Parking Lot Planter Strip Sizing

[cher122976]

Is there any criteria for sizing planter strips at the ends of parking isles? We are designing a parking lot and have limited room and want to minimize them as much as possible.

 

[dik]

Can you eliminate them completely?

Dik

 

[cher122976]

That's what I am thinking. It's a gravel parking lot and they are not really needed if not used for plantings. I have seen railroad ties put at ends of rows but dont really understand the usefulness of them.

 

[dik]

Pre-cast concrete curbs?

Dik

 

[gbam]

My only thought would be for use as delineators. The downside to vast gravel parking lots is the lack of organized parking. Are you planing to use something to delineate the parking area?

 

[MrBachelor]

Planting requirements are typically found in the local zoning code or subdivision regulations. In my experience the planting requirements are based on one or more of the following: the zoning of the property, the use of the property, the number of parking spaces, the size of the facility, and the adjacent uses to the subject property. The minimum size of endcap islands are typically specified by width or area.
Based on the limited data you presented (gravel parking lot) I would assume the local regulations are lax and you may not need planters to satisfy code requirements. My assumptions are based on commercial development experience (if they allow gravel parking chances are they won't require extensive plantings).
Parking delineation is another matter entirely.

Nate the Great

http://www.ceieng.com

 

[beej67]

^^this

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East -

http://www.campbellcivil.com

 

[GoldDredger]

Oftentimes I've found that the parking island size is dependent on the minimum turn radii for fire lanes, (when the planters are adjacent to fire lanes).

For internal islands, I've used various sized radii depending on the width of the island you want to use. Usually it will match the width of a parking stall at about 9-feet, so that is a face of curb radius of 4.5-feet so they are tangent in the center of the 9-foot wide island.

The City of Frisco, Texas has some special requirements for parking islands (can look it up online) that I've found innovative. Basically if the total surface area of the island is below a certain threshold, a special fill is required outside (and under) the curb.

This is to allow for root zone growth of trees when the island is small, allowing for the tree to grow larger in a constrained area..at least that is the theory.

 

[TGLG]

Keep in mind that in addition to providing a good place for plantings and STOP signs, end islands provide additional visibility for drivers whose line-of-sight would otherwise be blocked by a parked vehicle. Park a big Chevy Suburban in the last stall, and the guy in the Ford Focus can't see the drive aisle. The end island gives him a few feet of clear space to work with.

End islands also serve to protect the car parked in the last stall. Eliminating end islands completely can lead to accidents where a parked car is sideswiped by a car in the drive aisle, or is hit by the rear fender of a car turning into the drive aisle from the parking aisle or vice versa. Let's face it: there are a lot of big vehicles on the road today - full-sized SUVs and pickups and minivans - and a fair percentage of the people driving them have not adequately adjusted their driving habits to accommodate the size of their vehicle.

 

[ACtrafficengr]

Also, depending on your soil type, you could use them for tree pits and other stormwater mitigation measures.