Who designs parking lots now days? Some lots are just so poorly designed that people are cutting across spaces to get out, etc. These unnecessary curvy roads going into parking lots are annoying too (even more so when it rains). I often tell people that the hardest part of driving is in the Walmart Parking Lot. You have to constantly watch people. Anyone have any ideas for how to make a better parking lot.
Wal-Mart parking lots seem to have few barriers to people cutting across rows, other than the cart corrals scattered around the lots. Of course, the more such barriers, the fewer opportunities for pull-through parking spaces where you don't need to use reverse when leaving. Having to back out of spaces isn't the safest way to exit, either.
Wal-Mart may have it figured out and is applying a more or less consistent design for most or all their stores, though I agree you need to swivel your neck to watch for people ignoring the striping and coming at you from all directions. (That was a precaution I took going to a Wal-Mart this afternoon, though I'll concede that I was also one of the offenders in that lot as I spotted open spaces one row over from me.) But for other companies (especially smaller ones), YMMV.
Lots of factors come into play. I've done some parking lot designs where I work but ideally, you want to first try to fit as many spaces you can in the smallest area to meet the minimum parking requirement for the type of building being put in. Then you also have to worry about local ordinances setting requirements for space size, number of islands per bay of spaces, planted islands between bays, and other impervious regulations. Long ring roads may have to do with getting fire trucks throughout the entire site should there be a building or car fire.
As to dealing with constantly watching for inattentive people within a lot, that's why I typically park towards the back so there's more room to move around due to less cars, easier chance to find a space rather than going to the front of the store and constantly going up and down the aisles, and taking those back ring roads to bypass the front entrance with the slow-moving little old ladies from Upper Montclair constantly getting the right-of-way.
Quoteand taking those back ring roads to bypass the front entrance with the slow-moving little old ladies from Upper Montclair constantly getting the right-of-way.
That's key, I don't know why anybody would ever drive across the fire lane in front of Walmart on purpose during busy hours.
The problem with most parking lots is that they seemed designed to accommodate the Black Friday crowd, and not any of the other 364 days a year, at least at the big box stores.
The parking lot of the Wal-Mart in Lewisville, Texas was originally built without any barriers to prevent cross-lot driving. this lasted a few years, and unbelievably, they redid the lot to have islands separating every other row to stop this. I was impressed that a business actually did something to improve safety in their lot.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.046556,-97.013395&spn=0.001576,0.003098&t=h&z=19 (https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.046556,-97.013395&spn=0.001576,0.003098&t=h&z=19)
At the Target that I work at, parts of the lot are just too steep. Customers cannot let go of their carts when loading groceries into their vehicles, which is pretty stupid. Also, this posed a problem for cart attendants in two ways. Target's new carts are designed so that when they are put together, the back wheels are of the ground, and only the front swivel casters touch the grounds. This means that on slopes, the cart mover has to be pointed uphill when it is loaded. Also, when traversing a slope horizontally with a loaded cart mover, you cannot have more than 12 carts on it, because they will bow out downhill, and you won't be able to control them. The slopes were not a problem with the old-style carts.
Yes, parking lots are designed incredibly poorly, and I have yet to see one without a major traffic safety hazard.
Quote from: DandyDan on June 22, 2014, 04:38:04 PM
The problem with most parking lots is that they seemed designed to accommodate the Black Friday crowd, and not any of the other 364 days a year, at least at the big box stores.
That can also be said for the interior design of those big box stores as well.
Quote from: DandyDan on June 22, 2014, 04:38:04 PM
The problem with most parking lots is that they seemed designed to accommodate the Black Friday crowd, and not any of the other 364 days a year, at least at the big box stores.
That's not always the fault of the big box...usually they're abiding by the local design ordinances which dictate how much parking must be present (along with the %age of handicapped stalls required). The larger the lot, the more the store has to maintain (potholes, sealcoating, restriping, snow removal, etc.).
In a few cases I've seen, (when I was dumb enough to be out on Black Friday :banghead:), the lots weren't big enough for Black Friday crowds, yet
way more than adequate for the average shopping day.
