Every commercial parking lot in the United States must follow the accessibility guidelines and laws required for ADA compliance. These regulations help ensure that your parking lot remains safe and accessible for all your customers, and adhering to these is just as important as making sure your parking infrastructure is safe. Here are the key accessibility requirements for commercial parking spaces that businesses should know.
Accessible Space Locations
Location is one of the most important factors to keep in mind when accessible parking space planning. Businesses should feature accessible spaces closest to the entrance of the building or facility; this promotes a short and accessible route for patrons and guests with disabilities. The size of the parking lot will help determine how many accessible spaces your lot needs. For example, the front of your lot will need up to four accessible spaces if the entire lot fits 100 vehicles or fewer. When considering accessibility for automated and multi-parking systems, make sure you label accessibility routes and ramps that lead to your building from loading zones.
Access Aisles
Access aisles are crucial for ADA-compliant parking lots. These aisles help prevent other vehicles from blocking loading zones for accessibility vehicles. Wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility equipment require extra space to operate, which is why ADA-compliant spaces require aisles. Two accessible parking spaces can share an access aisle, as long as your parking lot spaces are straight and not angled. If a parking lot has angled spaces, the accessibility aisles should be beside each space on the vehicle’s passenger side. If your business uses multi-parking systems, your garage or facility must feature at least one accessible passenger loading zone at vehicle drop-off and pick-up areas.
Parking Space Size Requirements
Accessible parking spaces have specific size requirements based on the types of vehicles they will house. For example, van-accessible parking spaces must be larger or feature larger access aisles than standard accessible parking spaces. Standard car-accessible spaces must be at least 96 inches wide and have access aisles of 60 inches. Van-accessible spaces for wheelchairs and other equipment should be 132 inches wide with a standard 60-inch access aisle, or be 96 inches wide with a 96-inch access aisle. All types of ADA-compliant spaces must also feature the international symbol of accessibility.
Every parking lot in the United States should follow these accessibility requirements for commercial parking spaces to be compliant with ADA laws. If your business uses multi-parking systems and other automated facilities, you can apply these requirements to your loading zones and other facility features. Contact Harding Steel to learn more about automated parking.