Deputy Ward;
Thanks for getting in touch and we are very happy to outline to Deputy Ward the significant enhancements to our car parks that are underway here at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. We are investing significantly as part of an overall strategy to enhance customer experience and to position the Centre to attract a broader customer base further to the recent tenant mix enhancements including store openings such as Zara & TK Maxx over the past year.
The Shopping Centre today is significantly different to when we first opened almost 25 years ago, but the operation of the car parks has remained largely unchanged during that period.
As the Shopping Centre has evolved, there has been increasingly negative feedback from customers about the parking experience generally. We are also aware of non-shoppers regularly occupying parking bays that should rightly be kept vacant for Centre visitors. The Centre’s growth over the years clearly points to the need for a revised parking management strategy that not only caters to the increased demand but also delivers on our goal to enhance the overall customer experience at Liffey Valley.
The current upgrade project will deliver a significantly improved customer experience through delivery of the following:
Dedicated pathways and rest points to improve pedestrian and cycleway access to and from the centre
Real time information on availability of car parking spaces and guidance to facilitate quicker access into spaces to reduce congestion
Straight-in and wider parking bays rather than the current angled parking – for the greater convenience of vehicle owners
Additional spaces for parents and toddlers, drivers with a disability or restricted mobility drivers and increased spaces for bicycle parking
New electric vehicle charging points
A new roundabout to enhance traffic flow in and out of the centre
New public lighting
New CCTV security system
Extensive new landscaping
As you may also be aware, these works coincide with the installation of a new BusConnects interchange in partnership with the National Transport Authority. The bus interchange, which forms part of a transformative redesign of the wider Dublin bus network, will see delivery of a new 6-bay bus arrival and departure facility within the Liffey Valley car parks and will significantly enhance public transport services to and from the Centre. It will bring passengers right into the Centre and up to our door and we therefore expect to see both customers and indeed staff shifting towards the more attractive option of public transport.
In line with Local Authority guidance and Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy requirements, the new arrangements will also see the introduction of paid parking at the Shopping Centre in Q4 of this year – with a €2.50 charge to apply for the first hour of parking with the next 2 hours after that for free.
We will also plant 500 new trees, 100,000 new plants and shrubs and complete a major landscaping programme as part of this €30 million redevelopment project, which will deliver new and more sustainable ways to access Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
I hope this provides you with the information you need at this time – please come back to me if you have any further queries.
Yours Sincerely
Denis O’ Connell
