Car Park H

[Guest]

I don't know if any of you use it, but I do. It's slowly becoming, over the last two seasons, the bane of my life. It ruins the last five minutes of games for me because I know it's coming. It's the most poorly designed, accident-waiting-to-happen parking space ever created. The mad rush as the gates open, the near misses, little bumps, beeping and chaos that ensues after every game. It's an absolute nightmare. There's such a simple fix to it, a one way system, block off the ends of some rows etc... Have people directing traffic in there. It takes me, sometimes, over 30 minutes to leave the stadium because of the delays in opening the gates, then trying to squeeze through a tiny exit along with 500 other people too.

I've had two bumps in that car park, and the club is either blissfully unaware of the situation, or simply refuses to do anything about it.

My question(s):
Is this an issue that's always existed, and I've just been naive to it having only started parking there recently?
Or am I on my own and I just have to deal with it every game?

[Parsonblue]

3 minutes ago, JoeH said:

I don't know if any of you use it, but I do. It's slowly becoming, over the last two seasons, the bane of my life. It ruins the last five minutes of games for me because I know it's coming. It's the most poorly designed, accident-waiting-to-happen parking space ever created. The mad rush as the gates open, the near misses, little bumps, beeping and chaos that ensues after every game. It's an absolute nightmare. There's such a simple fix to it, a one way system, block off the ends of some rows etc... Have people directing traffic in there. It takes me, sometimes, over 30 minutes to leave the stadium because of the delays in opening the gates, then trying to squeeze through a tiny exit along with 500 other people too.

I've had two bumps in that car park, and the club is either blissfully unaware of the situation, or simply refuses to do anything about it.

My question(s):
Is this an issue that's always existed, and I've just been naive to it having only started parking there recently?
Or am I on my own and I just have to deal with it every game?

It's always been like that.  The gates, like at other clubs, remain closed until 20 minutes or so after the final whistle to allow pedestrians to clear the area.  If you are looking to make a quick exit then the club car parks are not the place to be.  Before the Council opened the bus lanes up it wasn't unusual to be sat for the best part of an hour on the car park after the game.  

I never plan on getting away much before half-five on a matchday.  I let the rush go and then have no problems getting away.

[Riverside under the drip]

Not sure about your physical capabilities but the far end of Albion St is quite close and free parking as long as you get there 1 hour before kick-off. NOT BY THE HOUSES as that is residents only.

[pentelrobot]

I agree with you, Joe. I started using Car Park H two years ago when I began bringing my wheelchair bound brother to the games. To my mind ten minutes should be sufficient to allow most pedestrians to get away from the stadium. The twenty minutes delay causes frustration. I also agree that there should be staff on duty in the carpark and that there should be a one way system in place to avoid the free for all when the gates do eventually open. One further point-it is all very well opening the bus lane to enable right turns, but the guy operating the traffic lights (operating the box opposite the Empire) does not allow more than a few vehicles at a time to exit. I wonder if he knows the amount of cars trying to exit the car park and the effect he can have on traffic flow? Some joined up thinking is required to provide more coordination.?

 

[only2garners]

8 hours ago, Riverside under the drip said:

Not sure about your physical capabilities but the far end of Albion St is quite close and free parking as long as you get there 1 hour before kick-off. NOT BY THE HOUSES as that is residents only.

I park beyond the canal in Mill Hill (beyond the residents only signs) - it has the real advantage of being able to drive straight away when I get to the car and i can be back home in Penwortham by 5.30 on a 3pm kick-off. I doubt there has been a season when I have not seen one or two cars with smashed windows from those parked on Albion St just before the canal bridge.

Joe - we have discussed the traffic delays out of that car park a few times at the Fans Forum and I think we helped the club to persuade the council to suspend the right turn into the bus lane. I'll raise the issues of organisation in the car park and the length of time for the lights at the next meeting on 13th Jan.

[Stuart]

Safety for fans leaving the ground on foot is paramount. Cars that manage to get away into the crowds are quite anti-social with passive aggressive clutch-down-revving-the-accelerator. One day someone will be knocked down.

