Do you know that cars are parked 95% of the time throughout their whole lifespan? Furthermore, people spend around 17 hours each year searching for a parking spot. The majority of these drivers have no knowledge about parking stalls and their rules.
To save your time and park safely, you must be aware of parking stalls, their types, sizes, and layouts. This guide will show you everything you need to learn about parking stall and rules for ADA parking stall.
Parking Stall Meaning
What is a parking stall? A stall is a part of a parking area that is designed for one vehicle. You will find it in parking facilities such as parking lots, spaces, garages or parking along the side of a road. It is generally marked with painted lines and curbs. Parking stalls can be arranged in various layouts according to space and traffic flow.
Types of Parking Stalls: Parking Stall Layout
You should design parking stalls in different types and parking layouts to organize vehicles and keep traffic flow smooth. Below we listed common types of parking stalls.
Angled Parking Stalls
They are made in a way that you can easily park a car at an angle to the curb or aisle. These angles include 30° to 60°, 45° and 60° parking space.
- 30° stalls are very shallow (not very deep) and take less space to build. However, you face difficulty when you try to park your car in a 30° angled parking space.
- 45° stalls are the most common types of parking spaces. They allow you to easily enter or exit your car and fit your vehicle well.
- 60° stalls are steeper parking spaces. Hence, they make it very easy for you to drive in your car. But you need more space to make this parking angled parking stall.
Straight Parking Stalls
Straight parking stalls are commonly known as perpendicular parking stalls. They are made at a 90° angle to the driving lane. That means, you can drive straight in to park your car.
With this layout, you can park more cars in one parking row. So you can build straight parking stalls when you need to save space as well as money. However, this stall makes it hard for you to enter and exit your car when the lot is busy.
Parallel Parking Stall
When you park your car in line with other vehicles on the side of the road, it is called parallel parking. You will find these types of parking stalls on streets and in residential areas.
They are usually 8 feet wide and 20 feet long. You should design these lots in areas where angle parking layouts are not suitable.
Size of Parking Stall/Parking Stall Dimensions
Le parking stall dimensions are decided by local governments and building codes. You have to follow standard parking sizes as defined by law. Below you can understand common measurements for a standard stall.
Parking Stall Width
The width of the parking stall is the available space between stall side lines. Mostly, a standard parking stall has a width of 8 to 9 feet. If we calculate it in meters, this is approximately 2.6 to 2.7 meters.
This area provides you with enough room to open your car doors safely. However, 2.5 meters minimum required width for a parking stall. For a truck, you need to design a 10 to 15 feet wide stall. Compact cars need 7.5 to 8 feet width.
Parking Stall Length or Parking Stall Depth
If we talk about the length of a parking stall, it is around 18 to 20 feet long between front and back of painted space. For compact cars, you need length around 16 to 18 feet.
But larger vehicles such as SUVs or trucks parking may need 20 to 24 feet or more based on its truck type. If the stall is too short, your car can stick out into the driving lane. Hence, you must build your parking stall according to the standard length.
ADA Parking Stall
ADA parking stalls are special spaces which are designed for disabled people. Therefore, they follow rules defined by the Loi sur les Américains handicapés (ADA). Generally, you will find them wider than regular parking stalls.
So, they give extra space for wheelchair ramps or mobility devices. These stalls are painted with a wheelchair symbol and located close to building entrances.
Car Accessible vs Van Accessible Stall Sizes
There are two main types of ADA parking stalls. They include car accessible and van accessible parking.
- Car accessible stalls are mostly 8 feet wide and have a 5 foot access aisle too. These spaces are specific for a regular car with a wheelchair ramp.
- Van accessible stalls are wide around 11 feet so you can easily park your vans with lifts or ramps.
How To Park in a Stall?
- When you approach the parking stall, you must reduce the speed of your car, so you have full control of your vehicle.
- Then, you need to check around you. For example: you should look for other cars, pedestrians or any obstacles in your way.
- It’s also important to confirm the angle of a parking space before you park.
- After that, you can line up your car with the stall lines or markings.
- Now, you need to drive straight into a straight stall or angle in for an angled stall. You have to make sure your car is inside the lines and not too close to other parked vehicles.
Is it Illegal To Back Into a Parking Stall?
It is not illegal to back into a parking stall. It means, you are allowed to park your car by reversing into a space if it is safe. However, some parking lots or local rules require you to drive forward.
This rule is mostly enforced in angled stalls or areas with one way traffic. Reversing into a parking space is also unsafe for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). You should always follow signs and markings to avoid violation of parking laws.
Parking Stall Painting / Parking Stall Striping
Parking stall painting or parking stall striping is basically the process of marking lines and symbols on the ground. These markings show where you can park your vehicles. Furthermore, they are useful for you to stay within the parking lines and organize the space.
You will also see symbols for ADA stalls, arrows for traffic flow, pedestrian spaces and numbers or letters for assigned areas. In this way, you can make your parking lots safer and easy to use for everyone. To paint a parking stall, you only need ruban de marquage/chalk, peinture de marquage et machine de marquage.
Parking Stall Safety Equipment
For the safety of your parking stall, you must install the following safety devices in your lot.
Parking stall signs: Parking stall signs show you important rules or information related to parking stalls. For example: they indicate reserved spots or ADA spaces.
Parking stall stopper: UN parking stall stopper is also called a wheel stop. You should place them at the front of a stall. It stops your car from going too far and hitting curbs or other vehicles.
Parking stall bumper: A parking stall bumper is basically a small barrier which you will notice at the end of a stall. It protects vehicles and structures from minor collisions.
Parking space bollard: bornes de stationnement are vertical posts which you use to block vehicles from entering certain areas. With these tools, you can protect pedestrians or special zones in a parking lot.
Parking stall barrier: It is a physical barrier ou rambarde that you should place to separate vehicles from pedestrian paths, equipment, as well as dangerous areas. It keeps everyone safe and organizes your parking stalls.
FAQ
What is a Drive Aisle in a Parking Stall?
A drive aisle is the lane between rows of parking stalls. You can use it to enter and exit the parking area. It gives your vehicles enough space to turn and park safely. The width of a drive aisle depends on the type of parking.
What Does Mean By Tandem Parking Stall?
A tandem parking stall is a long parking space which is made for two vehicles parked one behind the other. You will see this parking in apartments, offices or areas with limited space.
What is a No Parking Zone Near Stalls?
It is an area where you are not allowed to park your car. This is commonly marked with painted lines, symbols or signs so you can identify it. You will notice these zones near drive aisles, entrances, exits, fire lanes or pedestrian paths.
Conclusion
So, you should always park within marked lines, respect ADA stalls, follow parking signs instruction and use safety equipment correctly. This way, you can avoid accidents and make every parking experience easy and stress-free.
We are a professional manufacturer of parking safety products, including parking signs, cônes de sécurité, cales de roue et balises réfléchissantes. If you want expert guidance or equipment for your parking stall, contactez-nous aujourd'hui et obtenez un devis rapide.
Relevant sources:
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