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Parking Facility Design Process
The goal in designing off-street parking facilities is to maximize the number of spaces
provided, while allowing vehicles to park with only one distinct maneuver. It would be
nice to present a step-by-step procedure for reaching this goal, but it isnt that
simple. Parking lot design requires balancing a variety of concerns. For example, you
might decide on a nice layout for your parking lot, only to realize that you havent
provided any spaces for persons with disabilities. The next iteration would correct this
error, but might very well create another problem. You simply have to hammer out all of
the kinks, until you end up with a design that satisfies all of your criteria.
One way to start is to imagine that you are parking your own car in a lot. What
maneuvers would you need to make? Knowing that, what needs to be included in the design to
make sure all those maneuvers are possible? Use the following list of maneuvers to guide
your thinking.
- Vehicle enters from street (space provided by entry driveway).
- Vehicle searches for a parking stall (space provided by circulation and /or access
aisles).
- Vehicle enters the stall (space provided by the access aisle).
- Vehicle is parked (stall designed to accommodate the vehicles length and width
plus space to open vehicle doors).
- Pedestrians access the building or destination (usually via the aisles).
- Vehicle exits the parking stall (space provided by the access aisle).
- Vehicle searches for an exit (space provided by the access and circulation aisles).
- Vehicle enters the street network (space provided by the exit driveways).
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