ADA ComplianT Parking Lots & Entrances
Making Your Parking Lot ADA Compliant
Whether you are simply resurfacing or restriping an old parking lot or creating a new lot or entrance to your business, all business owners must be sure to address accessibility and Americans With Disabilities Act Compliance.
With the number of federal, state, and local rules governing accessibility, it is important to work with a contractor who knows what regulations your business must follow. At Smooth Paving, we have experience helping our clients meet ADA rules from the parking lot to the entrance to their facility.
We know the rules and will make sure we get you in compliance with them.
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Creating an Accessible Parking Lot
How Many Accessible Parking Spots Do You Need?
The minimum number of accessible parking spots you will need varies by the size of your parking lot.
Lots with 25 or fewer spots will need one accessible spot, and that goes up gradually until you get to lots with over 1,000 spots, which are required to have 20, plus one for each 100 over 1,000.
If your facility has more than one accessible entrance, the accessible parking spots should be dispersed among them. The space also should be located on the shortest accessible route to the entrance they serve.
Note: If you have more than one lot, the number of spaces that you need is calculated separately for each one.
What is Required of an Accessible Parking Space?
Size
There are two portions to every accessible parking space: the space itself and the access aisle.
Each space must be at least 8 feet wide. Each access aisle must be at least 5 feet wide, and the access aisle runs the full length of the parking space.
Two spaces can normally share the same access aisle. This is not true, however, if your lot uses angled parking spaces.
Pavement Markings
The parking space and the access aisle both must be marked, but the rules concerning how they should be painted vary by city and state.
Illinois, for instance, requires the access aisle be diagonally striped and painted with a high-quality yellow paint designed to be used on pavement.
Many lots paint the International Symbol of Accessibility that is seen on signage for accessible spaces on the space itself to clearly designate it.
Signage
Each accessible parking space must be identified with a sign that includes the International Symbol of Accessibility. The bottom of the sign must be at least 5 feet off the ground.
Some states and municipalities also have additional requirements for what appears on the signs.
Access to an Accessible Route
Each of the accessible aisles should connect directly to an accessible route to the building. If the parking space connects to a curb, each access aisle should have a ramp leading from it onto the sidewalk.
How are Van Spaces Different?
As mentioned earlier, one space for every six accessible spaces (or fraction of six) must be a van space. But what does that mean?
Each van space must be 3 feet wider than a standard accessible space. This allows more space for vehicles with ramps or lifts.
Where that space is added, however, varies. In some cases, the van parking spaces will simply be created 3 feet wider than normal. In other cases, the access aisle can be widened by 3 feet. This can save some space since two accessible spaces can share the same access aisle.
Van spaces also must be marked as such on the parking space’s signage.
Creating an ADA-compliant Route to Your Business
The parking lot is only step one when it comes to ADA compliance for the exterior of your business.
Next, you must create a route from those parking spaces to your building.
The ADA requires that an accessible route connect all facilities on a site. That route must be a clear path, no less than 3 feet in width, and it should be a solid enough surface (concrete and asphalt are two of the most common options).
Doing Ramps Right
Outside of parking spaces, ramps might be one of the first things people think of when it comes to ADA compliance.
Each ramp has specific requirements when it comes to not just width and slope but other aspects as well. That is why it is important to work with a concrete contractor well-versed in ADA compliance regulations in your area.
Curb Ramps
The first step in getting from the parking lot to your building in many cases will be a curb ramp. This is a ramp that is cut into the curb to transition from the parking lot up to a sidewalk.
If the parking spots abut the curb, these ramps will often be included at the end of each access aisle.
The width of the ramp must be at least 3 feet across. The slope parallel to the ramp must be no more than 8.33% to prevent the ramp from being too steep to easily use.
Beyond those two big ones, there are also rules governing the slope perpendicular to the direction of the ramp, the slope of the gutter and the transition points where the ramp meets both the gutter and the sidewalk.
Ramps Up to an Entrance
When it comes to ramps that take the place of stairs leading to a building’s entrance, some similar rules apply.
In both cases, the maximum slope is 8.33%. In both cases the slope should be uniform throughout the run. Each must be at least 3 feet wide.
Curb ramps, however, are usually short, whereas sometimes multiple runs will be needed for a ramp to traverse a section otherwise covered by stairs. Each run is limited to a 30-inch elevation change with level landings at the top and bottom.
If the rise is greater than six inches, a handrail is required, running roughly 3 feet off the ground.
Hire an Expert in ADA Compliant Concrete Work
At Smooth Paving, we are well-versed in regulations that your parking lot and walkways must meet for ADA Compliance. Contact us with any questions or to get an estimate.