ADA Done Right - Accessible Parallel Parking
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers the requirements for accessible elements at Title II and Title III facilities. Title II is for State and local government facilities and Title III is for public accommodations and commercial facilities.
Parallel ADA Parking Space
Not covered in the 2010 ADA Standards is the requirement for municipal street parking. Also not specifically covered in the 2010 ADA Standards are the requirements for parallel parking at any facilities, similar to that shown on the right. Because parallel parking at a Title II or Title III is not broken out separately with an exception in the ADA Standards, then these installations must fully comply with all applicable requirements, including those for access aisles and for van spaces.
What you are seeing in the photo above is a parking space marked as accessible that can be driven into directly, or entered like parallel parking. This is for a store that has very limited parking so they installed this space along a vehicular path that runs adjacent to the business. See the photo below.
Accessible Parallel Parking?
Parallel parking at a Title II or Title III facility is not common. If it does exist, there is often additional parking that is not considered parallel parking. The ADA Standards require a percentage of parking spaces at a Title II and Title III facility to be accessible, but not a percentage of parallel parking if there is a combination of parallel and non-parallel parking.
However, any ADA accessible parking always has to meet the requirements within the ADA. This includes things like slope, width, signage, an accessible aisle, and a connection to an accessible route. But many municipalities have parallel parking that does not satisfy the rules found in the ADA. Technically these street parking spaces are not covered by the ADA, but they are probably covered by PROWAG, the most recent effort by the US Access Board to regulate street parking and routes for accessibility, which typically mirrors the principles of the ADA. What is missing in the parallel parking space above is the accessible aisle. That’s a big deal!
The photo below is another parallel parking space photo taken from an adjacent hotel. This installation is at a beach location in Florida. Again you can see the same problem, no accessible aisle adjacent to the parking space. In fact, the vehicle occupants have two terrible choices, exit the vehicle onto an active street or right into a 6 inch curb!
Parallel Parking at Beach Location with No Access Aisle
However, the city of Columbus, GA, has installed accessible municipal parallel parking as shown in the photo below.
Accessible Parallel Parking in Columbus, GA
This parallel parking space shown in the photo above is a great example of the ADA done right! Even though the ADA may not apply to municipal parking, the principles of the ADA are in full view at the accessible parallel parking shown above. Note the parking space, an accessible aisle away from the vehicular traffic lanes, and an accessible ramp up to the level of the sidewalk complete with a yellow detectable warning (photo below).
Municipal Parallel Parking Accessible Ramp and Detectable Warning
And a van-accessible parking sign with the International Symbol for Accessibility was installed on the far end of this space. See the photo below.
Van-Accessible Parking Signage for Parallel Parking
This was a huge effort that required the entire sidewalk to be removed and rebuilt to accommodate this accessible parking space, aisle, and ramp. See the photo below.
Accessible Parallel Parking in Columbus, GA
Congratulations to the city of Columbus, GA, for taking the initiative to install fully accessible municipal parallel parking!
[NOTE: In August 2023, the US Access Board issued its final rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). PROWAG has provisions for parallel parking. Please see the post at PROWAG]
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………