# Parking at Sandyford Luas?!



## angusweb (25 Feb 2006)

Hi everyone,

Myself and my girlfriend are hopefully about to go sale agreed on a house in Wicklow.  She works in Sandyford with a dedicated parking space so should be fines but I work in the city centre and am trying to figure out my best commuting option...drive to the Luas at Sandyford (15miles approx) or get the Dart from Greystones (5min drive).  I would prefer the Luas option if the parking situation in Sandyford was not too much of a nightmare...does anybody else park in Sandyford everyday to be in town for 9am?  I can't seem to get any information anywhere as to how quickly the car park fills up in the mornings, or if you can manage to find a free spot in the industrial estate somewhere?!  Any advice would be greatly appreciated...this is my first post if that helps?! 

Thanks!


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## RainyDay (26 Feb 2006)

I'm pretty sure parking is available most of the time at Sandyford - €4 per day I think. But you may well have a problem getting into Sandyford. The approach roads to the industrial estate/Luas are a nightmare, particularly at rush hour.


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## angusweb (26 Feb 2006)

Thanks rainyday, that is a relief to be honest...I was assuming that given the paltry number of parking spaces provided at both Sandyford and Stillorgan that they would all fill up  very quickly.  Any idea of the time required to get from the M50 into the Luas at say 8.15am?!! I know thta's a bit specific but I thought I may as well chance my arm!


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## RainyDay (26 Feb 2006)

'fraid I didn't come in that direction when I was based in the estate, so I can't really comment - but hopefully others will be able to help you.


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## pinoy (26 Feb 2006)

hi,

we are both in the same situation. i'm moving to a new job in 2 weeks in the city. here are my plans of options:

1. take the train 7:34am from wicklow town and arrive back at 6:34PM. if i miss the first train, then arrive at 7:30PM. 
2. drive to shankill and take the dart. free parking but still don't know availability around 8:15-8:30am. this might be faster that #1 if delays happen in inter-city train/dart.
3. drive to sandyford and take luas. same issues with you. might take the monthly pass (park & ride EUR134) if parking is not a problem.

will experiment on the 1st week. but as of now, keen on doing #2 as husband works in cherrywood.

goodluck.


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## CCOVICH (26 Feb 2006)

The only time I have ever seen the car park at Sandyford was on a Saturday not long after the Green Line opened.  There were cars parked on the road outside the car park (illegally I'd say) and the car park looked full.

Re. Shankill, there is some discussion in this thread.

From looking at the situation in Portmarnock and Clontarf, you would be doing well to get a space in a DART station car park after 8.


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## Grizzly (27 Feb 2006)

They are building over 800 apartments at the moment in Sandyford with more to follow. Parking there is a nightmare. At this point in time those that know the terrain grab all the available free spaces early, even as far as Dundrum. Have you considered driving a little further in to Stillorgan and getting a bus, directly in to town. Why not get a lift from your girlfriend?


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## huskerdu (27 Feb 2006)

In answer to the specific query, I dont use the Luas for work, but I drive past it every morning at 8.15am. As far as I can tell, the car park is close to full by this time every morning. 
M50 to Luas at this time is 10 minutes max, should be less most mornings.


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## efm (27 Feb 2006)

The car park at the Sandyford stop does fill up relatively quickly however, the car park at the Stillorgan stop (which I think is handier if you are coming off the M50) usually has between 150-170 spaces still free at 09:00 in the morning.

I come off the M50 at the sandyford roundabout every morning between 08:00 and 08:30 and never spend more than 10 mins getting through - if only people would LOOK at the road markings to make sure they are in the correct lane it would go even better!!


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## binman (27 Feb 2006)

My commute is in the opposite direction - from town out to Sandyford.  I have never seen the car park on the town side of the Stillorgan stop full.  The car park on the Sandyford side of that stop is much busier. You will have to pay €4 per day for the convenience though. 

You have virtually no chance of finding a free spot on a side street near to the luas in the estate, these are gone from very early in the morning.  

Quite a few people also park on the street beside the Kilmacud Luas stop, but these spots go quite early too.  Based on the amount of car window glass on the ground near this stop you would be well advised to make sure that there is nothing enticing left visible in your car.

There are more park-and-ride spaces in an underground carpark near the Ballally stop, but I have no idea how much these cost or how much use they get.

If I was in your place I would try to make an arrangement with the girlfriend. The idea of two people driving from the same house to the same place in two cars is a little bit mad.


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## angusweb (27 Feb 2006)

Thanks everybody for all your replies...very useful indeed. It seems crazy that I wasn't able to find anything at all on the web about this before posting on boards.ie!

I would love to get a lift with my girlfriend in the mornings, cut out parking costs, fuel, traffic etc. but unfortunately she works 8.30 to 4.30 and I work 9 to anywhere between 5.30 and 7.30.  So that is out of the question.

As long as there are spaces available at Stillorgan that seems fine to me. The €4 charge is crazy, but at least if I'm not able to find any free parking around I have that option as a back up plan.

Great news about the ten minutes from the M50 too, that is a relief. I am hoping that the commute from Kilcoole/Newtownmountkennedy should be only about 30 mins (if that?!), but I could be dreaming...I will just have to check it out.  Anybody have a view on this?!  Planning to leave house at approx 7.45am to be in work on Clarendon Street for 9am.

Thanks again everybody, and if anyone had any other comments I'd love to hear them.


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## angusweb (27 Feb 2006)

by the way good luck pinoy with that...doesn't sound too bad if there are spaces available in Shankhill station.  What's traffic like up there at that time?


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## efm (27 Feb 2006)

> It seems crazy that I wasn't able to find anything at all on the web about this before posting on boards.ie!





> Thanks again everybody, and if anyone had any other comments I'd love to hear them.


 
Yes...this is askaboutmoney and not boards.ie!!!!  (though we'll take it as a compliment anyway!)


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## angusweb (27 Feb 2006)

yeah realised that as soon as I'd hit "submit reply"!!  I was posting at the same time on here as on boards...but you guys have given me soooo much more feedback!!  Thanks


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