Asphalt parking lot design is something most of us take for granted. We use parking lots daily, and the one on your property greatly supports your business. While most of us don’t give asphalt paving and design much thought, there are many details to consider when installing a new parking lot.
The overall design of your Chicago asphalt parking lot can make or break its success. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself to ensure that your new lot is effective and headache-free.
How Big Should My Asphalt Parking Lot in Chicago Be?
Here’s one of the first things you should consider. For commercial or industrial parking lots, bigger is better. Generally, it’s better to overshoot your needs than deal with capacity or traffic issues later.
The overall square footage will affect the asphalt parking lot cost for installation. However, dealing with the headaches of a poorly designed lot will cost you more in the long run. Aim to minimize wasted space when creating your Chicago asphalt parking lot.
Remember to account for your lot’s purpose. Do you operate a fleet of delivery trucks? Does your business accept industrial freight? Those heavy trucks need more support. Therefore, you’ll need thicker asphalt paving. Thickness is another factor that impacts asphalt parking lot cost.
But like space maximization, those added costs make a difference over the long run.
How Many Spaces Should My New Asphalt Parking Lot Design Have?
Once you determine how much physical space you’re dedicating to your Chicago asphalt parking lot, you can start thinking about the number of spaces you include. Look at your industry and the purpose of your lot.
Many industries have code requirements for asphalt parking lot design, dictating the minimum number of spaces you need. These requirements vary based on the capacity of your business. But even if no codes exist, you should strive to maximize the number of available spaces.
The best way to do that is to create a design that includes 90-degree spaces. However, you should always consider the needs of your business. If your lot will experience high turnover, you may benefit from angled parking spaces that are easier for visitors to maneuver.
Do All Spaces in an Asphalt Parking Lot Need to Be Identical?
Contrary to popular belief, your Chicago asphalt parking lot doesn’t need identically sized spaces throughout. The standard for public-use spaces is about nine by 18 feet. However, not all vehicles will need that much room.
One great way to maximize the capacity of your asphalt parking lot is to create smaller spaces. For example, you can include a strip of spots for compact cars. They’re a few feet shorter and thinner. You can also incorporate spots for motorcycles.
Think about the types of vehicles people will use when visiting your property, and use a mix of space sizes to use up every square foot of your lot.
What Additional Features Should I Include in My Asphalt Parking Lot Design?
Your asphalt parking lot in Chicago does more than hold standard vehicles. There are several additional features you can and should incorporate into your design. Some are required by law.
For instance, to be ADA-compliant, you must include wide van-accessible spaces with eight-foot access aisles. You’ll also want to have ramps that cut through the curb.
To make your parking lot more functional, you can include features like one-way traffic lanes or landscaped medians that improve traffic flow. Alternatively, your design can incorporate features that benefit your business, such as public transit dropoff zones, drive-through lanes, truck loading lanes, etc.
Are There Any Considerations for Safety and Asphalt Parking Lot Maintenance?
Safety should always be a priority, and you can use the design of your new Chicago asphalt parking lot to minimize liabilities and prevent safety hazards. Painted markings and traffic signage are great places to start. Use vibrant striping to mark spaces, arrows to direct drivers and use lawful signage to establish right-of-way for pedestrians.
Concrete wheel stop barriers in each slot ensure all vehicles stay within the confines of their spaces. Meanwhile, barriers, curbs and raised pedestrian walkways prevent cars from driving in unauthorized areas, risking damage to your property or injury to pedestrians.
Those features can add to the final asphalt parking lot cost, but they’re worth the investment.
For the long-term resilience of your lot, consider factors like drainage. Parking lot repair issues will become frequent if you don’t consider drainage provisions. For example, you can minimize parking lot repairs by adding inlets or catch basins that prevent standing water. Smaller details like the slope of your asphalt paving make a difference.
Parking lot repair is common and will keep your property looking great for decades. However, addressing drainage and maintenance issues now by baking provisions into your design will reduce how often you have to get parking lot repairs.
When you’re ready to get a new asphalt parking lot in Chicago for your business, turn to Blackhawk Paving & Construction. We do large-scale paving projects while working to minimize disruption to your business. We have nearly 50 years of experience completing logistically sensitive projects for industrial manufacturing, shopping centers, office centers, storage facilities and more.
Our services include full asphalt paving, repair, and seal coating. We can also do parking lot striping, pavement markings, concrete curbing, etc. At Blackhawk Paving & Construction, we pride ourselves on our commitment to clients like you. We aim to exceed your expectations while treating you like a partner throughout our process. You can expect full transparency, reliable jobsite communication and customer service you can trust.
Let us be your go-to asphalt contractors! We’re ready to tackle whatever parking lot project you need. For your free job quote, call us at (708) 787-8765. Or, submit your information using our online contact form or email us at Info@BlackHawkPaving.com.
We look forward to hearing from you and showcasing why we’re Chicago’s best asphalt parking lot company!
