Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Planning a Car Parking Design? Here are 4 Factors to Consider

As a commercial property owner, having a clearly marked parking space is very important, as it minimizes the chances of accidents and show your customers where to park their vehicles. Parking lots should be planned in a manner that it accommodates day-to-day challenges, such as increased vehicular traffic due to ongoing construction project in your vicinity. Properly outlined parking lot is an attractive feature of your property. When employing professional services, most traffic engineers offer car parking design services that aim at identifying the potential bottlenecks to provide the best possible parking solution.

To help you understand the process better, the blog post covers several factors traffic engineers take into consideration while planning a strategic parking lot’s design. Take a look.

1. Structure

The parking design should be prepared in a manner that it allows swift vehicle movement. Having too many lanes in the drive path can clutter the area and, therefore, should be avoided. Entrance should be made away from the street and intersections to minimise collisions. The design should include minimum internal structures to enhance the visibility in the parking space.

2. Drainage System

An ideal parking design includes proper drainage to help vehicle owners avoid inconvenience. Include pipes, manholes, inlets, catch basins, and open channels, to avoid water accumulation. In addition the area must have slopes where necessary to provide proper water run off.

3. Parking Signs and Markings

The parking design should include vehicle and pedestrian directional signs, building entrance identification through parking lot exit signs. Signs location should be evaluated in both night and daylight condition, as the visibility of a particular sign may change in the dim light condition of the night. Most importantly, make sure your parking design includes specific parking provisions for people with disability. All provisions should be in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

4.  Other Considerations

Include safety barriers and bollards as part of your parking design to minimize potential vehicle collisions. As steel is highly durable and light in weight, consider using it as a materials for a sturdy foundation. Arrange the longitudinal columns and beam spacings in a way that they coincide with parking stall widths.

You may like this: Factors to consider, when designing a bicycle parking layout

Wrapping Up

In addition to considering factors mentioned in this post, make sure the parking lot has proper lighting system to enhance visibility and provide a sense of security to the users. It is also advisable to take into account local building code before finalizing the final blueprint of the car parking design. When planning a parking space for your commercial property, make sure you employ a professional car parking design services provider with record of implementing smart car parking system. Refer to their previous projects to ensure the credibility of their services.