Car Parking Fees At Hospitals Are At A "Premium Price" - Blacktown Hospital

I remember listening to a talk back show a few weeks ago where a family had to travel for 2 years to visit their son in a North Shore hospital and it costed them 'an arm and a leg' for parking.

So the same principal is in our, the fees are  so pricey that I don't think  they have a right to charge that much.  When families and friends are visiting at hospital and park at car parks in hospitals, there should be consideration given to harsh fees and I sure staff/employees of the hospitals receive a reduction in parking fees as well.

We have a 'Free" Commuter Car Park, for catching public transport within Mount Druitt and we also have free car parking spaces alongside Mount Druitt Trains station lines (North and South), as long as you are using public transport, provide by NSW Transport.

 NSW Health provides no "Free Hospital Visitor Car Park", they charge by the  minute, except the first 15 minutes. So who would park a car, visit a patient for 14 minutes (including walking time) and then charge for 165 minutes onwards. Here are the Blacktown Hospital  car park fees, which I'm sure is the same for Mount Druitt hospital:

I 'm not saying that no car parking fees should be charged. I am just saying that if one NSW Department can provide a 'Free' car park service, why could another one be more considerate. What do think?

All Day Parking May Be An Issue For Shopping - Westfield Mount Druitt

We have spoken about commuters parking at Westfield in Mount Druitt and they go to work - using it as a commuter car park Click here for previous post .

Also, most recently at my report of the Blacktown City Council Public Transport Forum Number 41 Click here for this post.
This report also tells how possibly  Mount Druitt Centre Link Staff may be using the Mount Druitt commuter car park, consisting of 220 car spaces and they may not be using public transport to park their car. So if 30-40 people work at this premises then that is 30-40 less commuter car spaces for the community to use.

it appears that Westfield Mount Druitt are advertising for car park  not to be used as an all day car park. This is a good incentive as some drivers may enter the Westfield Free Car park and abuse it by using it as a commuter car park. By doing this, they are destroying the customers that actually need to and want to park whilst the "All day parkers" block  required parking. A great incentive to utilise this properly for the Westfield management and it's shopping community.

Busways - NSW Bus Region 1 Time Table Changes

Here is the new new bus time tables provided to us to cater for  the growth regions in our NSW Bus Region 1.

A slight improvement in Sunday services but further steps are required from all public transport stake holders to increase earlier and later bus services, which can ease the congestion of parking  in the major  Mount Druitt Westfield Shopping Centre and commuter car park.

Click here on previous post

Bus route extensions for new growth areas in Western Sydney

Customers across Western Sydney will benefit from an improved bus network, as the NSW Government’s Growth Services Program delivers three new buses to Busways Blacktown depot.

New route 749 and extensions to four existing routes will provide better connections and more services where they are needed. Timetables will also feature minor amendments to improve reliability.

The following changes will take place from Sunday 20 November 2016:

• New route 749 – has been introduced to provide a direct connection between Blacktown Station and the Marsden Park Business Park.
• Route 751 – will extend further west on Richmond Rd (from Symonds Rd) connecting customers to the Marsden Park Business Park.
• Route 757 – will extend further north on Richmond Rd (from Garfield Rd West) and turn left on Elara Blvd into Elara Estate.
• Route 778 – will extend further west on Caddens Rd (from Gipps St) and provide connections between Caddens and St Marys Station.
• Routes 750, 754, 758, 761, 770 and 771 – Timetables will feature minor amendments to improve on-time running throughout the trip and provide better train connections.

The following changes will take place from Monday 21 November 2016:

• Route 781 – will provide coverage of the new residential area in Caddens and operate on two trips Monday to Friday.
• Minor timetable amendments to accommodate new growth services.

Customers should check the new timetables and route extension maps on our website at www.busways.com.au to plan their journey.

Dedicated school trips will not be affected, however students utilising route services for travel to or from school are reminded to check the new timetables online.

Rooty Hill Comrmunity Member Provides Support And has Suggestions For Car Parking Improvements!

We are starting to get the community interested in this blogspot for the community to be informed and providing suggestions for improvements in and around Mount Druitt.

As an individual, I am strong enough to take criticism and give the compliments back to the community first and then to all the Blacktown City Councillors, Officers, NSW State Government Members of Parliament and finally other stake holders that that participated in making any  improvements within Mount Druitt and surrounding suburbs.

So, Emmanual from Rooty Hill has made the following comment to myself by e-mail, ' I like what you're doing for the community. Keep up the good work.'

And he has 'Car Parking' ideas that is his concern about the lack of 'Parking Spaces' in Mt. Druitt and Rooty Hill.

Below is my letter:

I see that a lot of people are having problems looking for a parking space in Mt. Druitt & Rooty Hill. It's about time you plan to allocate a budget for this purpose now and implement it next year.

Suggestions:

  

1) Convert Maj. Druitt Park and the other park at Coates & Dixon Streets. into a parking area.*

2) Add 2 more levels to the Parking lot by the Court House.**
 

3) Add 2 levels to the Parking lot in Rooty Hill.***

 

*Major Druitt Park - corner of Beames Avenue and  Coates 

 Street, Mount Druitt  - the park can be converted to a  

 Commuter Car Park - yet acquiring of nearby land would

 provide a more suitable site, pending community

 consultation.

