Hospital parking

[GordonH]

I know there are threads about parking at kgh for some strange reason advance search is coming up empty.

I am not surprised about this happening, last thing on patients or visitors of loved ones is parking tickets and any fines.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... -go-unpaid

Added: take a look who owns Impark

[typhoon44]

Are you advocating a raise in provincial taxes to cover an increase in health care funding so that parking can be free?

[GordonH]

Are you advocating a raise in provincial taxes to cover an increase in health care funding so that parking can be free?

Nope, I'm not surprised people are fed up with Impark and there methods.

[OKkayak]

Nope, I'm not surprised people are fed up with Impark and there methods.

They're only fed up when they have to pay up. Doesn't matter if it's Impark or anyone else.

[GordonH]

Nope, I'm not surprised people are fed up with Impark and there methods.

They're only fed up when they have to pay up. Doesn't matter if it's Impark or anyone else.

So in the middle of a procedure the patient has to get up and go feed the meter... brilliant.
Or the patient was just told tests came back positive (not in good way).

[OKkayak]

So in the middle of a procedure the patient has to get up and go feed the meter... brilliant.

Why would anyone put themselves in a situation where they have to "feed the meter" during the middle of a procedure?

Or the patient was just told tests came back positive (not in good way).

Life goes on, as does one's responsibilities.

So what exactly is your solution Gordon? You already said that you weren't suggesting free parking at the cost of taxes. So, are you just expecting that people don't get parking tickets because they're at a hospital?

[kelownman]

I am a frequent visitor to KGH and pay for parking. I have also been fined by impark. I have paid the fines. According to that story, over half of the fines are never paid? WTH!

I would assume impark would get a collections agency to go after the non-paying folk.... right? Cuz if they arent, I would really like to know....so that next time I will do like most everyone else...and not pay the fine!

[Lore]

Last year I was going to KGH every day after work for a few weeks.
You never really know how long you will be in there for so to be on
the safe side and not get a ticket I bought a daily pass everyday.
Think it was $6 and worth it to not get a ticket
Of course it would of been nice if parking was free but it
was not, so you do what you have to do.
Pay for parking.

[Fishfighter]

Why not adopt how the airport operates with parking? In hospital designated parking areas just install machines to issue tickets based on arrival time. When it is time for you to leave you need to produce the ticket to leave the parkade and you pay whatever amount is required based on the time you stay there. There would also need to be the lift gates to prevent people from skipping out on their payment, or sneaking out the entrance.

If there are several parking areas you could deem some long term and short term parking. If you are in a long term area there could be a rule that you can only remain there for 7 days, and there is a rate applied per day you stay there. In the short term parking you could specify that vehicles that remain for longer than 24 hours could be subject to towing at owners expense. I would also add a staffed, meter station(s), for anyone that has issues with lost tickets and for staff to patrol the lots for vehicles abusing the posted parking rules.

Paying for these new employees would come out of the profits that are gained from paying for all parking. With the lift gates in place it would mean it is a lot harder to get out of paying for the parking you are using. This would also mean people aren't getting dinged for fines for forgetting to pay for additional parking time and what not.

It sucks if you are in the hospital for a very serious illness and having to figure out parking costs as well. With the hospital being downtown and land is harder to come across, this might be the way we have to go.

[mexi cali]

Good post and good suggestion. That half million in lost revenue could pay for a whole crew of meter maids and exit gates.

[Mikesphotos]

Paid parking at any hospital is stupid. I don't have to pay to visit the library, which sees no money come in from my visit. I don't have to pay to visit a family doctor's office, yet in an emergency or for a serious illness, or a birth, or a death...pay up.

When spending time at the hospital last for my daughter's birth I couldn't find reasonable parking anywhere so had to pick a spot that I had to refill the meter every few hours, or move entirely every few hours. Sure free space around the hospital is at a premium but no one's going there for FUN or to just hang out...they're going there because they have to. And the province is collecting loads of money for each visit from healthcare.

[OKkayak]

Paid parking at any hospital is stupid. I don't have to pay to visit the library, which sees no money come in from my visit. I don't have to pay to visit a family doctor's office, yet in an emergency or for a serious illness, or a birth, or a death...pay up.

When spending time at the hospital last for my daughter's birth I couldn't find reasonable parking anywhere so had to pick a spot that I had to refill the meter every few hours, or move entirely every few hours.

If you think finding reasonable parking is hard with paid parking, you'll be in for a not-so-pleasant surprise if it were free.

[Mikesphotos]

Paid parking at any hospital is stupid. I don't have to pay to visit the library, which sees no money come in from my visit. I don't have to pay to visit a family doctor's office, yet in an emergency or for a serious illness, or a birth, or a death...pay up.

When spending time at the hospital last for my daughter's birth I couldn't find reasonable parking anywhere so had to pick a spot that I had to refill the meter every few hours, or move entirely every few hours.

If you think finding reasonable parking is hard with paid parking, you'll be in for a not-so-pleasant surprise if it were free.

And why would that be? People suddenly wanting to visit the hospital for fun? RV'ers parking motorhomes and camping there?

What's around the hospital that would gobble up the extra parking outside of people that live there, or people visiting people in the area?

More people may opt to drive to the hospital I suppose? Instead of jumping through hoops to arrange rides, paying for cabs etc.

[johnhenry]

Paid parking at any hospital is stupid. I don't have to pay to visit the library, which sees no money come in from my visit. I don't have to pay to visit a family doctor's office, yet in an emergency or for a serious illness, or a birth, or a death...pay up.

When spending time at the hospital last for my daughter's birth I couldn't find reasonable parking anywhere so had to pick a spot that I had to refill the meter every few hours, or move entirely every few hours. Sure free space around the hospital is at a premium but no one's going there for FUN or to just hang out...they're going there because they have to. And the province is collecting loads of money for each visit from healthcare.

The problem is that once there is free parking people will use it for any reason, not just hospital use.

[OKkayak]

And why would that be? People suddenly wanting to visit the hospital for fun? RV'ers parking motorhomes and camping there?

What's around the hospital that would gobble up the extra parking outside of people that live there, or people visiting people in the area?

More people may opt to drive to the hospital I suppose? Instead of jumping through hoops to arrange rides, paying for cabs etc.

Staff for starters.