DDA Works With Munson On Patient Parking

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) - which manages Traverse City's parking system - is working with Munson Medical Center on parking solutions for patients while construction is active around the hospital.

According to DDA CEO Jean Derenzy, parking staff will waive parking violations at metered spaces around the hospital for Cowell Family Cancer Center patients. Those who receive violations can submit them to Munson Medical Center, the Cowell Family Cancer Center, and/or Traverse City Parking Services at 303 East State Street to have them voided. Derenzy says the DDA is also working with Munson on a future parking pass program that would allow patients to receive a slip to put in their vehicles identifying them as patients.

The solutions are being offered after several patients complained about getting tickets while attempting to park for visits to Cowell Family Cancer Center. Munson Medical Center's main parking lot across the street from Cowell is blocked off for construction while a new hospital parking deck is being built. Derenzy notes that while the DDA wants to accommodate patients who are trying to park on the street in metered spaces, the best solution is for patients to use the free parking valet system that Munson introduced to handle traffic during construction. "That's the real key, because that system is for patients," Derenzy says. "It's been implemented at a large cost to Munson, so we encourage people to use that."

Derenzy says the DDA can't suspend ticketing at metered spaces during construction because the on-street spaces are meant to incur regular turnover in order to accommodate the large number of visitors coming to the hospital throughout the day. "Those spaces aren't just for patients...the metered parking is really important for the many services Munson provides," Derenzy says. "But the patients are the ones we're looking out for and trying to protect, which is why we have the valet system and are waiving the violations."