City calling on SHA to consider parkade, other solutions for parking at General Hospital

CTV Regina: Parking woes continue at General Hospital The city is calling on the health authority to handle General Hospital parking woes. Colton Wiens reports.

The City of Regina won’t be adding parking meters to the area around General Hospital and is calling on the Saskatchewan Health Authority to do more to improve the parking situation.

Nurse Karly Simpson commutes every day from Lumsden to work at the hospital and is happy that the city doesn’t plan to put in meters.

“I think it’s a great start,” she said. “I think it’s a sign that they’re listening.”

The city wants the SHA to help out with the difficult parking situation.

“I think that the employer should be providing safe parking for their staff,” Mayor Michael Fougere said. “It’s just so obvious to me it’s painful to say it. We would help them get that solution.”

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses says a committee involving groups involved in the parking could be forming.

“It sounds as though that may be coming forward,” said SUN President Tracy Zambory. “That really is the best way for us all to come together to weed through all the potential solutions out there, including the idea around a parkade.”

The SHA says it is looking at other parking options, but no decision has been made.

“A parkade would certainly be an option to consider,” SHA Executive Director Derek Miller said.

The Ministry of Health says it would need a formal proposal for any funding for a parkade at the hospital.

“I believe that is the ultimate fix, because our hospital is going to just get bigger, our services are going to expand,” Simpson said.

“It’s an obvious thing to do,” Fougere added. “It’s frustrating that for these many years to see nothing happen. Maybe something will happen now. I don’t know, I hope so.”

The SHA is extending the times for its Park and Ride service and also offers taxi vouchers for anyone who misses the shuttle.