Quote from: DaBigE on June 23, 2014, 01:51:05 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on June 22, 2014, 04:38:04 PM
The problem with most parking lots is that they seemed designed to accommodate the Black Friday crowd, and not any of the other 364 days a year, at least at the big box stores.
That's not always the fault of the big box...usually they're abiding by the local design ordinances which dictate how much parking must be present (along with the %age of handicapped stalls required). The larger the lot, the more the store has to maintain (potholes, sealcoating, restriping, snow removal, etc.).
In a few cases I've seen, (when I was dumb enough to be out on Black Friday :banghead:), the lots weren't big enough for Black Friday crowds, yet way more than adequate for the average shopping day.
I have no doubt they are following the local law, but the one thing I've noticed in those lots is that the farther you are from the door to the store, the more people seem to think they can just drive anywhere within the lot, without following the striping. If they made lots smaller, I think it would cut down a lot of safety issues.
Quote
I have no doubt they are following the local law, but the one thing I've noticed in those lots is that the farther you are from the door to the store, the more people seem to think they can just drive anywhere within the lot, without following the striping. If they made lots smaller, I think it would cut down a lot of safety issues.
Report to moderator
I had an idea on this. Divide the lot into two parts with a roadway. Part 1: everyday use. Part 2: Holiday Overflow. Gate off part 2 and only open it during holidays. The primary reason for this idea for me is to prevent carts from being taken into the far reaches of the lot un-nessessarliy.
there is a very good way to avoid getting into a troublesome situation at a Walmart parking lot ...
I wonder how much effort it would take to turn a parking lot into an agricultural field.
Especially if one doesn't have access to machinery.
If removed carefully, the pavement could be turned into a functional building material; ready-made asphalt bricks.
The aggregate underneath would need a LOT of organic material mixed into it. And breaking it up might be tough; that stuff is highly compacted before it gets paved over.
At least there would be good drainage so it would not flood very much. But it would probably dry out too easy. Best mix in some clay-rich sediment along with the organic stuff if possible.
If there are any light poles, those would be good perches for birds of prey so they can keep rabbits and mice in check.
Newer lots have retention ponds nearby; that would be good to catch rain water to use later for irrigation.
Seems like a lot of work, but in a pinch, it could be done.
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on June 24, 2014, 09:54:53 PM
I wonder how much effort it would take to turn a parking lot into an agricultural field.
Especially if one doesn't have access to machinery.
If removed carefully, the pavement could be turned into a functional building material; ready-made asphalt bricks.
The aggregate underneath would need a LOT of organic material mixed into it. And breaking it up might be tough; that stuff is highly compacted before it gets paved over.
At least there would be good drainage so it would not flood very much. But it would probably dry out too easy. Best mix in some clay-rich sediment along with the organic stuff if possible.
If there are any light poles, those would be good perches for birds of prey so they can keep rabbits and mice in check.
Newer lots have retention ponds nearby; that would be good to catch rain water to use later for irrigation.
Seems like a lot of work, but in a pinch, it could be done.
This inspired me to crack open
Big Box Reuse, an underexplored volume in my collection, which has lots to say about large commercial properties but nothing about wholesale removal of parking lots.
Would you keep the building?
How would you address the effect of years of motor fluid seeping in?
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 24, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
there is a very good way to avoid getting into a troublesome situation at a Walmart parking lot ...
...don't shop at Walmart?
Quote from: wphiii on June 24, 2014, 11:07:28 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 24, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
there is a very good way to avoid getting into a troublesome situation at a Walmart parking lot ...
...don't shop at Walmart?
That works for me! FCK WM and the Chinese crap they sell! FCK WM for the way they treat their employess! There are too many mom & pop stores that actually appreciate my business to go to WM. BUY AMERICAN!
Quote from: allniter89 on June 25, 2014, 01:25:53 AM
Quote from: wphiii on June 24, 2014, 11:07:28 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 24, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
there is a very good way to avoid getting into a troublesome situation at a Walmart parking lot ...
