More Parking Spaces To Become Available Around Perimeter of Goldwater Hospital For Roosevelt Island Residents and Visitors - Is That A Good Thing?

 Image of East Channel Road Adjacent to Goldwater Hospital

A post from October 2009 reported:

Some Southtown residents living in Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk buildings are not very happy with the lack of parking spaces close to their apartments. They complain of very few street parking spots and being too far from the Motorgate Parking garage for it to be convenient.

As a result, they have been parking on the Queens side street adjacent to Goldwater Hospital on weekends, when the street is nearly empty of employees and visitors, but have recently been advised of a decision by Goldwater to prohibit weekend parking on the that side of their facility....

A post from February 2010 reported:

... RIRA President Frank Farance spoke with RIOC VP of Operations Fernando Martinez about the parking situation at Goldwater. Mr. Farance wrote in his October 9 RIRA message: ... Martinez is working with the Coler-Goldwater hospital to make some of the south campus employee parking available, which mostly benefits Southtown, Sportspark, and the tennis bubble....

In March 2010 former Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Steve Shane wrote:

... We are checking back with the hospital about weekends on the east side and will advise....

Since the request for parking on the street adjacent to Goldwater Hospital was made, 30 additional spots

 Image of Southtown West Channel Road Parking Spots

on the West Channel Road in Southtown have been created but it appears that RIOC is moving ahead to make available the parking spaces on the street adjacent to Goldwater Hospital to the public not affiliated with the Hospital.

Image of Empty Street Around Goldwater Hospital Perimeter

At the June 16 Transportation Town Hall Meeting, RIOC Vice President of Operations Fernando Martinez made a brief reference to the Goldwater parking spaces.

The next day I asked Mr. Martinez:

During last night's Transportation Town Hall Meeting, you mentioned that the Goldwater Hospital area would soon be open for Roosevelt Island resident and visitor metered parking.

Can you provide any additional information on the matter - where will the parking be, what times, when will it be made available etc.

Mr. Martinez responded:

We are in very preliminary discussions with Goldwater.  But the idea will be to continue hospital parking along the perimeter of Goldwater, while also allowing for resident and visitor parking.