Parking at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is now free for the first 30 minutes.
The change, effective Dec. 1, is in response to community feedback, said hospital officials.
Replacing a set rate of $7 per day, the hospital is moving to an hourly rate of $3 to a maximum daily rate of $10, good for 24 hours and includes in and out privileges.
For frequent visitors, weekly passes will be available for $35 and monthly passes for $60.
When the new system is in place, parking tokens will no longer be in circulation or available. The new system provides patients and visitors with a time stamped ticket as they enter the parking lot. When leaving the hospital there will be payment terminals at the front of the hospital and one in the corner of the parking lot. Patients and visitors must enter their ticket into the machine and pay for the allotted time used, and insert this paid ticket at the gate to exit the lot.
Additional changes include the addition of five new parking spots with a 10-minute time limit for dropping off and picking up passengers, to address concerns over vehicles blocking the fire route.
The hospital has also expanded the number of accessible parking spaces within the front lot and has changed the main parking lot entrance location from Moberly Street to the laneway off of Hume Street.
The Ministry of Health does not provide funds for any costs associated with parking.