31-08-2017, 10:20 AM
Many new hospitals built in sparsely developed areas in the mid-twentieth century are now trapped by decades of urban development. Because a central and easily accessible location is vital to the services they provide, moving to a more distant area is often not a viable option. Urbanization means that the size of the population in the community they serve has probably tripled since the doors were first opened.
The level of medical intervention has increased substantially over the decades, and in many countries, hospitals have consolidated in fewer facilities, but larger, while available land has not increased at all. Decades of motorization are increasing in visitors and employees who need more and more parking spaces. On the other hand, the growth of outpatient services adds even more pressure to the parking deficits that many hospitals are currently experiencing. The very efficient use of scarce land is a necessity.
Compensation on land used for health facilities and land needed for parking is difficult and sometimes impossible. However, parking problems affect both the profitability of hospitals and customer satisfaction. Missed appointments because people can not find parking in a reasonable time increase service inefficiencies and patient delays for the hospital. Missed appointments due to parking problems in the hospital present serious problems for patients: reprogramming, lost time, additional transportation costs, delays in care, etc.
Forcing visitors and staff to park in front of major hospital properties because of the limitations of parking space creates an additional set of problems:
• Require people to trust shuttle buses to and from remote parking sites,
• Let visitors find and use commercial parking lots,
• We need long walks through unfamiliar neighborhoods,
• Increased friction with neighbors around street parking,
• Visits of the handicapped are more difficult and
• Potential decrease in visitor safety
The level of medical intervention has increased substantially over the decades, and in many countries, hospitals have consolidated in fewer facilities, but larger, while available land has not increased at all. Decades of motorization are increasing in visitors and employees who need more and more parking spaces. On the other hand, the growth of outpatient services adds even more pressure to the parking deficits that many hospitals are currently experiencing. The very efficient use of scarce land is a necessity.
Compensation on land used for health facilities and land needed for parking is difficult and sometimes impossible. However, parking problems affect both the profitability of hospitals and customer satisfaction. Missed appointments because people can not find parking in a reasonable time increase service inefficiencies and patient delays for the hospital. Missed appointments due to parking problems in the hospital present serious problems for patients: reprogramming, lost time, additional transportation costs, delays in care, etc.
Forcing visitors and staff to park in front of major hospital properties because of the limitations of parking space creates an additional set of problems:
• Require people to trust shuttle buses to and from remote parking sites,
• Let visitors find and use commercial parking lots,
• We need long walks through unfamiliar neighborhoods,
• Increased friction with neighbors around street parking,
• Visits of the handicapped are more difficult and
• Potential decrease in visitor safety