking and cycling network.
- Reduce reliance on the private car, reduce distances travelled by car and ensure Park and Ride facilities greater user of sustainable modes.
- Deliver an enhanced customer experience through safe, secure, and user-friendly facilities that considers opportunities for interchange and to address barriers to public transport use.
The Park and Ride Vision
Park and Ride seeks to support sustainable growth. in the regions, urban areas, and rural settlements through enhancing connectivity to high quality, accessible, low emission, and sustainable transport; empowering modal shift and increasing the catchment areas of existing and future public transport by delivering a network of appropriate Park and Ride facilities.
Park and Ride Development Office (PRDO)
The Park and Ride Development Office (PRDO) was established in February 2020, following a recommendation from the Climate Action Plan 2019, which included this as one of 28 actions targeting transport-related climate change.
The purpose of the Park and Ride Development Office is to facilitate the delivery of key Park & Ride sites by the NTA, in collaboration with Local Authorities, Irish Rail, and transport agencies in the Greater Dublin Area and regional cities, by providing dedicated specialist resources for these projects.
Categories of Park & Ride
The Park and Ride Categories are:
- Strategic Park and Ride
The function of a strategic Park and Ride is to facilitate the modal shift of long-distance car trips to public transport, at an early opportunity and to serve a wide hinterland of strategic corridor to an urban centre.
- Local Mobility Hubs
The function of a local mobility hub is to serve urban and suburban areas by expanding the local catchment of public transport services by catering access to stops/stations for a range of mobility options and to provide the opportunity to interchange between the car and public transport modes as well as between sustainable transport modes. Although car parking is available, it should not dominate the site, with a greater focus on transport interchange and sustainable modes.
- Local Park and Ride
The function of a Local Park and Ride is to provide parking at transport nodes like railway and bus stations serving smaller towns and villages on the regional public transport network. These facilities are small scale and should integrate with local walking and cycling networks.