What's Wrong with This Photo - ADA Parking in Cody Wyoming
Recently on a road trip through Montana and Wyoming I found examples of non-compliant Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) parking for individuals living with a disability. Please look at the photo below. What you are looking at is a parking area at a hotel and retail store in Cody, Wyoming. Note that there are two “ADA” parking spaces. In other words, parking spaces that are intended to be accessible. The retail store is in the background. The hotel is behind the camera. What’s wrong?
HINT: A lot!
ADA Parking Area in Cody Wyoming
For starters, where are the access aisles? Neither of the two parking spaces intended to be accessible has a marked access aisle that is at least 5 feet wide for the full length of the parking space. Every accessible parking space should have an access aisle. 2010 ADA Standard 502.2, [Parking Spaces] Vehicle Spaces, states, “Car parking spaces shall be 96 inches (2440 mm) wide minimum and van parking spaces shall be 132 inches (3350 mm) wide minimum, shall be marked to define the width, and shall have an adjacent access aisle complying with [Standard] 502.3.” The diagram below is representative of an ADA access aisle and an accessible parking space.
ADA Compliant Accessible Parking Space and Access Aisle
So having a 5 feet wide access aisle that runs the full length of the accessible parking space, for every accessible parking space, is not an option. It’s required.
2010 ADA Standard 502.3, Access Aisle, states, “Access aisles serving parking spaces shall comply with [Standard] 502.3. Access aisles shall adjoin an accessible route. Two parking spaces shall be permitted to share a common access aisle.”
Cody WY ADA Parking Signage Too Short
And what’s going on with that signage for the ADA parking spaces? The space closest to the camera does not have a sign, and the other space has a very short sign [yellow arrow] standing about 30 inches above the level of the parking surface to the bottom of the sign. See the photo on the left.
ADA Parking Signage Graphic
2010 ADA Standard 502.6, [Parking] Identification, states, “Parking space identification signs shall include the International Symbol of Accessibility complying with [Standard] 703.7.2.1. Signs identifying van parking spaces shall contain the designation “van accessible.” Signs shall be 60 inches (1525 mm) minimum above the finish floor or ground surface measured to the bottom of the sign.” The graphic on the right is representative. And each accessible parking space should have its own sign. Two ADA parking spaces should not share a vertical sign.
Also, neither one of these two parking spaces intended to be accessible is designed, installed, or marked as van accessible. At least one should be van accessible.
Finally, these signs are not at the shortest distance to the front public entrance of the store. See the photo below. There are 4 parking spaces in front of the store, but none are designed or installed as ADA compliant.
Commercial Store Parking in Cody, WY, but no ADA Parking