We are running a survey to gauge the views of the public around parking in Harrogate.
Parking is a complex issue with some calling for free parking, but also NYCC saying that increases are needed.
The survey is anonymous and the results will be made available to all interested parties.
Your support would be appreciated.
There is an option missing for the last question on busses – my answer is nothing – I would not use the bus period!
Why would you not use them ?
Convenience would be my answer. A bus journey would take minimum of x1.5 times longer adding in getting to the bus stop, waiting and then pausing at each stop. Using your car is simply quicker, cheaper and more convenient. I personally can’t see the people moving away from a convenient lifestyle to thing of the environment lifestyle or at least we’re very far away from this.
I can’t fill in your survey as I would never use public service buses, but there is no field for that answer .
Its not just about the parking charges its about the long queues of vehicles trying to get into and through Harrogate. This is the main reason for me not driving into Harrogate to shop, its not so much the cost of parking, but this questionnaire relates to parking and charges. We dont have buses where I live except one on a morning and one on an evening so that is out of the question. I am just so pleased I dont work in Harrogate anymore due to the long traffic delays at certain times of the day.
Many of the town centre car park spaces are taken up by thier own HBC staff with car passes. There are no park and ride schemes so those not on a bus route don’t have the option of using the buses. Much of the ‘congestion’ is caused by vehicles passing through Harrogate. The town centre is dying and foot fall is down. How will putting up parking charges help with any of these issues?
If parking charges go up, it will kill Harrogate and Knaresborough shops, people use cars because they’re shopping, having loads of shopping bags on a bus is not practical. People will just go to out of town shopping centres and park for free.
It is ludicrous to suggest that cars should be restricted in preference to cycling, walking or public transport. The simple fact is that a car is convenient for carrying goods purchased in town, for transporting people from home to town, and let us not forget that many of the daily visits to Harrogate are from outside the HG1, HG2 postcodes. Cars as the prime means of transport are vital to the local ecoonomy.
Hmmmm… Car traffic is the major cause of air pollution in our urban centres, something which causes unnecessary deaths every day in the UK. Cars encourage sedentary lifestyles, something which also causes unnecessary deaths every day in the UK. I’m all in favour of easy vehicle access for blue badge holders, for loading/unloading and for buses. But for everyday trips we should be encouraging active travel. And did you know that pedestrians and cyclists spend more money in local shops per visit than drivers do? So it’s actually the other way around – it’s reducing space allocated to cars that is vital to the local economy.
The cost of bus travel is prohibitive. Travel in West Yorkshire is much more affordable.
Until bus fares are set at a reasonable level, I can’t see how the powers that be expect us to stop using our cars.
There is assumption that only folks who live on a Bus route travel to Harrogate. I live in a village outside of Ripon and have to use the car to get to the bus stop!