Parking Design: Stalls on a corner

[Hitman6267]

Hello,

 

I'm designing a parking lot and have encountered a problem with drawing the stalls.

 

I've highlighted in yellow what I want done. I did that using the array command.

But I can't seem to reproduce the effect. Notice how each stall looks almost like a rectangle. I've managed somehow to make the lines next to each other look parallel.

 

To do that I think (not sure because it took me a couple of tries) I drew a perpendicular line to the arc then I drew another line perpendicular to my first line (to serve as a reference to the distance I want between each line). I then used the array command on both these lines and got what I posted.

 

When trying to reproduce this effect on the arc in the bottom right corner, the lines I get converge to the center of the arc and I don't get the look of a rectangle. [Not shown in the picture]

 

I hope I was clear enough.

I'm pressed for time so any help would be much appreciated.

[Dana W]

Consider just widening out the common area in the corner as a place for a bench and a couple of trees. It'll count toward the green space requirement.:wink: Or, simply paint out a no parking cross striping in the corner.

 

I don't think the geometry of that corner is going to allow for more than one space at dead center, and I wouldn't even try to squeeze that one in. If you paint out a fan looking thing, people will take advantage of the abiguity and just park all over the lines willy-nilly and/or back out straight into the adjacent cars at the 90 deg sides. At best, the spaces will be difficult to use.

Edited May 25, 2011 by Dana W

[Jack_O'neill]

Or put a bunch of motorcycle only spaces there! Dana's green space idea is probably better, but I had to throw the bike thing in.

[Dana W]

Or put a bunch of motorcycle only spaces there! Dana's green space idea is probably better' date=' but I had to throw the bike thing in.[/quote']

I used to ride to until my knees went out. it's been 10 years now. My knees aren't all that bad, I just have a daughter in college and they're tired of supporting her.

I used to steer clear of those bike spaces. A friend had a bike fall over onto his Harley and shear off a hard bag.

 

A local strip mall has a whacky chunk of lot marked off with 12 motorcycle spaces. I've seen three or four SUV's crammed in there instead.

 

Wait. This isn't chat,is it. I'm still on a roll from yesterday's chat-aholic session. I will step down now.

[rkent]

Why not make a block of on line and use measure.

[Organic]

As above I'd just put in a concrete median/footpath at that corner. Some of those car parks you have also look rather hard to get in and out of. What carpark dimensions are you using?

 

Also, don't forget the handicap carparking places.

[danellis]

It looks like it works on the bottom-left curve because it's a fairly long, largely radiused curve. This means there's only a small change in angle between each bay so they look parrallel to each other. The new curve is much smaller and tighter. It's possible to fit maybe two bays in there, so there's a large angle difference between the two of them - they won't look parrallel.

 

dJE

[Hitman6267]

I'm sorry I should have mentioned I'm trying to fit bike stalls in there. With the following dimensions: Width: 1.2m Length:2.4m

 

This is my parking design:

 

I'm going to get graded on the number of spaces I can fit in the lot and the neatness of my work.

I need to have handicap and motorcycle parking.

I believed that putting the motorcycles in the small corners would be the most space efficient thing to do. If it can't be done what do you guys suggest I should do ?

 

 

Edit: The outter limit of the lot is given so I cannot change it.

[Dana W]

Put the bike spaces in the corner. What about Handicapped Biker spaces?:wink: I know at least one biker that rides a restored state police three wheeler with a wheel chair hanging on the back.

 

Draw a temp line from end to end of the arc. Draw a line from midpoint of arc to center point of arc radius. Offset this line to either side as many times as possible by your width needed. Trim off and erase the extra stuff. You can shift the spaces side to side if it will gain a space to do so. Remember, motorcycles are not as long as cars. Even the longest OCC custom is still shorter than a (New) Mini Cooper so the spaces near the end of the arc can be probably half as deep as a car space.

