(Updated – June 2020) — If you’re planning to stripe or re-stripe your commercial parking lot, make sure you know all the requirements for accessible parking spaces needed to comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Compliance for these standards is federally required for businesses and public entities when it is readily achievable to do so and failure to comply can result in costly fines or potential lawsuits. Because the ADA considers striping or re-striping to be “relatively inexpensive,” compliance is considered readily achievable in most cases. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued updated regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2010 which outline minimum accessibility requirements for buildings and facilities.
Below is a summary of Title III section of ADA that addresses specifics of accessible parking spaces you are required to provide required.
Number of Parking Spaces
When a business re-stripes spaces in a parking lot or structure, it must provide accessible parking spaces to comply with the 2010 ADA standards for Accessible Design. Certain types of medical facilities need more accessible parking.
- Hospital outpatient facilities need 10% of patient/visitor spaces to be accessible.
- Rehabilitation facilities that specialize in treating mobility-related conditions and outpatient physical therapy facilities need 20% of patient/visitor spaces to be accessible.
The number of disabled parking spaces the ADA requires depends on the number of parking spaces in your parking lot or garage. The required number of accessible parking spaces must be calculated separately for each parking facility and one of six, (and at least one) must be van accessible. (See chart below.)
Location
Accessible parking spaces should be those closest to your business’s entrance. If the spaces closest to the entrance are sloped or have a difficult terrain, choose the closest level area. If your building has multiple accessible entrances with adjacent parking, your accessible parking spaces must be dispersed and located closest to all the accessible entrances. The route to the entrance should have no steps or steep surfaces and be stable, firm and slip resistant.
Parking Space Dimensions
Accessible parking spaces must be 96 inches wide, marked to define the width and have a maximum slope in all directions of 1:48. They must also have additional space available to the right or left that serves as an access aisle. For cars, the access aisle must be at least 5 feet wide and be as long as the parking space itself. Width measurements for lines marking accessible parking lots and access aisles are to center lines, except for the end space which may include the full width of the line.
Spaces for Vans
One of six accessible parking spaces, but always at least one, must be van-accessible. Van parking space must be 132 inches wide minimum with an adjacent 60-inch wide minimum access aisle. Access aisles may be located on either side of the parking space except for angled van parking spaces which must have access aisles located on the passenger side of the parking spaces. There should be a vertical clearance of at least 98 inches for the van parking space, access aisle, and vehicular route to and from the van-accessible space.
Signage
Signs with the international symbol of accessibility must be posted on all accessible parking spaces. They should be at least 60 inches above the surface and be visible from the drivers’ seat of the vehicle and located right in view of parking spaces. Van-accessible parking spaces must have additional ‘text’ or ‘sign’ below the accessibility symbol to mark that it is the van-accessible.
Assessing Your Accessible Parking Requirements
Whether you evaluate your accessible parking space requirements on your own or with a certified inspector, it’s important to consult with a reputable commercial asphalt contractor to review the ADA areas that need to be addressed before you proceed with constructing, striping or re-striping your lot. At Johnson and Sons Paving, our Civil Engineer will review your ADA requirements, then we’ll give you a recommendation that includes signage, parking space requirements, islands and traffic flow.
For a no obligation assessment of your ADA Title III compliance, contact us or call us at (262) 251-5585.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above is only a summary of ADA Title III requirements. For more information, visit:
ADA COMPLIANCE BRIEF: Restriping Parking Spaces