Nova Scotia hospitals to offer free parking starting May 1

Premier Tim Houston is going ahead with an election promise to eliminate parking fees at health-care sites in Nova Scotia starting Thursday morning.

The move was a pledge from all three parties in the last provincial election, but came with concerns that parking is already an issue at busy locations like the IWK Health Centre and Victoria General Hospital in Halifax and Dartmouth General Hospital. 

Houston said people have been eager to see the change. 

"This is about people that are going to health appointments," he said. "This is about people that are visiting somebody that is interacting with the health-care system. This is a good thing."

It was welcome news to Jeanette Stevenson. The Bible Hill, N.S., resident is a patient at the Victoria General and her daughter visits several times a week. 

"You pay enough for things," she said. "I think it's awesome, I really do."

The plan was met with hesitation by some people, specifically in the Halifax area, where parking is already hard to come by. 

The IWK tore down one of its parking garages to make room for the new emergency department. That has created long lineups on University Avenue as people try to enter the remaining parkade. 

At the nearby Victoria General, Nova Scotia Health started a valet program to double-park vehicles and maximize space in the high-demand lot.  

Erika Charlton, who just gave birth to twins, said she couldn't believe how hard it was to find spots near the IWK. She's concerned the problem is only going to get worse. 

"It's awesome that it's going to be free," Charlton said. "My thought with that is if it's free, are people going to use the parkades as an opportunity to park but not even go to the hospital?"

It's a concern mirrored by Katie Oliver, who works at the IWK. 

"We have patients waiting an hour to get into the parkade every day. No one is on time for their appointments because parking is so hard to find," Oliver said.

Staff aren't allowed to use the parkade during busy daytime hours. She said her peers worry it will become more difficult to find a spot. 

"It's a good and bad thing," said Oliver, who said she's on a waiting list with 85 other people for a pass to a nearby private lot. "It just means that people, I feel like, will be coming from all over and just walking to where they have to go."

Policing the lots

Nova Scotia Health shares those concerns. Spokesperson Brendan Elliott said they'll keep a close eye on how things go in Halifax, Sydney and Truro, which have sites closer to other infrastructure in the communities. 

The health authority has a plan to police those trying to take advantage of the system. 

"What's important here is that people know that when they go to the health-care facility, the only thing they need to worry about is the reason that they're there, not the parking," Elliott said.

He said visitors and patients will have to go to the welcome desk at facilities and specify why they're there in order to get a pass validated. Those who are not there for a legitimate reason will have to pay double the current fees. 

"I'd really like to ask those who are considering using those parking spots who don't have business at the hospital to reconsider that. Leave those spaces for people who are using them. You can find parking elsewhere."

In a news release, the province said "specific details surrounding the free-parking initiative could vary" based on "each facility's unique infrastructure and capacity limitations."

Elliott said no jobs will be lost in the transition, as staff are still required to police the lots. He said temporary signage is already in place, with permanent messaging coming soon. 

The province estimates that the new parking plan will cost $19 million annually.

Nova Scotia Health said it has 39 parking lots in the province that now charge for parking. Houston said the government will compensate hospital foundations and any other charitable groups that will lose money as a result of the elimination of fees.