...don't shop at Walmart?
That works for me! FCK WM and the Chinese crap they sell! FCK WM for the way they treat their employess! There are too many mom & pop stores that actually appreciate my business to go to WM. BUY AMERICAN!
GEORGE BUSH! GUNS! BEER! IMPEACH OBAMA!
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FvOg6HfT.gif&hash=7b4574fbe801923d7957e6a6712fdc20ecc03d92)
A lot of times the massive parking lot is dictated by the maximum occupancy of the building it is attached to. For example a Walmart may be able to hold a max of 800 people, that would dictate maybe 650 spots, if not more. Even if average occupancy is 200 people, they still have to build for the exception.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on June 25, 2014, 05:52:00 AM
A lot of times the massive parking lot is dictated by the maximum occupancy of the building it is attached to. For example a Walmart may be able to hold a max of 800 people, that would dictate maybe 650 spots, if not more. Even if average occupancy is 200 people, they still have to build for the exception.
It's dictated by local land-use regulations, generally relating to a ratio of so many parking spaces per so many square feet of store.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 25, 2014, 08:06:57 AM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on June 25, 2014, 05:52:00 AM
A lot of times the massive parking lot is dictated by the maximum occupancy of the building it is attached to. For example a Walmart may be able to hold a max of 800 people, that would dictate maybe 650 spots, if not more. Even if average occupancy is 200 people, they still have to build for the exception.
It's dictated by local land-use regulations, generally relating to a ratio of so many parking spaces per so many square feet of store.
It can vary, but in NJ, generally it's 5 parking spots per 1,000 sq ft of building space. So a 200,000 sq ft Walmart would have about 1,000 parking spots. And based on that, you would get the minimum number of handicap spots needed as well.
I found this website for one of NJ's towns - scroll down and you can see all the various parking spot requirements based on the type of business: http://ecode360.com/13493205
In cities & urban areas the requirement would be much less.
I'm so glad Seattle is getting rid of their parking lots and replacing them with new skyscrapers. Parking lots are fine in car-dependent areas, but not butting up against tall buildings in the middle of dense downtowns.
Quote from: Bruce on June 25, 2014, 09:23:58 PM
I'm so glad Seattle is getting rid of their parking lots and replacing them with new skyscrapers. Parking lots are fine in car-dependent areas, but not butting up against tall buildings in the middle of dense downtowns.
Yeah, the huge swath of surface parking on the western side of downtown Cleveland continues to pain me.
Quote from: Brian556 on June 22, 2014, 09:51:13 PM
The parking lot of the Wal-Mart in Lewisville, Texas was originally built without any barriers to prevent cross-lot driving. this lasted a few years, and unbelievably, they redid the lot to have islands separating every other row to stop this. I was impressed that a business actually did something to improve safety in their lot.
Businesses are extra reluctant to do this in northern states, because it makes removing snow a lot more difficult.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on June 24, 2014, 11:06:38 PM
Would you keep the building?
How would you address the effect of years of motor fluid seeping in?
I'm assuming the parking lot is all that survived.
Oil, antifreeze, gasoline, various other greases and fluids... Hmm.
I can only hope the porous gravel underneath will allow it to be diluted and washed away by infiltrating water once the pavement is removed.
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F758EuyP.png&hash=c5487c195deffab24835e3ae8cd2a92e5d704a0f)
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
The other Walmart in Puyallup, WA doesn't have the special scheme. It has all yellow paint (http://goo.gl/zmgAn7). Perhaps it's just the newer Walmarts. The first Puyallup location I posted was built in 2006, versus the mid 90s for the latter.
Quote from: getemngo on June 26, 2014, 01:28:35 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on June 22, 2014, 09:51:13 PM
The parking lot of the Wal-Mart in Lewisville, Texas was originally built without any barriers to prevent cross-lot driving. this lasted a few years, and unbelievably, they redid the lot to have islands separating every other row to stop this. I was impressed that a business actually did something to improve safety in their lot.
