Carparks excluded from NRMA survey

The NRMA has excluded the Woy Woy commuter carparks from its survey of rail parking facilities, because they were poorly sign-posted.

It has counted only 30 spaces for the 2830 commuters from Woy Woy station.

By comparison, it counted 1050 spaces for 3540 commuters at Gosford and 380 spaces for 940 commuters at Wyong.

The motoring organisation used the figures to claim a "critical shortage" of "park and ride facilities" on the Central Coast.

Fewer Central Coast motorists would have to "endure the daily traffic grind" if they had access to "park and ride facilities", NRMA Director Mr Kyle Loades said.

Mr Loades said the NRMA had audited "park and ride facilities" in NSW, and surveyed 600 motorists about their transport habits.

NRMA media officer Mr Peter Khoury said that only the parking bay on the southern side of the Woy Woy station had been included in the report.

Mr Khoury said that even though the mutli-level commuter car park existed nearby, it was not obvious from the street that it existed.

He said that as there were "no signs on the ground floor" to inform motorists that it was free all-day commuter parking, or those signs were hidden, the car park was not included in the report.

Mr Khoury also said motorists would have to go to the third or fourth level to discover that the area was an all-day commuter car park.

The report showed that 43 per cent of those surveyed said they would use "park and ride facilities" rather than drive to work if more facilities were available in secure areas.

Only 18 per cent currently travel to work by public transport and 37 per cent of those drive and park at the train station.

The report found a lack of safe parking facilities as the main reason why more people don't drive to the station and catch the train to work.

"More could be done to alleviate congestion on Central Coast roads and the freeway if there were more park and ride facilities available in the region," Mr Loades said.

"Central Coast motorists would rather the convenience of using public transport but often the time it takes to get from their home to the train station and the lack of parking makes the train ride less attractive.

"We need more parking spaces built at local train stations that have adequate lighting and security - that is a great way to entice motorists away from the roads and onto trains," Mr Loades said.

Press release, 25 Feb 2008 Kimberley Rigby, NRMA