Stadium officials aim to end traffic congestion
Croke Park officials hope to give traffic jams the red card with a major plan to end congestion at the famous sports stadium, it emerged today.
With the GAA headquarters preparing to open its doors to soccer and rugby for the first time, a new blueprint has been revealed to ease parking problems that have dogged fans attending games and concerts at the venue.
The Croke Park Stadium Transport Guide will be delivered to every sport and music fan who buys a ticket for one of the 35 events to be held at the stadium this year.
The colour brochure features a detailed map of the area surrounding Croke Park, highlighting suburban rail and Dart stations, bus stops, the Luas line and car parks.
Useful websites for transport and accommodation and a map of the national roads network are also printed inside.
The move, which plugs the public transport network to and around the capital, comes as plans for a dedicated park and ride scheme to the 82,000 seater stadium are put on hold.
It aims to end traffic and parking nightmares for residents on Dublin's northside and travelling fans - hundreds who have already been the victims of clampers on match days for illegal parking.
Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna believes the initiative will make a significant difference to the traffic problems around the whole Drumcondra area.
"We have invested a lot of time and effort in this and, in collaboration with the IRFU, FAI and transport groups, want to encourage people to use public transport when coming to international and Gaelic games fixtures throughout the 2007 season," he said.
"It is far more likely to lessen car density in the area than trying to put together an ineffective park and ride scheme until Transport 21 is fully in place."
More than two million sports and music fans will descend on Croke Park this year.
With the closure of Landsdowne Road, the stadium is hosting four Ireland soccer matches, two international rugby games and four music concerts as well as 25 days of GAA games.
"At the moment a lot of fans are using their own kind of park and ride scheme," continued Mr McKenna.
"People are driving as far as Maynooth, Mullingar and Greystones and getting the train to the city, while others are parking at the Red Cow and taking the Luas in.
"We want to inform people who don't come to Croke Park regularly of the different ways they can travel here, easing some pressure for them.
"We do support a park and ride scheme, but it won't work having it running just once a week.
"It needs to be a 365 day a year operation and an integral part of the transport plan."
Mr McKenna estimates the cost of organising a park and ride scheme would cost around 50,000 euro a month, over a million euro a year.
He said a working group, including sports chiefs, transport groups, and Transport Minister Martin Cullen, agreed that a successful and cost effective park and ride scheme could not be achieved unless it evolved as part of Transport 21, the government's multi-billion euro roads and public transport scheme.
"People need to know it is there everyday, they need to know there are transport connections at the park and ride facility with the city centre, and that they are operating regularly and at a responsible expense," he added.
Developed by the GAA, FAI and IRFU, along with transport bosses representing Luas, Iarnród Éireann, Dart, Bus Atha Cliath, and Bus Éireann, the transport guide will be posted out with every ticket purchased this year.
