The lass who took these pics warned that they would be glary due to the bright sunshine behind.  BankTeller suggested that she take a pic from the second branch behind, but she wasn't enthused.

St Ives, West Head, Church Point 'n back  -  51km -  8 riders

Bank Teller  took the below four pics of the carpark opposite Pattisons Patisserie at St Ives at midday last Sunday, 25th June, following Muggs' abbreviated ride to West Head and Church Point.  These pics evidence that the recently extended carpark off Mona Vale Rd, St Ives, had four cars parked in it.  30 of the 34 car spaces were vacant.  Why so empty, when on a Sunday morning over recent years, you couldn't previously get a parking spot in there after 8am in Winter and earlier in Summer?  Because prior to the recent redevelopment by Ku'ring'gai Council, there was no time limit on parking in this carpark on Sundays. Nowadays, following the renovations and minor extension that occurred three months ago, perhaps because the local shops complained about road cyclists clogging up the carpark on Sundays, parking is now restricted to 2 hours after 9am on Sundays. Hence, road cyclists that invariably filled it up prior to the recent refurb, cannot park their vehicle there, if their Sunday morning bicycle ride will not finish prior to 11am. 

On Sunday mornings, Bank Teller parks his Berlingo 'baguette van' in Stanley St (opposite), and evidences a lot of cars, with bicycle clamp racks fitted, similarly parked in Stanley St. and nearby Lynbara Ave.  What is the economic rational for Ku'ring'gai Council to recently extend the size of this carpark and then force road cyclists to park in nearby streets by setting a 2 hour maximum stay after 9am on Sundays?  Surely, Council could remove/amend the time limit signs on all car spaces (for Sundays), except the 10 spaces that directly affront Mona Vale Rd. 

One ponders -

(a)        the methodology that Council applied to impose the two hour time limit on Sundays after 9am for the entire 34 car spaces, because a useful off-road carpark is now largely unused after 11am on Sundays.  Because the majority of road cyclists do not finish their Sunday ride until well after 11am.  Many road cyclists' vehicles that used to park off-the-road, now park on roadways outside houses as evident in the below pics; and 

(b)        whether when expending rate-payers monies to increase the capacity of a social utility, whether Council subsequently monitored the patronage of this utility after restricting parking on Sundays to two hours post 9am.

Bank Teller has observed this carpark (post ride between 12:15pm and 1:30pm) on the four occasions that Muggs cyclists have commenced their Sunday bicycle ride from St. Ives since the recent carpark refurb - from early April.  He has never seen more than seven vehicles in it.  On one Sunday two tow trucks were parked in it.

One of the two tow trucks referred to above in front, with the other nestled in the background

Above and below pics of two SUVs (with bicycle racks aloft) parked in Stanley St around midday on a Sunday when most of the road cyclists have finished their Sunday morning ride and vamoosed

Bank Teller  took the below ten pics (from 8:35am on Sunday, 16th July in Stanley Street) of predominantly road cyclists' vehicles that previously parked in the Mona Vale Rd carpark (opp. Pattisons Patisserie) which now has a two hour parking limit after 9am.

Bank Teller   17 July '17