ADA Parking Lot Violations
When the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990, one of its sections required that most businesses remove barriers that might prevent handicapped individuals from accessing their buildings. The law covered aspects such as dedicated accessible parking, accessible routes into the building and potential fines for failure to comply with the ADA. The law was modified in 2010 and became immediately effective for new construction, but existing parking lots were “grandfathered in” if they met the previous standards. However, alterations — including parking lot striping — performed after March 2012 must be handled so that the lot completely complies with the new standards. Many businesses have been confused over the changes and are in violation of the ADA without knowing it. Since you cannot correct a violation without first identifying it, the following tips may help you determine whether your parking lot complies with the latest ADA standards.
ADA Parking Lot Violations – How Many Handicapped Spaces Are Required?
The minimum handicapped-accessible stalls is based on the total number of parking stalls available in the parking lot, but there must always be at least one handicapped space. To illustrate, if you have two parking spaces, you need one accessible space, but if you have 1,000 spaces, you need to reserve at least 20 spaces for handicapped parking. Certain health care facilities are required to provide more accessible spaces than other businesses. For example, outpatient physical therapy facilities must make 20 percent of all of the lot’s spaces for visitors and patients accessible spaces.
ADA Parking Lot Violations – Is It Necessary to Have Spaces for Vans?
The ADA states that there must be at least one space that is van-accessible, so if you have only one handicapped space, it will need to be van-accessible. The new standards require that out of every six handicapped spaces, at least one must be van-accessible. If the number is not evenly divisible by six, you should increase the number of van-accessible spaces by one. Therefore, if you are required to provide six accessible spaces, one of them will need to be van-accessible, but if you are required to have seven handicapped spaces, you will need two van-accessible spaces.
ADA Parking Lot Violations – What Are Access Aisles?
Access aisles are the clearances on either side of a handicapped space. Access aisles for cars must be a minimum of 60 inches wide. If a van-accessible space is 96 inches wide, the access aisle adjacent to it has to be 96 inches in width, but if the space is 11 feet wide, the access aisle can be reduced to a width of 60 inches.
ADA Parking Lot Violations – What Is an Access Route?
An access route is the path from the accessible space to your door. No barriers should be present along the route, including parked vehicles, shrubbery, trash cans or other obstructions. If there are curbs along the path, curb ramps must be present that conform to the ADA specifications. The access route must follow the shortest and most direct path possible.
Other Considerations
The ADA also covers a variety of other topics, many of which are rather complex. For example, the ADA specifies how much slope is permitted on the various surfaces traveled when following the access route, the appropriate pavement markings, the signage to be used and the location of accessible spaces. Therefore, if you are planning to stripe your parking lot, it is best to engage a reputable contractor with in-depth knowledge of what the ADA requires for compliance.
Affordable Striping & Sealing is a Las Vegas asphalt and striping company that specializes in parking lot maintenance. We have the knowledge, experience, skills and equipment needed to deliver superior work at affordable prices. In addition to parking lot striping, we offer sealcoating, curb painting, crack filling, traffic signs, bumper blocks and road markings. You can use the online form to request your free quote or call us at (702) 222-9009.
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