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Parking Survey
Do you live in Edinburgh's Controlled Parking Zone or Priority Parking areas? This is your chance to have your say on parking issues in the city.
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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
"Parking Satisfaction Survey" (!)
(36 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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THIS IS SCANDALOUS!
You can only do questionnaire if you have access to a motor vehicle!!!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
I didn't see that screen. I think there is one before that says 'do you have access to a vehicle'? I asnwered 'no' presuming it meant 'motor vehicle'. did you interpret more liberally?
that said, I think it is problematic because it says 'we still want your views...parking still matters because you might have deliveries or friends visiting'
No recognition at all that parking might matter to non-motorised vehicle users.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Yes bicycles!!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
I've said it before and will doubtless say it again, the Council desperately needs better guidance on surveys. either they are sloppy or incompetent.
They should also pilot all surveys - even if just to 10 or 12 members of their staff and I'm sure they would pick up on some of the key problems.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Yes, that's very poor.
On a similar note, most, if not all, travel surveys ask for "main mode of transport" when many people, in fact, use more than one mode. Virtually everybody walks as a mode of transport, even if it's to waddle to the counter from a car parking space outside McDonald's (and cyclists walk from the parking stand to their destination). If travel surveys said "list all of the modes of transport you used today" and included "walking" as an option, the majority mode of transport would be quickly revealed.
So, most travel surveys are already loaded against modes of transport other than driving, but the one listed above is particularly bad.
Posted 12 years ago # -
So after ticking "no" to vehicles -
"
Whether you own a vehicle or not, it is important for us to hear your views on parking in your area. You may receive deliveries, have friends visiting, guests staying or tradespersons' working in your home.
The next six questions will help us better understand your general impression of parking in your area.
"
Why am I only allowed to comment on 'my' area?
Posted 12 years ago # -
@SRD: It is pretty pitiful. It's a worry that they might actually try to use the data for making policy!
Posted 12 years ago # -
The really stupid thing is that it does go on to mention things like dropped kerbs, pavement parking etc but their deeply blinkered mindset still assumes that those are secondary issues.
sigh.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
Parking in Your Area
Parking provision is not only the number of parking places provided in your area but also the mix of different types of parking available.
*5. To what extent are you satisfied or dissatisfied with parking provision?To what extent are you satisfied or dissatisfied with parking provision?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
Don’t know
"That's definitely a 'don't really understand the question you are asking'...
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Why am I only allowed to comment on 'my' area?"
Exactly. I live outside the controlled zone, but I don't find parking there an issue. I do find parking an issue in town around where I work or go shopping, and as a cyclist I'm affected a lot by, for example, cars parking all the way along Melville Drive on a sunny summer evening, or as a pedestrin by pavement parking in all sorts of different areas.
Posted 12 years ago # -
If you tick 'don't know'
"
6. Please can you further explain why you gave this answer to the previous question?
Please can you further explain why you gave this answer to the previous question?"
My reply - "Because the question is too vague"
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
Parking in Your Area
*7. How easy is it to find a parking place in your street?"
I've already said I don't have a vehicle so how would I know??
Anyway it's not my street I am bothered about!
Posted 12 years ago # -
I agree the survey certainly is not perfect, but feel there is a bit of over-sensitivity and instant rush to judgement.
It is not a travel survey, but a survey about car parking problems - including problems caused by car parking as well as problems for car parkers. That in itself seems pretty innovative to me and worthy of at least some positive comment.
The survey also has lots of open-ended questions, as pointed out in the original spokes tweet (qns 6,10,18, 20,21) so you have lots of opportunity to make related points. It also allows you to go back and change earlier answers if you feel later questions are more appropriate for some point.
Having completed the survey myself I felt reasonably satisfied that I had put forward the issues that concern me most, including bike lanes which allow car parking, and excessive inner city car parking in general. Completing the survey before commenting on its details seems a good idea - it worked for me. I'd certainly started out expecting I'd not be able to fully express my views, but overall ended up pretty satisfied.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
8. Are there times when it is difficult to park near to your home?
Are there times when it is difficult to park near to your home?Daytime
Evenings
Weekends
No
Don’t know
Other (please specify)"
Ooh there's an "other"
"As I have already indicated I don't have a vehicle, how would I know?
Anyway I'm much more concerned about parking in other parts of the city"
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
*9. To what extent are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the enforcement of parking restrictions in your area?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"I had put forward the issues that concern me most, including bike lanes which allow car parking, and excessive inner city car parking in general"
Are you able to do that if you've got to answer for 'your' area? If so, then all the good, but if not will any answers that don't relate to your own area simply be discounted?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
19. To what extent would you be satisfied or dissatisfied with the removal of the majority of ticket machines in Edinburgh and public parking being provided by a cashless only service?
