Is My Parking Lot in Brevard County ADA Compliant; Tip from a Brevard County Asphalt Paving Company

08 Sep Is My Parking Lot in Brevard County ADA Compliant; Tip from a Brevard County Asphalt Paving Company

The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, was created in 1990 with the purpose of ensuring that persons with disabilities have access to buildings and facilities that are open to the general public. This has made it paramount for businesses and other agencies to adhere to these regulations in order to provide adequate access to people with disabilities, and to avoid potential legal repercussions. The ADA is a fairly comprehensive piece of legislation, which covers both the outside and the inside of a property. In this guide, we will be focusing on how to comply with the ADA if you own a parking lot.

Parking Lots and ADA Accessibility and Compliance

The first step towards accessibility involves the parking lot, and in this case, you are required by law to have a minimum number of handicap spaces depending on the size of the lot. In the State of Florida, the legislation states that you need to have one handicap parking space for every 25 spaces in the parking lot when the total number of spaces is below 100. The required number becomes lower and lower in proportion to the total number of spots as the parking lot grows in size. For example, if you have a lot with 50 parking spaces, 2 have to be ADA compliant, while a parking lot with 400 spaces requires only 8 accessible spots.

What is considered an ADA-compliant parking space?

In order for a parking space to be considered accessible, at least four criteria have to be met, and these criteria relate to size, signage, pavement markings, and pavement slope. In terms of size, the legislation states that the parking space has to be wider than 12 feet, and it should be located on the shortest accessible route from the ADA-compliant entrance. It’s important to note that, according to the code, the route from the parking lot to the building has to balance safety and accessibility.

The parking space should be level, with a slope that does not exceed 2%. The aisles reserved for access to the parking space must be at least 5 feet wide, and they have to be a part of the accessible route to the main facility or building. Two parking spaces designed for accessibility can share the same access aisle. The aisle must also be marked with diagonal stripes, which will designate it as a no-parking zone. Curb ramps must also be installed at the edges of access aisles and parking spaces.

When it comes to signage, the accessible parking spaces must be designated with the international symbol of accessibility. The parking space itself must also be outlined with blue paint, and the paint must be maintained throughout the year in order to ensure that the accessible parking space is clearly distinguishable. The sign that designates the accessible parking space must respect the color and design guidelines set out by the Department of Transportation in the Section 11-4.30.7. The sign must also indicate the penalty that will be applied if the space is used illegally.

Is My Brevard County Parking Lot ADA-compliant?

If you would like to find out if your parking lot is ADA-compliant, we can schedule an inspection where we will outline all the necessary elements that will bring you up to speed. We handle all the legal requirements as they relate to the concrete component of ADA curbs and parking lots in Brevard County so that you won’t have to worry about incurring any penalties on your property. We are the premier asphalt paving and ADA compliant contractor serving Brevard County. Contact the team at All Asphalt Services today to get started!