 

When or if you get out to the real world of designing parking lots, Avoid putting motorcycle spaces in a spot where it is downhill toward the curb. Experienced riders know better than to park with the front end downhill to an obstruction, but most Rubb's learn this the hard way. (Rubb's = Rich Urban Bike Buyers.) It is pretty difficult to back a bike into a space too, but easier than getting a 630 lb Iron Horse to go uphill ackbasswards

[CyberAngel]

Have you considered using a polar array?

[Murph_map]

but easier than getting a 630 lb Iron Horse to go uphill ackbasswards

 

I wish my Harley only weight that much.

[Hitman6267]

I've decided to put the bikes elsewhere. Thank you all for your help.

[Dana W]

I wish my Harley only weight that much.

Ain't that the truth. As with most custom house mfg'rs, American Ironhorse skins a bit of flesh off the beast.

[Murph_map]

Ain't that the truth. As with most custom house mfg'rs, American Ironhorse skins a bit of flesh off the beast.

 

Yes, but most people that ride those park where ever they want to. :wink:

[tmld]

I'm going to get graded on the number of spaces I can fit in the lot...

 

If this came across my desk for a redline review, here's what you would get dinged on:

1a- The width of the aisles looks too narrow. most people are not aware of the physical limits of their vehicle when backing. Don't design by your driving abilities, design for to the below average driver abilities.

1b- Do not require people to back into the main aisles. This is because of #'s 1a, 3, and 4 below. When traffic is backed up in the aisle and main aisle, nobody is going to back out.

2- HC parking ? Every municipality requires it, and it depends upon the number of spaces you are providing. Look it up and put them in.

3- Access ? You have one ingress/egress. When work is over, the traffic jam to get out is going to be a nightmare.

4- The stack parking in the bottom aisle is unsafe: people will be exiting their vehicle into the "roadway".

5- How are people supposed to walk through the lot to their destination ? This is a safety issue.

 

#'s 1a&b, 2, 4, & 5 are safety issues.

#3 is a legal issue.

 

Things probably not expressed when the problem was presented to you (but stuff that any competent designer should always consider):

- SAFETY FIRST. People are soft, and vehicles are hard; keep the two seperated as much as possible.

- The islands at the end of each aisle should be squared up to take the partial parking stall. People get stupid crazy when they don't want to walk. Make the end radius a bit bigger if you can.

- Stormwater runoff? where will the water flow, and what happens if the drain gets clogged? Lots of cars might be trapped in the puddle.

 

Google Earth/Maps is a good tool to see how parking lots are laid out. Look at the big box store lots for ideas. Not all are good, but they will point you in a better direction.

 

You would get a lot of red marks from me for this design, and would be told to do it again. Consider the unstated requirements and address them in your solution. If anybody tells you that safety (liability) isn't an issue, then ask why lawyers exist.

 

If, however this assignment is just about how many parking stalls you can put into a defined space without considering any of the points above, then you're doing fine.

[Dana W]

Yes, but most people that ride those park where ever they want to. :wink:

That's pretty much as far as possible from anything with 4 wheels or more.

[BIGAL]

Not quite relevant but for anyone looking at this had a look at a "Autotrack car park" demo the car park above all done in about 1 minute and to worldwide standards. Pretty impressive.

 

http://www.savoy.co.uk/products/autotrack-parking

[Organic]

Not quite relevant but for anyone looking at this had a look at a "Autotrack car park" demo the car park above all done in about 1 minute and to worldwide standards. Pretty impressive.

 

http://www.savoy.co.uk/products/autotrack-parking

 

Do you actually use it? We have it here but I don't think anyone uses it anymore.

[Murph_map]

Site-ops is another add on that would do it as well. http://www.siteops.com/

[daft vader]

Sorry a bit off topic

And since getting parking sensors on my new car its not such a problem, but here in the UK all our car parks are marked like yours its got to be one of the worse designs for parking cars going (not having a go at your design m8 ),as its very hard to back out of or back in, why don't we change the design so all the spaces are on a angle ? its got to be a safer way of parking ?

 

I know most car parks are trying to cram as many cars in as they can, but the amount of accidents involving cars trying to back out or in due to the amount of space must prove the need for a different design, has anyone ever done both designs and can tell me the different the amount of cars that can park ?