Students claim lack of car parking is harming their studies – but university tells them to try cycling to class

Students at Queen’s University Belfast have claimed that the lack of car parking spaces on campus is negatively affecting their studies, just a month after the university unveiled three new cycle parking facilities for up to 80 bikes, as part of ongoing efforts to encourage active travel and “reduce car dependency”.

While a number of students complained to the BBC that the dearth of secure car parking was making them late for lectures or having a detrimental effect on their sleep, the university said “staff and students are encouraged to use active forms of sustainable travel” and “link up with the cycling community”.

On-campus car parking is scarce at Queen’s University Belfast, based in the south of the city, with staff often spending years on waiting lists for spaces on the main site. Meanwhile, free on-street parking is confined to the residential ‘Holylands’ area nearby, where the narrow streets quickly fill up in the morning with cars, several of which are stationed fully on the pavement.

> “Disappointed” cyclists forced to lock bikes on outdoor railings as Belfast’s new Grand Central Station opens with no cycle parking provisions

Speaking to BBC NI, Masters student Jamie Dowie complained that there are “no places to park” at the university.

“I have walked into lectures an hour late,” he said. “If you have an exam, you’re up maybe two or three hours beforehand so you can get parked. You lose out on sleep.

“There are no places to park. It’s all side streets, there’s no actual proper parking facilities,” he continued, adding that, once parked, he’s often worried that his car will be damaged on residential streets.

“It’s next to impossible to get parked in the morning, you have to show up at seven o’clock. And what are you supposed to do at seven o’clock in the morning?” asked PhD student Rebecca Bennett, who says she walks to and from the university, something she describes as a “bit scary”.

“When you hear those news reports about the increased femicide rate in Northern Ireland, it’s a huge issue. And it just makes you think twice about walking alone at night,” she said.

> New barriers on infamous ‘car park’ cycle lane vandalised, as councillor calls for “robust” protection “before someone gets seriously hurt”

Politics and International Relations student Caitlin Hilton also told the BBC that, because it’s “very hard” to find anywhere to park, she has to get up earlier than she would otherwise, which she claims negatively impacts on her ability to learn and study.

And Oisín McCarron even claimed that his quality of life while at university has been worsened by a lack of parking availability.

“It’s very difficult to get parked anywhere, to the point where people are just parking on the footpath. I can’t drive during the week because there’s no parking where I live,” he said.

Others, meanwhile, described the parking situation at Queen’s as a “nightmare” and complained about parking prices on nearby streets.

“I get the bus up from Newry,” says Siofra Kearney. “It’s an hour and twenty minute journey, which is longer than it would take me to drive. All because I’m unable to get my car parked or move reliably around the city.

“It’s not a very accessible city for students.”

However, responding to these complaints, a Queen’s spokesperson pointed out that current traffic congestion across the city is “a result of infrastructure issues outside of the control or remit of Queen’s”, and that staff and students are encouraged to walk, cycle, or use public transport to access the campus.

“Our staff and students are also encouraged to use active forms of sustainable travel and we are actively engaging with the Department for Infrastructure and Belfast City Council,” they added.

Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray, Sara Lynch, Head of Sustainability at Queen’s, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd, and Queen’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer at the opening of the new bike parking facilities (Queen’s University Belfast)

Just last month, Queen’s officially launched three new sheltered cycle parking facilities on campus, which have space for up to 80 bikes and are home to Belfast’s first free, publicly accessible e-bike charger.

The new cycle parking facilities, funded by Queen’s and Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure and supported by Belfast City Council, form part of the local authority’s initiative to develop a network of secure cycle parking locations in the city.

“The new, all-inclusive cycle, parking infrastructure at Queen's main car park, near the Peter Froggatt Centre, is setting a new standard for cycling facilities in Belfast, encompassing a fob access e-bike parking facility, with accompanying battery charging cabinet,” Queen’s said in a statement.

“A second, new open canopy shelter, also in the main Queen’s car park, is designed for bike commuters with disabilities, cargo bike users, and other non-standard cycles. Beyond the main site, there is also a new fob access bike shelter at Queen's University's Physical Education Centre (PEC).

“The project is all about embracing active travel as people lessen car dependency behaviours, and supporting health, well-being, and sustainability,” the university added.

Speaking to road.cc, Nathan Booth, an assistant estates manager in environmental and transport at Queen’s, said the students interviewed by the BBC should “link up with the cycling community here at the university”.

“We now have cycling infrastructure that has been well received by staff, students, and members of the public,” Booth told road.cc. “We now have the wonderful challenge to get access fobs into the hands of all those eager to park their bike inside Ireland’s first secure e-bike facility!

“The students referenced in the BBC article are encouraged to experience this pioneering facility and link up with the cycling community here at the university.

“Last month we commenced the first student community bike ride which was an insured event to support students who are unfamiliar with cycling on the streets of Belfast.

“An inner-city commute and a riverside commute were two of the routes we covered. There will be future community bike rides of this nature.”

“The climate crisis is one of the most significant challenges facing society today, which is why Queen’s has pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2040. As an anchor institution, we are committed to leading the way, with our partners, to help Northern Ireland’s transition to a Net Zero society,” Queen’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer said at the launch of the new facilities last month.

“To help achieve our Net Zero goal and encourage active travel we have a responsibility to provide the infrastructure to make it easier for people to travel sustainably. This new cycling infrastructure is a best-practice example of what can be achieved when partners work together to create solutions.

“These three new facilities are the first of their kind in Belfast. As well as providing secure cycle parking for 80 cycles, they also provide parking for non-standard cycles, including cargo bikes and recumbent cycles. One of the facilities is also home to the first publicly accessible free e-bike charging provision in Belfast.

“We hope that this unique infrastructure will provide secure parking for those who already cycle, and that by reducing the barriers and creating more and accessible cycle parking, that it will encourage more people to cycle as their preferred mode of transport, leaving the car behind.”

While the BBC chose to focus on students seemingly desperate to park their cars where there is limited availability at Queen’s, another member of staff, assistant estates manager Chris Johnston, told road.cc that a number of recent initiatives, such as increased storage and changing facilities, the Cycle Plus bike to work scheme, and the creation of an on-campus cycle repair and hire shop, have made it easier than ever to park the bike instead.

“I ditched the car and now commute by train and bike,” he said. “It was driving me insane sitting in traffic.”