Paid parking DND property

[PMedMoe]

CFAO 29-2 key point:

3. At DND installations served by regularly-scheduled public transit, parking should be provided in the minimum quantity required for effective operation of the installation, and members and DND civilian employees who are provided with parking will be charged for the space provided.

"Should" not "must" and we are being charged for parking (at least in Ottawa).

Not looking forward to the move to the Montfort hospital as parking will be at a premium (lack of spaces (167 only) at twice the price) and the transit is not so "regular" (as described in the CFAO  : ).  If I want a shorter trip by bus (42 minutes) to work, I don't arrive until after 0800.  To arrive before 0730, I am looking at a 50-54 minute trip.  Same thing on the way home.  I'll be looking in the ads for rental spots close by. 

 

[stegner]

The U of O has some parking lots right by NDHQ.

 

[eurowing]

Parking should be free IMHO!  The main reason I wouldn't go to Ottawa is the insecure parking.  A friend of mine in a command position who did have a parking spot had his car broken into, garage door opener and registration stolen.  Luckily his wife was home to call the police while the turds were trying to break into the house.  If he couldn't get secure parking then no one could.

I don't know about you guys n gals, but I did not join up to ride a bus into a smelly city, enter a highrise, get a nose bleed from the altitude change and sit all day in a cubicle.  I think DND missed the boat by not purchasing that large complex ( I can't recall the name, UNIDEN perhaps? ) a few years ago.  It had ample parking and might have been a fabulous HQ.  

 

[CFR FCS]

It was JDS Uniphase and DND said it wasn't secure enough for us. The RCMP gladly took it over. Go figure.

 

[George Wallace]

.........  I think DND missed the boat by not purchasing that large complex ( I can't recall the name, UNIDEN perhaps? ) a few years ago.  It had ample parking and might have been a fabulous HQ.  

As was pointed out, it was the old JDS Uniphase Campus which was on the flight path to Ottawa International.  We all know what happened on 911.  Now does it make any sense?

 

[PMedMoe]

Do they have to pay for parking at Leitrim?

 

[armyvern]

Is this thread now turning into this thread/discussion again ...  :-\

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/63462.0.html

 

[geo]

Might as well combine em I guess.... all routes lead to Rome as they say

 

[WannaBeFlyer]

I wish we could ship the whole stupid lot of them off to a FOB for a few months...

Some of us from the PS are working on that.

Do they have to pay for parking at Leitrim?

Not sure, but they do get to play a dangerous game of Frogger if they park in the south lot.

 

[leftovers]

This morning I went to the Montfort and tried to drive into the DND reserved lot,  at the front near the street.
After waiting about 8 min in the line of cars I was told I had to pay $13 to get in.
Wait a sec! Wasn't this free?
Fortunately, I had the money on me but a lot of guys didn't so they were not allowed in, so they drove away.
What's up with that?
Did I miss a notice somewhere?
I understand that medical is expensive so hospitals get money where they can, but I think there could have been a better way of going about it. A lot of guys were really angry this morning.
I'm just a private so what do I know, but it did not seem to be right.

 

[dregeneau]

I'm not sure if it has changed since I worked there.

I used to be a security guard at that hospital, supervising weekend shifts, before the DND came. That parking lot I believe charged the full cost up front, and treated it as a deposit, giving back the difference when you left.

Is this still the case?

 

[CountDC]

Wasn't mentioned in the email that came out. Wish I had kept it but it did say DND had limited reserved parking or you could park in the paid parking area.  I always went to the paid area as I figured the DND lot would be filled. Not much use having a seperate DND lot if you are going to charge the same rate.

Myself I wish they had stayed put instead of moving and I know lots of others I work with feel the same.

Save your money - get bus tickets from your work.

 

[LineJumper]

I remember having to pay for parking all over Ottawa when I was posted there. At the end of each month for 5 years I would send the receipts in and get back all my loot.

 

[CountDC]

Not sure if any units here will allow that anymore.  ideally we are supposed to use bus, obtaining tickets at the unit if needed, taxi chits are another option, again available at the unit and MTEC may be authorized which would include mileage and parking when we go to the hospital.  Of course all of these come out of the unit budget so most, if not all, will push the bus.

 

[dapaterson]

There are supposed to be 40 free passes at the gate for military visitors - show your ID, and they will give you one; if they are all out, you can (a) come back later or (b) pay your way.


[sarcasm]
Boy, this dispersed HQ is a great way to operate isn't it?
[/sarcasm]

 

[leftovers]

Sounds like I wasn't the only one that noticed the change in fees.

Today's Citizen article:

"Military patients miffed at less free parking"
BY MATTHEW PEARSON, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN DECEMBER 4, 2009

Visitors to the Canadian Forces Health Services Centre at the Montfort Hospital got a rude surprise Thursday when it seemed free parking was no longer available to them.

It turns out 40 parking spaces that were previously reserved for the military have been incorporated into the hospital's visitors' parking lot, instead of set aside in a reserved lot, according to Maj. André Berdais, the director of communication for Canadian Forces Health Services.

Military patients with identification can get a parking pass from attendants when they arrive and return it when they leave. If all 40 passes have been handed out, Berdais said patients can wait until a pass is returned, or pay cash to park and be reimbursed by their own units.

Berdais said there was a miscommunication between the centre and the hospital about when the change would happen.

"It's one of those things where people are used to something and things suddenly changed on them without the proper warning," he said, adding that patients are also encouraged to take public transit to the Montfort if they're able because of the hospital's relatively scarce parking."

Source: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Military+patients+miffed+less+free+parking/2301065/story.html

 

[CountDC]

wait for it - I for one will not be surprised when they take the passes away too.

Anyone know what the plan is for the nice old hospital with all the parking that was full most if the time?  Don't know why they would think they could replace the parking there with 40 passes.

 

[Staff Weenie]

This nice old hospital - the NDMC building, is still slated to close, some day, some how.....the problem is, there's no available office space in the NCR sufficient to lease for all CF H Svcs Gp HQ, 33 CBG HQ, the Int folk, the CG, 28 Fd Amb, and the Sigs folk in the basement....

As for the Montfort - one word - disaster!

 

[CountDC]

lol - know what you mean about space.  We are currently scattered around 5 buildings I believe in the NCR and planning to move some to another soon.

We were hoping here that the Montfort deal fell through - no one wanted it. 

 

[leftovers]

I can't get that Citizen article out of my mind.
No one complained about the amount, typical soldiers - they sucked it up.
They seemed more 'miffed' about not meeting their timings and not getting medical attention.
The reporter gave the Cf a really bad spin.
Was that deliberate?