First impressions matter. What’s outside your business is the first thing your customers notice. Seeing well-maintained grounds with a newly striped parking lot with clear pavement marking instills a sense of confidence that visitors and customers will have a positive experience in your place of business. If you neglect your parking lot and grounds, and people will begin to drive by without stopping.
Well-marked parking areas get your customers inside your business quickly. Your customers can find their way easily around the parking area when pavement marking is fresh and easy to see. When crosswalks, stop areas and no parking zones are clearly marked, traffic is efficiently routed so that your customers and suppliers can easily find pickup areas and loading zones.
Pavement Marking and Lot Design
The number of spaces in your parking lot limits the number of people inside your facility. Your goal as a property manager is to get as many cars as possible organized and on the lot. Proper use of pavement marking maximizes the amount of space available and makes the flow of traffic in and out of your parking lot more efficient.
Traffic Flow
Your parking lot is the last place you want congestion and confusion. It may not be a problem during slow periods but during busy times, it is important that your customers be able to enter and exit your lot without trouble. Highly visible pavement marking, arrows and handicapped accessible parking areas improve traffic flow and encourage customers to return. Poorly visible faded pavement marking not only makes traffic flow less efficient but also increases the risk of parking lot accidents.
Reserved Parking
Your customers deserve priority when it comes to parking. Give them first consideration when designing your parking lot striping and pavement-marking plan. Clearly designate areas for handicap parking, employee and vendor parking and reserve those much-needed upfront parking spots for your customers. They won’t shop when they can’t find a place to park.
ADA Compliance
As of March 2012, every commercial facility and public building is required to be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Your parking lot must have at least one ADA compliant handicapped parking spot for every 25 regular parking spaces. The act also stipulates every parking lot must have at least two spaces designated for lift-equipped vehicles. Many businesses now must repaint parking lot line striping, handicapped access aisles and ramps in order to be compliant. To learn more about this important topic please read our article on ADA compliance.
Parking Lot Layout
The primary goal for designing a parking lot is functionality. You want the most number of parking spaces designed in a way that is easy for drivers to navigate. Straight-line parking spaces offer some advantages. Straight 90° parking stalls are easier to paint, offer two-direction traffic and provide more parking spaces.
Many property owners now prefer angled parking stalls, 45° or higher, because they’re easier to turn into and require a narrower traffic lane between the rows. Angled parking lot striping creates a visually appealing herringbone pattern that many property owners prefer. The flow of traffic is better controlled with angled parking pavement marking but the design uses more space and permits fewer parking stalls.
If you’d like to improve the appearance and flow of traffic in your parking, call Parking Lot Services of Florida today for new markings using your blueprints or new pavement marking design to suit your needs. If you’re happy with your current design, PLS stands ready to repaint your existing parking lot striping.