To what extent would you be satisfied or dissatisfied with the removal of the majority of ticket machines in Edinburgh and public parking being provided by a cashless only service? Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
Don’t know"
Ah, so CEC wants to save money (fair enough)
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Completing the survey before commenting on its details seems a good idea"
I did try - but found I couldn't complete the survey! I was stuck with Q5. I then realised my bike wasn't a vehicle.
"I'd certainly started out expecting I'd not be able to fully express my views, but overall ended up pretty satisfied."
I'd say the open-ended questions did help, but I still think the fact it fails for anyone who only owns a bike is a serious oversight, and one that a small pilot trial would have picked up on. I'd have to agree with SRD that they need to pilot their surveys before going public with them.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
Inconsiderate Parking
20. Are you concerned about the following types of parking in your area?
Are you concerned about the following types of parking in your area?Parking on the footway
Parking at dropped kerbs
Double parking
No
Don't know
Other (please specify)"
" It's not just about 'my area' problems are universal too much road space ALLOWED to be used for parking"
Posted 12 years ago # -
@chdot I got the same response ("Whether you own a vehicle or not, it is important for us to hear your views on parking in your area...") after saying that I had a vehicle.
Saying "yes" just triggered questions on whether I could park off-road (I assume that meant in a driveway) and, on saying "no" to that, my view of the permit parking renewal system, which seems fair enough.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@DDF I think we should expect more of a survey than that it provides enough open answers that we can 'twist' it to deal with our own concerns. Either those concerns are relevant and should be fully included, or they are not, and the survey is flawed.
This survey is fundamentally designed to be about parking as it conveniences/inconveniences car users (defined broadly). Issues that affect cyclists and pedestrians are add-ons and inadequately handled.
Posted 12 years ago # -
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Parking Improvements
*22. Which one of the following possible improvements would most improve your satisfaction with parking?
Which one of the following possible improvements would most improve your satisfaction with parking?More parking places
Better enforcement
Longer hours of control
Don't know
Other (please specify)"
Not my idea of balanced options in a city that pretends it wants to reduce car use.
EDIT It's not even possible to tick more than one!!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Survey completed. Majority of the questions are about 'your area', and given I'm in suburbia, with a driveway, and no controlled parking... I did mention pavement parking (and parking directly opposite driveways - we've had some eejits living in the rented house across from us recently), as well as parking on junctions.
It wasn't until the last question that was just a general 'anything else you want to mention about parking' that I was able to give a general view, again raising the issues pedestrians have with pavement parking, blocking dropped kerbs etc., and areas where cars park on cycle lanes, as well as designated lanes that run under designated parking bays.
The majority of the questions (save one or two) are definitely skewed towards the motorist answering (I was even able to tick yes to having used RingGo), and whether there is 'enough' parking available.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Final answer -
"
Less of it.
Much greater charges
No ability to park all day for less than the price of a Lothian Buses DAYticket
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10075#post-112004
Greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists
More cycle lanes protected by double yellow lines
A realisation by politicians and officials that 'drivers' are also pedestrians and cyclists and its not just 'motorists' who vote.
I want a pleasant 'liveable' city where it's easy to get around, not one full of motorised traffic and parked cars.
Time for Edinburgh to increase parking restrictions and reduce the number of parking spaces. Most residents don't have cars. Time to care more for those who don't.
"
Posted 12 years ago # -
The problem with being forced to use open ended questions to respond is, if the survey has more than say 30 responses, the text is likely to just get ignored.
It's much easier to graphically display the agree/disagree questions so these tend to be the ones that are presented in summary statistics, with occassional quotes from the free text elements to pad out a report.
My pessimistic view is; if the multi-choice elements don't allow me to adequately express my views, any effort spent on free text is close to pointless.
Posted 12 years ago # -
My "other (please specify)" improvement was reduce the amount of parking in the city centre to allow it to be designed around people not cars...
Also, in response to another question about how my local parking could be improved, I suggested that a one car bay per street be replaced with bicycle parking...
Posted 12 years ago # -
"I suggested that a one car bay per street be replaced with bicycle parking..."
Very sensible, easy to implement and oh so politically impossible.
(Apparently)
http://www.cyclehoop.com/product/bike-racks-and-cycle-stands/car-bike-port
Posted 12 years ago # -
Anyone spot the deliberate mistake in the car-bike-port picture?
;-)
Robert
Posted 12 years ago # -
Thanks for the link! I've completed it. I think there were four places where I could ask for all parking on cycle lanes to be completely banned with instant uplift of all offending vehicles, so I entered it in all four. I also mentioned the cars which routinely park all day every day on double yellow lines at dangerous junctions on Hatton Place, using what look like official council permits to do so.
Posted 12 years ago #
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