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Site design

Do this: designing accessible parking

November 24, 2023

Accessible parking is one of the most heavily regulated few hundred square feet on any site, and one of the easiest things to get right if it is designed rather than added at the end.

Put the space on the shortest route

Accessible spaces belong on the shortest accessible route to the accessible entrance. If a site has multiple entrances, the spaces are distributed among them. This is a site planning decision, not a striping decision.

Get the surface flat

Slope in any direction cannot exceed two percent across both the space and its access aisle. That includes the aisle where it meets the curb ramp. Two percent is a tight tolerance in the field, which is why the grading plan has to call out spot elevations at the corners rather than leaving it to the paving contractor.

Mark the access aisle clearly

Every accessible space needs an adjacent access aisle, striped its full length so it reads unmistakably as a no-parking zone. Two spaces may share one aisle. Van-accessible spaces need the wider aisle and the additional sign panel.

Sign it at the right height

Each space gets its own sign with the International Symbol of Accessibility, mounted so the bottom of the sign sits at least 60 inches above the surface — high enough to stay visible above a parked vehicle.

Connect it to the building without a step

The access aisle must join an at-grade route to the sidewalk, whether by curb ramp or by running the walk flush. A perfectly striped space that ends at a six-inch curb is not accessible.

Blue paint, clear markings, correct slopes, real signage, and a continuous route. Design them in and the inspection is uneventful.