At £10 a game the club should be able to keep fans occupied for 20 minutes after the game to stop them being sat impatiently in their cars.

[Paul]

I don't know which is car park H but it's the same situation in the DE car park. The gates are closed until the away coaches have departed. Usually 25 minutes after the final whistle.

Goodness knows what away support find to do that takes them 20 minutes to get on a bus!! The buses don't leave until they are all ready to go in convoy.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Paul

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

Safety for fans leaving the ground on foot is paramount. Cars that manage to get away into the crowds are quite anti-social with passive aggressive clutch-down-revving-the-accelerator. One day someone will be knocked down.

At £10 a game the club should be able to keep fans occupied for 20 minutes after the game to stop them being sat impatiently in their cars.

While I agree with you Stuart this is actually a comment on a small minority of impatient moronic drivers.

A big screen with a re run of match highlights would be good. It won't happen though.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Paul said:

A big screen with a re run of match highlights would be good. It won't happen though.

That big screen is a waste of time and money anyway. Never gets used for anything now its basically a glorified advertising board. We used to get Under 23's highlights, blasts from the past, videos of new signings, goal of the season etc... all shown on there. Not anymore.

[only2garners]

12 hours ago, Stuart said:

Safety for fans leaving the ground on foot is paramount. Cars that manage to get away into the crowds are quite anti-social with passive aggressive clutch-down-revving-the-accelerator. One day someone will be knocked down.

At £10 a game the club should be able to keep fans occupied for 20 minutes after the game to stop them being sat impatiently in their cars.

That's another area we have raised a few times at Forums Stuart. I'm particularly concerned about the situation on Livesey Branch Road where the traffic coming down to the ground is not controlled and we now have cars parked there on the hill parked half on the pavement. This means that at the end of games fans walk up the road as it's single file on the right hand pavement facing traffic coming down the hill, some of it at stupid speeds. it needs the council to restrict match day parking on the hill.

[Paul]

On 03/01/2020 at 10:28, only2garners said:

That's another area we have raised a few times at Forums Stuart. I'm particularly concerned about the situation on Livesey Branch Road where the traffic coming down to the ground is not controlled and we now have cars parked there on the hill parked half on the pavement. This means that at the end of games fans walk up the road as it's single file on the right hand pavement facing traffic coming down the hill, some of it at stupid speeds. it needs the council to restrict match day parking on the hill.

I can understand the concern o2g and the unrestricted parking has made the situation more difficult. I think though fans have swarmed up LBR for many, many years and can't say I've noticed the situation worsening.

That's not to say things should not be done to improve the situation.

[only2garners]

The situation has worsened in the last couple of years since cars started parking on Livesey Branch Road below Albion St. There are no restrictions there so they are not parked illegally but they are demonstrably in the way after the game. they all park with two wheels on the footpath which seems to be accepted practice all over the place these days, but this means you can only walk single file on the footpath which is encouraging more people to walk up the road where cars are driving down unrestricted after the game.

[Sparks Rover]

4 minutes ago, only2garners said:

The situation has worsened in the last couple of years since cars started parking on Livesey Branch Road below Albion St. There are no restrictions there so they are not parked illegally but they are demonstrably in the way after the game. they all park with two wheels on the footpath which seems to be accepted practice all over the place these days, but this means you can only walk single file on the footpath which is encouraging more people to walk up the road where cars are driving down unrestricted after the game.

Before Venkys the police put cones there for no parking.  I remember as a lad I lived on nuttall street and the police coming and coming everywhere on the morning of home games....that's when the atmosphere started to build for me on matchday....

[Guest]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/18161841.ewood-park-car-park-turned-driving-school-children-young-10/

Tell you what, if they can set up a working road system in Car Park H, leave it up and running for Saturdays will you?! ?

[J*B]

If you get there at a decent time, you can park directly between the terrace houses and the Jack Walker stand for free and get away from the game straight away. It used to be monitored but isn’t this season. 

[Roving Mick]

Is this the car park with the pigeon fouling?

Gay pigeons stop Rovers fouling

[Guest]

Thank you to JW for raising this issue at Fans Forum.