Businesses are extra reluctant to do this in northern states, because it makes removing snow a lot more difficult.
If I'm cutting across a parking lot, it's because it was poorly designed in other ways (like putting the access road in an illogical spot). Personally, I don't like barriers in parking lots because they are often also placed in illogical spots.
iPhone
Quote from: allniter89 on June 25, 2014, 01:25:53 AM
Quote from: wphiii on June 24, 2014, 11:07:28 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 24, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
there is a very good way to avoid getting into a troublesome situation at a Walmart parking lot ...
...don't shop at Walmart?
That works for me! FCK WM and the Chinese crap they sell! FCK WM for the way they treat their employess! There are too many mom & pop stores that actually appreciate my business to go to WM. BUY AMERICAN!
what can you buy at the mom and pop store that's not made outside the US? (besides food)
Quote from: wphiii on June 24, 2014, 11:07:28 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 24, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
there is a very good way to avoid getting into a troublesome situation at a Walmart parking lot ...
...don't shop at Walmart?
Uh, try jumping over Walmart, Kmart, and land on Target! :D
Quote from: jake on July 10, 2014, 11:30:33 PM
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
The other Walmart in Puyallup, WA doesn't have the special scheme. It has all yellow paint (http://goo.gl/zmgAn7). Perhaps it's just the newer Walmarts. The first Puyallup location I posted was built in 2006, versus the mid 90s for the latter.
Notice the large number of cars in the white striped lot between the WalMart and the Home Depot?
Quote from: realjd on July 22, 2014, 06:10:34 PM
Quote from: jake on July 10, 2014, 11:30:33 PM
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
The other Walmart in Puyallup, WA doesn't have the special scheme. It has all yellow paint (http://goo.gl/zmgAn7). Perhaps it's just the newer Walmarts. The first Puyallup location I posted was built in 2006, versus the mid 90s for the latter.
Notice the large number of cars in the white striped lot between the WalMart and the Home Depot?
Apparently I'm blind.
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
Quote from: jake on July 10, 2014, 11:30:33 PM
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
The other Walmart in Puyallup, WA doesn't have the special scheme. It has all yellow paint (http://goo.gl/zmgAn7). Perhaps it's just the newer Walmarts. The first Puyallup location I posted was built in 2006, versus the mid 90s for the latter.
Notice the large number of cars in the white striped lot between the WalMart and the Home Depot?
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
It's hard to tell but for Fallon it looks like most of the lot is striped yellow while the side lot and the spaces across the driveway (far N end of the lot) are white.
Some parking lots are 50% handicap spaces , like one at a gas station near Harrisburg , PA.
Quote from: PenguinXL2 on July 25, 2014, 01:19:13 PM
Some parking lots are 50% handicap spaces , like one at a gas station near Harrisburg , PA.
That's a great start, but could you be a
little bit more specific? Harrisburg is a pretty big city.
Quote from: realjd on July 22, 2014, 06:13:53 PM
Quote from: roadfro on July 10, 2014, 09:40:39 PM
Quote from: jake on June 29, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: realjd on June 24, 2014, 10:37:00 PM
Random fact: Walmart typically has a portion of the parking lot toward the back where they stripe the spaces using opposite color paint (e.g. yellow striping when most of the spots are white). That's where the employees are forced to park. Source: a friend worked for Walmart in college.
It's true...Wal-Mart near Puyallup, Wash:
It's not universal...
- Walmart in Reno, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/q6nOS)
- Walmart in Sparks, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YKKEL)
- Walmart in Fallon, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/EZGss)
- Walmart & Sam's Club in Las Vegas, NV: GMSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YNRH2)
- etc.
It's hard to tell but for Fallon it looks like most of the lot is striped yellow while the side lot and the spaces across the driveway (far N end of the lot) are white.
I didn't look to closely at that one and just thought the main lot lines were well worn. Looking again, maybe they are yellow and were the result of a repainting in the main lot. Even if the distant spaces are a different color, the employee parking restriction does not appear to apply here...
