More parking spaces coming at busy Janeway children's hospital

Eastern Health is opening up a new58-space parking lot near the JanewayChildren's Health and Rehabilitation Centre as well as overflow parking service this fall.

In a news release Wednesday, the health authority said the new parking spaces will help ease parking woes before the 1,000-parking garage for the Health Sciences Centre is completed.

"We believe that a new parking lot on site, combined with a new overflow parking service, will help to provide more immediate relief of parking pressures at the site while the new garage is being constructed," said Eastern Health official Ron Johnson, in a statement.

The new parking lot at the St. John'schildren's hospital will be exclusively forclients, visitors and their families. The area will be gated.

Forty-five spaces will open up in the overflow parking lot and 96 spaces will be available in one of the staff lots.

Staff collect keys

The health authority said people who use the new overflow service will be guided by a parking staff member, who will collect the person's keys.

"Staff will deposit vehicle keys in an organized locker and give the driver a corresponding ticket stub for reference upon their return," the news release said.

"When a driver returns to their vehicle and wishes to leave the lot, overflow parking service staff will be available to assist with retrieval of the vehicle in a timely manner."

In an email to CBC News, the health authority said other health facilities, including in Ottawa and Toronto, have used this kind of parking service "with success."

The health authority's current parking provider, Indigo Park, will offer the new service which will cost $66,000 per year.

Parking spaces at Eastern Health facilities have in the past generated criticism, ralliesand public comment.

CBChad requested an interview with the health authority early Wednesday afternoon to ask followup questions. A spokesperson said an interview could not take place until Thursday. However, the next day, the health authority said no one was available to do an interview.

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