1 PARKING STUDIES

Parking is a major urban land use, anyone who drives a car needs no introduction to the
difficulties of finding a parking space in areas which are intensively used for business,
commercial, or residential purposes. An area containing a central business district (CBD),
a regional or community shopping center, an industrial park, an airport, a civic center, or
a stadiums usually an area where extensive parking problems are found.

The parking problem becomes more pronounced as the size of the city increases. The
total number of spaces in the CBD increases with increasing city size.

Figure 9.1: A Typical Parking Lot

1.1 Types of Parking

1. On street or curb facilities

a) Unrestricted curb parking

b) Restricted curb parking

2. Off-street parking facilities

There are two basic types of off-street parking facilities:

a) Surface lots

b) Garages

Garages classified by general type, are considered:

b.1) above ground

b.2) under ground

b.3) Integral

Figure 9.2: Above Ground Parking

If garages, are classified by means of inter-floor travel they are considered:

 mechanical

 ramps

Off-street facilities, considered in terms of ownership, develop other classification, such

as:

1. privately owned and operated

 2. publicly owned and privately operated

3. publicly owned and operated

1.2 Geometric Design of Parking

1.2.1 On Street Parking or Curb Parking

The number of spaces increases as the angle of parking increases.

Parallel parking versus Angle parking:

- Angle parking interferes more severely with moving traffic than parallel parking
- An accident rates are higher for angle parking than for parallel parking

Angle parking is therefore recommended for local streets which are wide, have good
sight distance, and carry low traffic volumes.

The required geometric layout for buses, trucks and taxi depend on:

- On the basis of vehicle dimensions

- Operational characteristics of the vehicles

The following cases depict different angles of on-street/curb parking:

1. Parallel parking (zero angles)

L
6.6 m 6.6 m 6.6 m 6.6 m 6.6 m
Curb
2.4 m

5.4 m 5.4 m

Figure 9.3: Parallel Parking (Curb Parking)

2. Angle parking (30 degree)

L
0.84 m
5.1 m 5.1 m 5.1 m 5.1 m 5.1 m

Curb

4.92 m
°
30

5.4
m
5m

5m
2.5

2.5

3. Angle parking (45 degree)

L
2.01 m
3.6 m 3.6 m 3.6 m 3.6 m 3.6 m 3.6 m 3.6 m

Curb
45°
45°

5.2 m
5.
4
m

m
95

95
1.

1.
4. Angle parking (60 degree)

L
2.94 m 2.94 m 2.94 m 2.94 m 1.98 m
2.94 m 2.94 m 2.94 m 2.94 m

60 Curb
°

5.94 m
°
60
5.4
m

5m 5m
2.5 2.5

5. Angle parking (90 degree)

2.55 m 2.55 m 2.55 m 2.55 m

Curb
°
90
5.4 m
1.2.2 Off-street Surface Parking

Parking lots must be designed to achieve the following objectives:-

1. Provide maximum number of spaces.

2. Minimize travel discomfort while parking, un-parking, and driving within the lot.
3. Minimize interference of entrance and exit lanes with pedestrian and vehicle
movements external to the lot.

Various forms of parking stall layouts according (depending on) to the parking angle are
shown below.

Curb Width of
Parking Depth of Gross area Unit parking
length per Aisle per
angle stall per car ** depth
car (L) lane

m ft m ft m ft m2 ft2 m ft

0 6.7 22 2.4 8 3.65 12 28.61 308 8.53 28

30 5.18 17 4.99 16.4 3.65 12 35.37 380.8 13.65 44.8

45 3.65 12 5.70 18.7 3.65 12 27.53 296.4 15.05 49.4

60 2.98 9.8 6.03 19.8 3.65 12 24.63 265.1 16.49 54.1

90 2.59 8.5 5.48 18 3.65 12 23.69 255 18.28 60

**

The geometry for a typical parking lot may take the form of the design sketch depicted in
Figure 9.4.

Note:

Stall: is a known space (car lot) that is used to park a car.

Aisle: a passageway separating between parking lots

 L
2.55 m 2.55 m Curb

°
90
5.4 m
unit parking depth (upd)

width of aisle
18 m

7.2 m
stall

90
°
Curb
curb length/car curb length/car

Figure 9.4: A Design Sketch for a Typical Surface Parking