Great Western Coffee Shop

More than 600 people signed a petition presented to South Gloucestershire Council , demanding action to stop people driving into the area and leaving their cars there for more than eight hours (link below.)
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=19186512&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

Residents say rail passengers are parking in residential streets to avoid paying high parking charges at Parkway Station , where commuters have complained of problems finding spaces at peak times.

Locals say some people who work in Bristol also drive into the area and leave their cars before sharing a lift into the city centre.

It is about time they extended the BPW car park, or built the rumoured park ride!

There was a plan to add extra stories to the two storey car park, and there is extra space at the redundant Post Office site.

Further to this, there is an area of  waste land behind the current carpark, owned by South Gloucestershire (?), that was rumoured to be a planned Park and Ride area.

A plan has been launched aimed at tackling traffic congestion and improving accessibility at Bristol Parkway railway station. Targets have been set to increase the number of people travelling to the station on foot, by bike, by public transport and through car-sharing by 2011.

The Bristol Parkway Station Travel Plan has been produced as a joint effort by South Gloucestershire Council, First Great Western, the West of England Partnership, Network Rail, the Severnside Community Rail Partnership, and local employers including UWE.

The plan is aimed at reducing the number of people travelling to the station by car. New cycle parking for 32 bikes has been already been installed and a new guide containing onward travel information showing bus, cycle and walking routes is now available to passengers at the station. New cycle routes to the station will be created through the Cycling City project and work is being done to improve the reliability of buses stopping at the station.

Councillor Brian Allinson, executive member for planning, transportation and strategic environment at South Gloucestershire Council and Linda Swainger, Bristol Parkway station manager, launched the new travel plan on Thursday.

Councillor Allinson said: "This is good news for Bristol Parkway and will help the council to work even more closely with the station and local employers to find ways to improve transport to and from the station."

Ms Swainger said: "This is the first step towards improving transport options to the station. It is important that we all work together to improve the options for those using it."

As part of the Cycling City project, there are plans to enhance four cycling routes, which will link the station to central Bristol, Bradley Stoke, Patchway and Filton.

The number of people using the station has grown by more than 30 per cent in the last five years to over 8,000 per day.

From my (admittedly fairly limited) observations on a Sunday, you should have absolutely no problem finding a parking space. I don't remember it being inordinately expensive but haven't parked there for a few years. It certainly used to be cheaper to park outside than under cover (on the lower deck of the "multi storey" section). I don't know if the Ring-go system works at Parkway, but if it does then that will be cheaper than buying a ticket from the machines.

Work is due to start on a new park-and-ride for South Gloucestershire. The site at Hunts Ground Road, near Bristol Parkway railway station, will provide extra parking for rail commuters and bus links into the city. It has capacity for 200 car parking spaces, including provision for disabled parking and motorbikes.

A consultation with nearby residents has started regarding permanent parking restrictions on Hunts Ground Road and Church Road.

The park-and-ride site will include lighting and a CCTV system and the gates will be locked at night to enhance security.

'Double yellow lines'

Parking at the site will cost ^5 per day in the week and ^3 at weekends and the payment machines will only accept card payments.

Work starts on 19 July and the park-and-ride is expected to be open by March 2011.

It is hoped the site will reduce the number of cars parked on residential streets around Parkway railway station.

South Gloucestershire Council said it now planned to put more double yellow line restrictions in the area for "road safety purposes".

It hoped the park-and-ride would go some way to towards replacing on-street spaces.

The scheme was put out to public consultation as some objectors raised concerns about the removal of trees and wildlife habitat.

New park-and-ride to open near Bristol Parkway

The first park-and-ride in South Gloucestershire is due to open on Tuesday.

The site at Hunts Ground Road, with space for 200 cars, will allow users to walk to Bristol Parkway rail station and catch buses to various places.

It is also on the route of the proposed bus "rapid transit" route linking the north of Bristol to the south of the city.

The council hopes to gain government funding for the scheme this year.

The Stoke Gifford car park near Bristol has no bus service but is planned to be part of a rapid transit scheme.

(my emphasis)

In which case, it's not a park and ride. It's called a car park.

The site at Hunts Ground Road, with space for 200 cars, will allow users to walk to Bristol Parkway rail station and catch buses to various places.

Few drivers using ^1.3m Stoke Gifford car park

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62522000/jpg/_62522328_photo.jpg)
The car park at Stoke Gifford opened in June 2011

An average of just 10 motorists a day are using a ^1.3m car park built near Bristol, a council has admitted.

