Bozeman, Let’s Talk About The Frustrating Craziness That Is Parking At The Hospital

Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center has a parking problem and it seems like there's a super simple solution that nobody talks about. On any given weekday, you'll find cars slowly navigating aisle after aisle hoping for a parking space remotely close to the building they need to enter.

For what it's worth, my concern here is strictly with the parking issue at the hospital. I've had occasion to be there far more often than I would choose over the last several weeks and it's always the same situation. Pretty much the Hunger Games for a decent spot, and it's been that way for years.

Two important things to note: One - I've been more pleased with the care I've received and the communication that has been demonstrated recently than I have EVER been over my decades in Bozeman. Two - I'm perfectly able to walk from the farthest corner of any of the parking lots, so I do just that...allot a few more minutes before an appointment and go straight for the boonies.

However, the very nature of a medical campus dictates that a large percentage of people who need to go there would be elder, sick, injured, handicapped, or not very mobile. The handicapped reserved spots and those spots reserved for cancer treatment patients don't seem to be plentiful enough, in my opinion.

Then there's the hundreds of other patients who visit the campus for tests, appointments, etc., on any given day - a constant stream of slow moving vehicles, zig-zagging every aisle for an open spot. It's comical, really. Never mind the hundreds of employees who also need someplace to park.

WHY IS THERE NOT A PARKING GARAGE AT THE HOSPITAL YET?

Seriously, a parking garage has been needed up there for YEARS. If one is on the drawing board or in the works, I couldn't find any mention of it. (I did also reach out to a Bozeman Health administrator but had not heard back before the weekend. If I DO get some helpful information, I'll certainly update this article and share what I'm told.)

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So what do YOU think? Would a parking garage solve the problem? Can you think of a reason why it WOULDN'T work up there? Even converting an existing lot into a multi-level garage would help, and no additional land would need to be acquired. These things take time, so if it IS on the agenda - let's get on it. The parking problem isn't going to get any better with Bozeman's growth.

Again, if I hear back from the higher-ups, I will certainly share whatever information or plans that are shared with me.