Setting the angle of parking spaces can be a complex exercise. Due to vehicle ‘tracking curves’, or the required space for manoeuvring in and out of angled spaces, the angle of the space affects both the required aisle width and the width and depth of the individual parking space.
Angled Parking
As a general rule:
- The shallower the angle, the narrower the minimum aisle width and overall parking area width is required, however wider space is needed for adjacent spaces and therefore fewer cars can fit in a row.
- The steeper the angle (closer to 90 degrees), the narrower the adjacent spaces can be, however the
aisle width and overall parking area width required then becomes much wider and still fewer cars can fit in a row.
Due to this relationship, adjusting parking angles will not significantly increase the number of achievable parking spaces in a single row. Rather, adjusting parking angles can be used to create a more efficient series of rows, within the area available.
Parallel parking
- Parallel parking spaces can allow for narrower aisle widths.
- Parallel spaces are the shallowest option at approximately 2.5m in depth (B) but are also the longest option due to manoeuvring requirements at approximately 6m in length (A).
- Vehicle manoeuvring into parallel parking spaces can be slow and can cause congestion if the road or aisle is not wide enough to allow other vehicles to pass.
Perpendicular parking
- Perpendicular spaces can accommodate more than twice the number of cars along the same length of aisle as parallel spaces.