The facility, intended as a park-and-ride, opened in June 2011 but will not get a bus service until 2015.

South Gloucestershire Council said it was used by only 139 motorists in its first three months and raised ^13,899.74 in revenue last year.

The council said it wanted to make local firms more aware of the Stoke Gifford car park, which has 200 spaces.

The new rapid transit bus route, scheduled to come into operation in 2015, is planned to pass the park-and-ride facility.

The nearest public transport is Bristol Parkway railway station, which is about five minutes walk away.

The council said that from September staff at the station would direct all overflow traffic to the car park while work was done to expand its own parking facilities.

"It's anticipated up to 400 cars will need to be redirected during the works," he said. "We are hoping this will not only fill the car park but make more users of Parkway station aware of this parking option."

Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Hockey said the car park had made the council "look stupid".

Labour transport spokesman Roger Hutchinson admitted that "on the face of it at this time" the car park had been underused.

"The bus rapid transit is about three years off and that will make a difference," he added. "We've used the land which became available and we've looked forward to what we expect the need to be in the future."

Reduced Car Parking Facilities at Bristol Parkway station

Due to ongoing construction work at Bristol Parkway station, car parking facilities will be greatly reduced from Friday 14 September until further notice.
 
First Great Western would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time.

Now less parking at ...err.. Bristol Parkway.

work on the new car park was suspended due to the whole refranchising hoo-ha. with the franchise up in the air this project was put on hold until further notice.

Bristol Parkway work begins to build 710-space car park

Work has started on a ^13m multi-storey car park at Bristol Parkway train station in order to create 710 extra spaces.

The work is being carried out by Network Rail (NR) and is expected to be completed by the end of next March.

Sarah McManus, from First Great Western, said the move would help both regular and infrequent customers.

Alternative parking will be available at nearby Parkway North and a shuttle bus service has been put in place.

Some residents living nearby have raised concerns about commuters continuing to park along nearby streets to save on parking costs.

One of them, Margaret Ryan, said: "We know people are parking in the streets because of the cost of parking in Parkway and because it's quite close.

"What they're doing is parking and walking up to save the cost of the parking."

Network Rail hopes the new car park will encourage more people to use it as access in and out of the station will also be improved.

Source: BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-23239412)

From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-19368355):

Anger over Bristol Parkway railway parking shortage

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68622000/jpg/_68622618_68623539.jpg)
A multi-storey car park will provide an extra 710 spaces at Bristol Parkway station

Motorists in Bristol are complaining of a shortage of parking spaces while work is carried out to build a multi-storey car park at Parkway station.

People are having to use nearby Parkway North but the car park does not have enough spaces forcing some to park illegally outside of the marked bays.

On Wednesday, Craig Sear paid to park but was fined ^50 for parking outside a bay along with 40 others, he said.

South Gloucestershire Council said it had a duty to enforce parking rules.

Speaking of the car park at Parkway North, Mr Sear said: "It is quite frustrating when you are trying to catch a train first thing in the morning and it is stressful not being able to park, it's ludicrous."

The new multi-storey at Parkway is set to be completed by the end of next March by Network Rail to create an extra 710 spaces.

Mr Sear said: "Cars were parked around the perimeter which wasn't obstructing any other cars or causing any other problems so I did the same. I paid my ^5 for the day and went back to the station. I came back in the afternoon from London and I'd been ticketed as well as 30 to 40 other cars, which beggars belief."

He added that he did not want to park in residential areas as it would upset residents and the council's approach was "profiteering and entrapment".

The council has said since July, from when work started at Bristol Parkway station, it has issued a total of 74 parking fines.

A spokesman said motorists could appeal any fine handed out by the council.

"There are details of the appeals process on the back of every ticket issued, and we will consider each case on its own merits," the authority said.

Minister drops by to see work on new car park

(http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276268/Article/images/20412837/5687941-large.jpg)
Transport Minister Stephen Hammond at Bristol Parkway station with station manager Linda Swainger and First Great Western boss Mark Hopwood  Photo: Barbara Evripidou

A Government minister has made a flying visit to South Gloucestershire to see the work taking place on a multi-million-pound car park at the district's busiest railway station.

Transport Minister Stephen Hammond arrived at Bristol Parkway to inspect the work being carried out on the new car park, which will provide 700 extra spaces.

