KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – There are two accessible parking spots along the Harbourwalk South. It’s where you will find the NSCAD Port Campus, the Nova Scotia Centre for Crafts and Design, the Mary E. Black Gallery, offices of the Nova Scotia Writers Federation, Visual Arts Nova Scotia, and more.
Unless the cruise ships are in town, that is. That’s when the Halifax Port Authority may well close all parking spots along that stretch, including the two reserved for handicapped parking.
We were notified of the situation by a reader, who was not pleased. What are people with disabilities to do, she wondered. “The NSCAD port campus is the only site the university has that is 100% accessible, but they don’t have parking spaces during tourist season?”
We asked the Port Authority.
“During the cruise season, there are days when all parking spots along Harbourwalk South, the roadway running parallel to Marginal Road, are closed to passenger vehicles, including two accessible spots. This is done to maintain the safe and efficient movement of cruise passengers and all visitors to the Halifax Seaport,” writes Lane Farguson, manager of Media Relations and Communications for the Port Authority.
“Other parking spots, including 16 accessible parking spots, remain available on a first come/first serve basis,” Farguson writes, emphasizing that these numbers meet or exceed both Federal and Municipal requirements for accessible parking.
However, as our reader points out, these other accessible parking spots are quite far away, especially for people with mobility issues. Not headline news, but a major headache if you live with disabilities and you have an errand to run in the area.
Surely there must be a solution that leaves all involved parties happy.
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