**Mount Druitt Commuter Car Park, corner of Mount Street

   and North Parade Mount Druitt. This commuter Car park

   was cleverly constructed by the former NSW Labor

   Government, so the foundations would be able to accept

   another 2/3 storeys extension.

***Suitable sites would be Lot 1 & lot 2 (Google maps reference), corner of Station Streets and North Parade, Rooty Hill and also another option is corner of Depot and Mavis Streets, Rooty Hill.

What are your thoughts? We ask NSW State Member for Mount Druitt, Hon. Richard Amery to investigate this improvement as well as feedback from Councillors of Ward 4, Blacktown City Council and Transport Council Officers? Should the matter be extended to next year, we ask the new NSW State Member for Mount Druitt, to continue investigating this required community improvement?

Enquiry From Mount Druitt Community Member Re: Mount Druitt Commuter Car Park!

 6/10/14

Hello,

I got your email from the Mount Druitt commuters blog.  I was wondering if you know if the car park fills up quickly?  I was hoping to be able to park there then catch the train to Central on a weekday morning.

Thanks, Mary


Reply was:

Hi Mary,

Thank you for your e-mail.

As the main writer of Mount Druitt Commuters, I can tell you that the commuter car park fills up pretty early and quickly. My suggestion is (depending on your timetable),if you reach there and it is full, you will find the open spaced commuter car park available along the Mount Druitt Train Station. It starts to fill up as as early as 5.30am-7am.

The free commuter car park has one level of under cover and this is the main reason why Sydney Trains commuters, wish to park there. It has been constructed to add extra levels of car park for the future. You must also allow 5- 10minutes walking to Mount Druitt train station as well.

I have a new community blogspot, providing information on public transport and other community issues: http://whyilovemountdruitt.blogspot.com.au/ .

I will refer your e-mail to Lester Pasley, secretary of the group for further information, should he wish to reply.

Thank you asking for information.

John


Her rwonderful response was:

7th October 2014

Hi John,

Thanks for taking the time to type all of that out!  That's exactly what I needed to know. 

Cheers!  Mary
Editors Notes: This is part of what I love of the people of Mount Druitt that people research and  find a website and request information and  relevant information and necessary information is provided.

We thank people like Mary, in Mount Druitt  for providing us the opportunity to make commuting life easier.

Mount Druitt Commuter Car Park Hole Service Pits Fixed

We are pleased to announce that Blacktown City Council has fixed up the two service pits by Jemena Gas Networks, as per representation by Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson, Blacktown City Council and previous blog published


Again, we thank  the General Manager of Blacktown City Council, Kerry Robinson, for ensuring this is followed through and completed, making it safer for the community of Mount Druitt. Pedestrians will safer, when walking past the Mount Druitt Commuter Car Park, North Parade, Mount Druitt

Click Here for Jemena Gas Networks

Click Here for Letter from General Manager, Blacktown City Council 

Click Here for previous blog 

Opal Card Price Bands - Mount Druitt Misses Out On Lower Price Band by 11-6 Metres Reaching Parramatta Train Station!

I have personally made some investigations and made a discovery 

Mount Druitt (West) train station distance to Sydney

that due to the the Fare Bands Opal say is set by NSW for Transport. Yet when I ring up NSW for Transport, they say it is set up by Opal.

Click here for Opal Train Fares 

On the right there are picture of  Sydney Rail distances to 
Sydney from designated poles along the Railway Line. "SL"
stands for Sydney Line.

Mount Druitt (Middle) train station distance to Sydney

 I have taken 3 pictures from Mount Druitt Train Station and 2 from Parramatta Train Station. What is intriguing is the distance from Mount Druitt to Parramatta is within the 2 10-20 and 20-35 Km bands.

Mount Druitt (East) Train Station distance to Sydney

In fact, according to the fare bands where opal measured distances between Mount Druitt and Parramatta train stations as 20.7Kms.  Yet, the best I can do in working out the distances from these poles is 20.071 Kms, as you can plainly see: 43.304 - 23.23 = 20.071Kms

Parramatta (Middle) Train Station distance to Sydney

This means if the train stations were 71 metres closer to each other, then and only then would the fares of both Parramatta and Mount Druitt commuters would be in the lower fairer band.

Parramatta (East) Train Station distance to Sydney

Just for your information: where the Mount Druitt (Wesst) distance pole, is probably placed 10-15 metres from the East end of the platform. The Parramatta (East) distance pole, is probably based 30-40 metres, from the East end of the platform. That would then mean the distance is reduced 60-65 metres less leaving the distance 11-6 metres. How close are we to qualify for the lower band?

My guess is distances between train stations are measured end to end. That is west of platform to East of platform and visa versa?

What are your thoughts? Are the Opal Fares fair for Mount Druitt commuters traveling to and from Mount Druitt.

Hole In The Ground Outside Mount Druitt Commuter Car Park!

 We have had before 'Hole in the ground at Westfield Mount Druitt' and now there is the hole in the ground at Mount Druitt Commuters Car Park (front).

It may not be important but it is a health and safety issue for the community, where if it is completely filled in, there would little chance of community accidents and or major trips.



We hope that Blacktown City Council  or any State Members can contact NSW for Transport to fix up this problem.