The minister has made the headlines in recent days thanks to his fondness for chauffeur-driven cars. It has emerged that the Conservative politician is one of the most prolific users of ministerial cars, despite living just six miles from London. The news is all the more embarrassing because of his brief overseeing public transport.

Mr Hammond took the decision to arrive by train, even though services in the Bristol area have been affected by the bad weather in recent weeks. He said: "We have 50 similar schemes across the country and it is important for me to see how they are progressing. Anything that can be done to improve facilities for passengers has to be welcomed. We are doing everything we can to encourage as many people as possible to use public transport."

The new car park is one of the largest schemes being managed by Network Rail. At the moment the car park has 1,100 spaces and is almost always full on weekdays.

First Great Western's managing director, Mark Hopwood, said: "Bristol Parkway station serves almost three million rail passengers a year and this is expected to grow significantly when the line to London is electrified." He said the car park would cater for current and future passenger demand.

Patrick Hallgate, who is in charge of Network Rail Western, said: "This scheme is a fantastic example of the rail industry, local authorities and other organisations working together to improve the passenger experience. Bristol has one of the highest predicted growth rates on the Western route over the next decade, and this improvement will meet that future demand. Expanding the car park at Bristol Parkway is the start of many plans we have in the pipeline to help the local economy here continue to thrive and grow."

The new building will be clad in materials in keeping with the surrounding area and is designed to reduce light and noise pollution. The car park is expected to open for business by the end of March.

Bristol Parkway: Residents angry over size of new car park

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/73222000/jpg/_73222689_73222688.jpg)
People living in nearby Brins Close in Stoke Gifford say they were not properly consulted about the car park

People living beside a new multi-storey car park at Bristol Parkway railway station say it is too big and will create extra noise and light from cars.

The ^13m 700-space car park is due to open in April and operator First Great Western says it will stop rail passengers parking on nearby streets.

However, people living next to the building in Stoke Gifford say they were not consulted about its size.

Land owner Network Rail did not need planning permission to build it. The structure has been built on the site of the former car park, so the company was within its permitted development rights for the area.

Anita English, whose house in Brins Close is adjacent to the building, said she felt "stressed" about the situation and said residents had not been consulted about the size of the car park. "Also we don't know what to expect when it opens with the cars going in and out and with the lighting and the omissions," she said.

Fellow resident Kevin Cook said he felt the "duty of care" residents had received from First Great Western had been "ropey".

A First Great Western spokesman said: "We have been consulting on a regular basis since the very beginning of this. If that has not touched these residents then I'm very sorry. But this will take a lot of cars off the relatively small roads in Stoke Gifford and put them where they should be."

Stress? Caused by a car park?  ::)

Transport Minister opens ^13 million Bristol Parkway Station car park
 
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer visited Bristol today to officially open a ^13 million new station car park that will increase capacity and convenience for thousands of passengers.
 
The multi-storey car park at Bristol Parkway will provide an extra 710 parking spaces, in addition to the existing 1,100, to cater for increasing numbers of passengers using the station. Before the work, the site was regularly full.
 
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: ^The work at Bristol Parkway is a great example of what can be done, and will provide much-needed parking at this key station. This is great news for the communities of Bristol and South Gloucestershire. More passengers than ever before are using the rail network, and this growth is expected to continue. Over the next five years, we are investing record amounts in modernising our railways and providing passengers with the facilities they need, so they can enjoy smoother, more convenient and more reliable journeys.^
 
FGW General Manager, Central, Rob Mullen said: "Bristol Parkway Station serves almost three million rail passengers a year and this is expected to grow significantly when the line to London is electrified. I am delighted to be able to provide the Minister with a tour of the new facility which significantly increases capacity, ensuring that we can cater for the increase in passenger demand both now and in the future.^

The ^13 million scheme is part of a third and final tranche of successful bids from the ^100m Station Commercial Projects Fund, launched in 2011 by Network Rail and the Department for Transport.
 
Patrick Hallgate, Route Managing Director for Network Rail Western: "This scheme is a fantastic example of the rail industry, local authorities and other organisations working together to improve the passenger experience. Bristol has one of the highest predicted growth rates on the Western route over the next decade and this improvement will help meet the future demand. Expanding the car park at Bristol Parkway is one of a number of projects we have in this area, others include the electrification and the redevelopment of Bristol Temple Meads station; all of which will help the local economy to continue to grow and thrive."

The new building is clad in materials in keeping with the surrounding area. This also reduces light and noise pollution for our neighbours.