What Are the ADA & Parking Lot Striping Guidelines?
When the federal government enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act, it was hailed as one of the most significant civil rights acts of the 20th century. The ADA is a comprehensive set of regulations that are intended to protect the rights of the disabled to have access to jobs, shopping, housing, transportation, and private or government facilities, agencies, and service organizations. One significant section of the ADA covers parking lot striping, signage, and pavement markings.
What Are the ADA Regulations for Parking Lot Striping?
One significant part of the rules for lot striping relates to the number, location, and markings of accessible spaces. The number of accessible spaces for Treasure Coast lot striping depends on the total number of parking spaces that are contained in your lot. For example, if your lot contains 100 spaces, your pavement striping contractor needs to make sure that you have at least four accessible spaces. However, even if you only offer a single parking space, it must be accessible. Accessible spaces must be located so that they provide the shortest direct path possible to an accessible entrance. The ADA specifies the size and type of signs that must be used to identify accessible spaces as well as the pavement markings that should be used.
Are the Florida ADA Guidelines Identical to the Federal ADA?
Technically, Florida does not have its own ADA guidelines. Instead, the state incorporated substantially all of the federal guidelines when it enacted the Florida Building Code, which gave rise to the Florida Accessibility Code. Although there are some differences, they primarily deal with how the different pieces of legislation are handled in a courtroom. Nevertheless, you want to make sure that your striping contractor is familiar with all applicable laws and guidelines, including any local codes that a city or county may have enacted.
Do State or Local Codes Supersede the ADA?
When performing parking lot striping Treasure Coast contractors sometimes encounter local ordinances that deviate from the ADA. As long as the deviation is more stringent than the ADA, it is safe for your asphalt striping service to comply. For example, it is acceptable for a municipal code to require you to provide more accessible spaces than the ADA, but the reverse would be unacceptable.
How Can I Make Sure That the Lot Striping Company I Hire Understands the Accessibility Requirements?
The best way to ensure that your lot is in full compliance is to engage an experienced, reputable contractor. When searching for a pavement striping contractor, ask questions to get an idea of how many lots the contractor has striped recently. Obtain references for Treasure Coast lot striping jobs that the contractor has completed within the last year, then contact them to determine whether the customers were satisfied with the work performed. It would be extremely rare for you to encounter a reputable contractor who does not understand all provisions for accessibility, however, so you should look for the best contractor rather than stress over one aspect of your lot striping.
Do You Need Services to Care for Your Asphalt? Then Contact Asphalt Care Services
Since 1993, our family-owned business has been helping clients repair, install, and maintain their pavements. Our services include lot striping, traffic signage, asphalt sealcoating, parking lot maintenance, asphalt repair, thermoplastic striping, asphalt paving, concrete bumpers, and speed bumps. We offer our services in many Florida locations, including Stuart, West Palm Beach, Hobe Sound, Boca Raton, Indian River, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach. Give us a call at 772-888-2840 if you are interested in receiving a free quote at [email protected], or you can submit your information by completing our online request form.