When you look at the Reno example, there is a lot on the south side of the store. From personal observation (this is the Walmart closest to where I live), most of the employees park over there--there's also a side lot on the north end by the garden center side where some of them park also.
Easiest way to avoid parking lots? The Internet is your friend. :nod:
Quote from: xcellntbuy on July 26, 2014, 06:25:33 PM
Easiest way to avoid parking lots? The Internet is your friend. :nod:
who needs roads when you can look at pictures of them on Google Earth
I would have thought that the differently colored spaces in Walmart lots are where they prefer overnighters park as a matter of courtesy, but Walmart never publicized anything to confirm this.
Is there a side or rear lot where employees are permitted to park? Only 16 vehicles are parked in the white spaces; even generously assuming that everyone parked in a white space is an employee there doesn't seem to be enough cars parked for the number of employees likely in the store at that time.
Walmart in Winterville, NC does this too.
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
(https://preview.ibb.co/i5ckKx/walmart_winterville.png) (https://ibb.co/hBb1sH)
^^ I think the white stripes are for employee parking.
Parking lots? Ok, here you go.
(https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1390837/thumbs/o-405-FREEWAY-570.jpg?1)
oh wait...
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 08, 2018, 05:15:06 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Is that a new requirement or an NJ-thing? I have definitely seen more than a few handicap stalls with blue striping, but they pale in comparison to the number of stalls with white striping.
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
Walmart in Winterville, NC does this too.
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Many stores use a different color line to denote employee parking. Some stores put stripes on light poles, and employees have to park beyond those marked poles.
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
(https://preview.ibb.co/i5ckKx/walmart_winterville.png) (https://ibb.co/hBb1sH)
And this to me seems like terrible traffic planning: Why intentionally funnel nearly all entering traffic directly to the point where pedestrians need to cross to enter the store?
Wouldn't it make more sense to direct traffic in a different way to reduce the vehicle/pedestrian conflict?
Quote from: briantroutman on April 09, 2018, 09:46:42 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
https://preview.ibb.co/i5ckKx/walmart_winterville.png
And this to me seems like terrible traffic planning: Why intentionally funnel nearly all entering traffic directly to the point where pedestrians need to cross to enter the store?
Wouldn't it make more sense to direct traffic in a different way to reduce the vehicle/pedestrian conflict?
Poor planning in general. There are several default layouts for Walmarts, and I would guess this design was chosen before pedestrian and vehicle conflicts were considered. The easiest way to rectify the situation would be to place the entrance to the parking lot somewhere other than where it is, but that's a lot easier said than done. And I also suspect that the access location as-is was chosen perhaps by the city, and not Walmart.
Quote from: SSOWorld on April 08, 2018, 04:58:54 PM
Parking lots? Ok, here you go.
(https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1390837/thumbs/o-405-FREEWAY-570.jpg?1)
oh wait...
:rofl:
Quote from: briantroutman on April 09, 2018, 09:46:42 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
(https://preview.ibb.co/i5ckKx/walmart_winterville.png) (https://ibb.co/hBb1sH)
And this to me seems like terrible traffic planning: Why intentionally funnel nearly all entering traffic directly to the point where pedestrians need to cross to enter the store?
Wouldn't it make more sense to direct traffic in a different way to reduce the vehicle/pedestrian conflict?
Tracked it down on Google:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5665864,-77.3575697,313m/data=!3m1!1e3
(Corner of E Arlington Blvd and E Fire Tower Rd, on the SSE outskirts of Greenville NC)
1. That's a Walmart
Neighborhood Market, not a Supercenter, and what you see in the photo is the
entire parking lot.
2. The main entrance is from E Arlington Blvd, from the right (upper right corner of the photo). Traffic from E Fire Tower Rd comes in from the bottom left; presumably, most people would take the
first entrance into the lot, just beyond the bottom of the photo.
[I assume Dustin DeWinn zoomed in that far just to show the line colors, and a couple of people then misread the traffic-planning situation.]
