If you own a commercial property, you understand how essential it is to maintain your parking lots. Parking lots help field traffic, provide patrons with convenient parking options, and increase driver safety. Brick-and-mortar, commercial, and corporate businesses benefit greatly from accessible parking lots, especially in terms of revenue.
In fact, most consumers will choose to visit commercial establishments that offer ample and accessible parking than those without it. Other benefits of an organized parking lot system include:
- Heightened customer trust
- Consumer preference
- Increased foot traffic
- In-store sales growth
- Employee and visitor safety
All in all, the lack of accessible parking is a deal-breaker for many businesses. Along with losing revenue, lacking a highly visible and organized parking system can cause more accidents among your patrons.
Parking lots see plenty of accidents every year, with more occurring in heavily trafficked locations with unclear markings. In fact, 500,000 crashes occur in parking lots and parking garages annually. These crashes result in 500 or more deaths and more than 60,000 injuries. If you are found negligent in your parking lot maintenance, you could be held liable for any accidents or damages caused by your negligence.
Offering a clearly marked, painted, and organized parking lot system will make all the difference for your patrons and your business and reduce your liability. To help you determine whether you need to revamp your parking lot, our asphalt paving company, Morgan Pavement, shares a comprehensive guide to parking lot painting and striping.
Keep reading to learn all you need to know about Utah parking lot striping from its experts.
Everything You Need to Know About Parking Lot Striping and Marking
Parking Lot Laws and Regulations
Having clean, clear parking lot striping gives consumers and employees safe access to orderly parking. Federal and state governments also require you to provide designated parking areas that comply with local regulations.
Parking lot requirements differ by location. For example, the State of Utah offers guidance under the Traffic Rules and Regulations, Title 41, Chapter 6. These laws apply to all traffic using facilities under the management of the Division of Facilities Construction and Management, which identifies designated parking areas, parking restrictions, and enforcement.
While these rules don’t apply to all buildings in Utah, it is important to note that most facilities adhere to similar requirements, such as parking for the disabled, which reads:
(2) Parking for the disabled – designated parking stalls, reserved exclusively for automobiles, including vans, displaying disability license plates or permits, shall be provided in all necessary parking areas. All parking areas will meet the minimum number of reserved stalls required by state and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing public services and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Providing accessibility to disabled patrons starts in your parking lot. Every parking lot must comply with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Your parking lot must meet the minimum number of accessible spaces determined by the number of total spaces in the parking lot.
Your parking lot must also have curb cuts for wheelchair access onto sidewalks, as well as properly pitched ramps and railings. Along with having the proper set-up, you will need to mark all accessible spaces.
Morgan Pavement offers guidance to ensure that your lot is in complete compliance with the ADA, including painting and striping every area designated for disabled patrons.
You can also check out Utah’s zoning requirements for further guidance.
Regulations depend on your facility type. For example, on-street parking isn’t required by law in residential developments, but it is encouraged “to create a buffer between car traffic and pedestrians and to introduce traffic calming friction to thoroughfares.”
How to Know if You Need New Parking Lot Striping
If you don’t visit your commercial property regularly, you might not realize the state of your parking lot. If you do visit often, it is easy to pull into your usual parking spot day after day without noticing the condition of the lines, but consumers who only visit your facilities a few times a month need clearly marked lines to manage driving and parking safely.
If the stripes are unclear or worn down, consumers can give up or park irregularly, causing chaos for others. Commercial facility operators in Utah face even greater maintenance challenges as the varying weather conditions can increase the average rate at which paint deteriorates.
Ask yourself these questions to decide whether your property needs new parking lot striping:
- Can you clearly see all painting and striping without taking a second glance?
- Could you pull into a spot confidently because you can clearly see all three sides of a parking space?
- Are all handicap-accessible parking spaces clearly marked?
You can also determine if it is time that you update your parking lot painting by considering these factors:
Difficult to See Paint in Certain Conditions
Parking lot lines should be clear, vibrant, and easy to see no matter the weather. If consumers have a hard time parking when it is raining, snowing, or high levels of fog, you should consider repainting your parking lot. The lines should also be clearly visible to consumers at all times of day and night.
Uneven Parking
Most drivers follow the marked parking lot lines to ensure that those parking next to them stay far enough away from their vehicle. If you constantly notice that consumers are parking over the lines, off-center, or parking outside of the vertical lines, unclear painting and striping could be the culprit. Repainting these lines will most likely solve the problem.
Ignoring Handicap Parking Spots
Most visitors won’t ignore ADA-compliance markings but will reserve these parking spots for disabled consumers. If you notice that drivers are parking in these spaces or receive frequent complaints about this issue, these markings could be worn down. Fix the issue by repainting any blue lines or markings that are worn or faded so that drivers can see them more clearly and act in accordance with the ADA.
Parking Lot Painting Process
After deciding to repaint your parking lot, there are a few things to know about the installation process:
Receive a Quote for Parking Lot Striping
Before having your parking lot striped, Morgan Pavement will provide a service quote. Striping can vary between $0.15 per linear foot and $0.45 per linear foot, depending on the work scope. Stencils are usually figured by pricing each different stencil individually as each of those prices widely vary. Our team will also determine the perfect paint formulation for your specific project for optimal efficiency. We offer both airless and conventional air-atomized striping equipment, depending on your specific needs.
The total cost of your striping service will include any other needs of the project, as well as the workforce and time it takes to complete the striping.
Property Inspection
To provide an accurate quote, our team will inspect your property for any damage. If our asphalt contractors lay down paint over cracked, damaged, or buckled areas, it won’t last long. Ensuring that your parking lot has the right foundation beforehand will save you money and frustration in the long run.
Clear the Lot
After repairing any damaged areas, our team will clear the lot of any debris, dirt, and trash to ensure that the paint can bond to the pavement. Our line striping professionals will also rope off the area to prevent any traffic from interrupting the painting process.
Painting and Striping
Our professionals will walk you through the painting process in detail. However, the actual installation process is quick and easy. Our team will use a line striping machine to apply paint to outline the space carefully. Our experts will paint and clearly mark any stenciling, arrows, and ADA-compliant spaces after the lines are marked.
Invest in Parking Lot Maintenance
Parking lots in poor condition don’t inspire confidence among consumers visiting your property. Your parking lot should reflect the quality of your products and services. If you don’t have a clearly marked parking lot, consumers might assume that you don’t care about your customer service or have the money to maintain your property.
Poorly maintained parking lots also compromise consumer safety by negatively impacting driver safety. It can also be a symptom of a poorly maintained parking lot overall. For example, gravel on the asphalt or concrete surface can cause nicks and scratches on paintwork or crack headlights and windows. These mishaps can ruin the reputation of your business.
Don’t let that happen to you. Invest in your parking lot maintenance with Morgan Pavement.
Morgan Pavement Striping and Marking Services
Morgan Pavement is a “One Stop Shop, for all your asphalt needs,” offering a large variety of asphalt products, including pavement striping and marking. Morgan Pavement is the largest private, self-performing asphalt maintenance company in the State of Utah. Our unwavering commitment to quality and service has made us a leader in the asphalt paving and maintenance industry.
Contact our striping specialists to learn more about our pavement marking services.
