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Time to get rid of cruel parking fees at Burnaby Hospital

Nobody really wants to be at a hospital. Hospital visits usually mean somebody you care about is hurting, although in some cases, at least a beautiful baby is the end result. Mostly, however, those visits involve great amounts of anxiety.
Burnaby Hospital

Nobody really wants to be at a hospital.

Hospital visits usually mean somebody you care about is hurting, although in some cases, at least a beautiful baby is the end result.

Mostly, however, those visits involve great amounts of anxiety. Some cases involve seeing someone you love die.

The last thing you really want to have to deal with is worrying about having to refill a parking meter.

So it’s a small bit of good news that the City of Burnaby announced it will remove meters from 33 on-street parking spots near Burnaby Hospital in an effort to make life more convenient and affordable for some visitors. 

Council voted unanimously on July 8 to make parking free on both sides of Ingleton Avenue (in the 3800 and 3900 blocks) and on the north side of Kincaid Street’s 3900 block. The meters will be replaced by signs indicating a two-hour parking limit. 

The decision isn’t completely altruistic, as the city plans to increase parking rates from $1.50 per hour to $2 per hour at other metered spots in the area to offset the revenue lost to free parking. (For as city as rich as Burnaby is, it seems unfortunate that the city can’t survive the loss of revenue from 33 spots without making other people pay a little more, but that’s government.)

“This would make it consistent with the parking meter rates in all other areas of the city and still remain well below the cost of parking at Burnaby Hospital,” the report says. 

The hospital charges $4.25 for the first hour of parking and $3.25 after that to a daily maximum of $11.25.

Sadly, visitors will still have to pay to park on hospital grounds, where the city has no jurisdiction. That’s what is truly unfortunate.

People shouldn’t have to pay these exorbitant rates for parking on hospital property when they are visiting friends and family who are suffering.

“It’s unfortunate we cannot do anything with the expensive parking on hospital grounds, but we can certainly address the parking issue on the adjacent streets,” Coun. Pietro Calendino said at the meeting.

“Unfortunate” is the right word. It feels exploitive.

As for the 33 newly free spots, they will for sure be in high demand and could be used by drivers visiting homes and businesses in the area. After all, people are often selfish and willing to take advantage of a situation.

But city staff told council that the new parking signs will indicate the spots are for hospital-use only. 

Hopefully, people will listen.