Quote from: GenExpwy on April 10, 2018, 02:44:36 AM
Quote from: briantroutman on April 09, 2018, 09:46:42 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
(https://preview.ibb.co/i5ckKx/walmart_winterville.png) (https://ibb.co/hBb1sH)
And this to me seems like terrible traffic planning: Why intentionally funnel nearly all entering traffic directly to the point where pedestrians need to cross to enter the store?
Wouldn't it make more sense to direct traffic in a different way to reduce the vehicle/pedestrian conflict?
Tracked it down on Google:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5665864,-77.3575697,313m/data=!3m1!1e3
(Corner of E Arlington Blvd and E Fire Tower Rd, on the SSE outskirts of Greenville NC)
1. That's a Walmart Neighborhood Market, not a Supercenter, and what you see in the photo is the entire parking lot.
2. The main entrance is from E Arlington Blvd, from the right (upper right corner of the photo). Traffic from E Fire Tower Rd comes in from the bottom left; presumably, most people would take the first entrance into the lot, just beyond the bottom of the photo.
[I assume Dustin DeWinn zoomed in that far just to show the line colors, and a couple of people then misread the traffic-planning situation.]
Correct. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to mislead anyone. My question was about the colors and ended up causing more confusion (than necessary).
Quote from: jakeroot on April 09, 2018, 08:46:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 08, 2018, 05:15:06 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Is that a new requirement or an NJ-thing? I have definitely seen more than a few handicap stalls with blue striping, but they pale in comparison to the number of stalls with white striping.
So I decided to look it up. The MUTCD does state that blue shall be used for persons with disabilities...however that appears to be on the actual road, or alongside travel lanes (ie: parallel parking spots). Parking lots themselves are supposed to follow the MUTCD, and the planning boards will probably require such design, but are otherwise undefined.
That all said, blue is the universal color for handicap spots. For regular parking spots, white and yellow are almost always used. I can't find any definition as to why some parking lots lines are yellow, some are white, and some have a mixture. I have seen cases where smaller spots are a different color than larger spots (ie: https://goo.gl/maps/1Kc7KzkKzMQ2 . In another Walmart example: https://goo.gl/maps/3jdJZrKqVu42 , there's a limited number of yellow spots vs. white spots, they're the same size, and the line color for the other stores is white as well. As you can see, no one is parked in them, and it'll be unreasonable to ask employees to park so far away.
Quote from: jakeroot on April 09, 2018, 10:26:36 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on April 09, 2018, 09:46:42 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
https://preview.ibb.co/i5ckKx/walmart_winterville.png
And this to me seems like terrible traffic planning: Why intentionally funnel nearly all entering traffic directly to the point where pedestrians need to cross to enter the store?
Wouldn't it make more sense to direct traffic in a different way to reduce the vehicle/pedestrian conflict?
Poor planning in general. There are several default layouts for Walmarts, and I would guess this design was chosen before pedestrian and vehicle conflicts were considered. The easiest way to rectify the situation would be to place the entrance to the parking lot somewhere other than where it is, but that's a lot easier said than done. And I also suspect that the access location as-is was chosen perhaps by the city, and not Walmart.
I think this is usually what happens. Access needs to be a certain distance away from existing intersections and other features. Most parking lots I'm familiar with try to keep access - at least the main access point - away from the front of the store. Sometimes it's not feasible though.
I like the size of the Disney World parking lots. Literally acres of asphalt.
Quote from: SSOWorld on April 08, 2018, 04:58:54 PM
Parking lots? Ok, here you go.
(https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1390837/thumbs/o-405-FREEWAY-570.jpg?1)
oh wait...
Looks like Piney Forest Road (US-29 Business) in Danville, except we have a suicide lane from hell, which makes it twice the fun. :ded:
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 10, 2018, 12:10:24 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on April 09, 2018, 08:46:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 08, 2018, 05:15:06 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Is that a new requirement or an NJ-thing? I have definitely seen more than a few handicap stalls with blue striping, but they pale in comparison to the number of stalls with white striping.
So I decided to look it up. The MUTCD does state that blue shall be used for persons with disabilities...however that appears to be on the actual road, or alongside travel lanes (ie: parallel parking spots). Parking lots themselves are supposed to follow the MUTCD, and the planning boards will probably require such design, but are otherwise undefined.
That all said, blue is the universal color for handicap spots. For regular parking spots, white and yellow are almost always used. I can't find any definition as to why some parking lots lines are yellow, some are white, and some have a mixture. I have seen cases where smaller spots are a different color than larger spots (ie: https://goo.gl/maps/1Kc7KzkKzMQ2 . In another Walmart example: https://goo.gl/maps/3jdJZrKqVu42 , there's a limited number of yellow spots vs. white spots, they're the same size, and the line color for the other stores is white as well. As you can see, no one is parked in them, and it'll be unreasonable to ask employees to park so far away.
All handicap stalls on the road that I've seen (not too common in Seattle, it seems) have had blue striping, so that makes sense.
I think the popularity of yellow striping has to do with this common misconception among non-road-enthusiasts that yellow is the most visible color when applied to pavement (or at least the color with most contrast). AFAIK, white is actually the best color because it's the most reflective.
Quote from: jakeroot on April 11, 2018, 04:25:41 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 10, 2018, 12:10:24 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on April 09, 2018, 08:46:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 08, 2018, 05:15:06 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Is that a new requirement or an NJ-thing? I have definitely seen more than a few handicap stalls with blue striping, but they pale in comparison to the number of stalls with white striping.
So I decided to look it up. The MUTCD does state that blue shall be used for persons with disabilities...however that appears to be on the actual road, or alongside travel lanes (ie: parallel parking spots). Parking lots themselves are supposed to follow the MUTCD, and the planning boards will probably require such design, but are otherwise undefined.
That all said, blue is the universal color for handicap spots. For regular parking spots, white and yellow are almost always used. I can't find any definition as to why some parking lots lines are yellow, some are white, and some have a mixture. I have seen cases where smaller spots are a different color than larger spots (ie: https://goo.gl/maps/1Kc7KzkKzMQ2 . In another Walmart example: https://goo.gl/maps/3jdJZrKqVu42 , there's a limited number of yellow spots vs. white spots, they're the same size, and the line color for the other stores is white as well. As you can see, no one is parked in them, and it'll be unreasonable to ask employees to park so far away.
All handicap stalls on the road that I've seen (not too common in Seattle, it seems) have had blue striping, so that makes sense.
I think the popularity of yellow striping has to do with this common misconception among non-road-enthusiasts that yellow is the most visible color when applied to pavement (or at least the color with most contrast). AFAIK, white is actually the best color because it's the most reflective.
"Most visible" depends on a lot of factors...pavement material, pavement age, and the type of marking material. Most parking lots (at least of those I've seen) are not painted with reflective paint. Black and yellow has the best contrast according to the studies I've seen. But, that also depends on the age of the asphalt and whether or not it gets resealed on a regular basis. If the parking lot happens to be concrete, yellow has the best contrast.
At one time I had heard yellow paint could be placed faster (white tended to be absorbed more by the asphalt, so you had to wait longer for the asphalt to harden). Not sure how true that rumor was.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on April 11, 2018, 12:10:00 AM
I like the size of the Disney World parking lots. Literally acres of asphalt.
Multi-acre parking lots aren't especially rare, though. This relatively normal-looking one outside Chicago is about 5:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8725029,-87.9623283,386m/data=!3m1!1e3
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 11, 2018, 08:41:44 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on April 11, 2018, 12:10:00 AM
I like the size of the Disney World parking lots. Literally acres of asphalt.
Multi-acre parking lots aren't especially rare, though. This relatively normal-looking one outside Chicago is about 5:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8725029,-87.9623283,386m/data=!3m1!1e3
Sure but not multiple multi-acre parking lots that service millions of cars a year.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 10, 2018, 12:10:24 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on April 09, 2018, 08:46:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 08, 2018, 05:15:06 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Is that a new requirement or an NJ-thing? I have definitely seen more than a few handicap stalls with blue striping, but they pale in comparison to the number of stalls with white striping.
So I decided to look it up. The MUTCD does state that blue shall be used for persons with disabilities...however that appears to be on the actual road, or alongside travel lanes (ie: parallel parking spots). Parking lots themselves are supposed to follow the MUTCD, and the planning boards will probably require such design, but are otherwise undefined.
That all said, blue is the universal color for handicap spots. For regular parking spots, white and yellow are almost always used. I can't find any definition as to why some parking lots lines are yellow, some are white, and some have a mixture. I have seen cases where smaller spots are a different color than larger spots (ie: https://goo.gl/maps/1Kc7KzkKzMQ2 . In another Walmart example: https://goo.gl/maps/3jdJZrKqVu42 , there's a limited number of yellow spots vs. white spots, they're the same size, and the line color for the other stores is white as well. As you can see, no one is parked in them, and it'll be unreasonable to ask employees to park so far away.
Technically, according to the MUTCD, all parking space markings are supposed to be white.
Blue *may* be used to supplement white markings for ADA parking spaces, and is to be used in the accessibility symbol of an ADA parking space. This is the only approved use of the blue pavement marking color in the MUTCD (an allowance is made for blue and other colors where colored route shields are used on pavement).
Quote from: roadfro on April 15, 2018, 08:48:10 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 10, 2018, 12:10:24 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on April 09, 2018, 08:46:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 08, 2018, 05:15:06 PM
Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on April 08, 2018, 03:49:25 PM
What do the different colors signify? On a highway the striping has very clear meaning (one or two directional) but what does it mean for parking lots?
Technically, there is no required colors for parking spaces. Not even blue is required for handicap spots. The only requirement is that handicapped parking lines have to be a different color than the rest of the lines.
Is that a new requirement or an NJ-thing? I have definitely seen more than a few handicap stalls with blue striping, but they pale in comparison to the number of stalls with white striping.
So I decided to look it up. The MUTCD does state that blue shall be used for persons with disabilities...however that appears to be on the actual road, or alongside travel lanes (ie: parallel parking spots). Parking lots themselves are supposed to follow the MUTCD, and the planning boards will probably require such design, but are otherwise undefined.
That all said, blue is the universal color for handicap spots. For regular parking spots, white and yellow are almost always used. I can't find any definition as to why some parking lots lines are yellow, some are white, and some have a mixture. I have seen cases where smaller spots are a different color than larger spots (ie: https://goo.gl/maps/1Kc7KzkKzMQ2 . In another Walmart example: https://goo.gl/maps/3jdJZrKqVu42 , there's a limited number of yellow spots vs. white spots, they're the same size, and the line color for the other stores is white as well. As you can see, no one is parked in them, and it'll be unreasonable to ask employees to park so far away.
Technically, according to the MUTCD, all parking space markings are supposed to be white.
Blue *may* be used to supplement white markings for ADA parking spaces, and is to be used in the accessibility symbol of an ADA parking space. This is the only approved use of the blue pavement marking color in the MUTCD (an allowance is made for blue and other colors where colored route shields are used on pavement).
The MUTCD states white lines are to be used to mark parking spots...on roads. The MUTCD doesn't specify parking lots colors.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on April 12, 2018, 12:17:46 AM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 11, 2018, 08:41:44 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on April 11, 2018, 12:10:00 AM
I like the size of the Disney World parking lots. Literally acres of asphalt.
Multi-acre parking lots aren't especially rare, though. This relatively normal-looking one outside Chicago is about 5:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8725029,-87.9623283,386m/data=!3m1!1e3
Sure but not multiple multi-acre parking lots that service millions of cars a year.
Probably a better one: Six Flags in north suburban Gurnee https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3717638,-87.9376211,709m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1 (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3717638,-87.9376211,709m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1)
Comiskey Park (NOT G-RATE): https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8286912,-87.6333172,1597m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1 (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8286912,-87.6333172,1597m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1)