Parking Garage Signage

 

This list of issues will help to bring the important topics related to large parking structures up for discussion during the design process. Some questions are best answered by the client (C) , some by the architect (A), and some by other consultants (X).

 

 

External Circulation (A)

1. Type of access from approach roads, street level and elevated

2. Number of points of access to garage and/or floors

3. Service entrances which look like public entrances

 

Revenue Control Methods (A)(C)

1. Free Parking/Free Time plus Payment

2. Advance Payment/Dashboard Ticket Proof of Payment

3. Ticket-spitter/Dashboard Ticket/Toll Booth

4. Ticket-spitter/Merchant Sticker/Guard Gate Verification

5. Magnetic Loop Detector Car Counting

6. Video Surveillance Camera Car Counting

7. Floor Recording/Counting Devices

8. Walk & Pay Systems (nonverified)

 

Vehicular Height Warnging Systems (A)

1. Simple Warning Signs

2. Advance Warning Signs/Structures - Tiered Approach

* Rubber Ball Pendants

* Weighted Bar Pendant

* Pivoting Structural Elements

* Immovable Structures

3. Architectural Damage Prevention

 

Garage Lighting (X)

1. High Efficiency Systems

2. Locating Lights within Structural Bay

3. Coordinating Lights & Signs & Ceiling Paint Color

4. Light Emphasis on Pedestrian Path

5. Light Emphasis on Elevator Cores/Bridges

6. Low Brightness/Shielded Sources

 

Parking Layout (A)

1. Visibility/Relationship to Vertical Circulation

*Site Lines

2. 90 Degree Parking

* Hardest to park in, most compact, have ped. aisle between cars

3. Handicapped Stall/Van Stalls

* Local codes & requirements

4. Catagories of Parking

* General/Public

* Office/Private

* Nomenclature

 

Vehicular Circulation Issues (A)

1. One-way Vehicular Circulation Aisles - requires "One Way" signs

2. Two-way Vehicular Circulation Aisles - requires lane markings

3. Search Patterns:

* Snake Type - longest search time, most stalls /sq. ft..

* Distributor Road Type - allows choice of aisle

* Dead-end Type - limited OK, but slows traffic

* Zoned By Special Function - creates confusion to user

 

Pedestrian Circulation Issues (A) (C)

1. Pedestrian Shares Vehicular Path

* Safety issues

* Placement of pedestrian signs conflicts w/ vehicular signs

2. Pedestrian Has Separate Path

* Safer for pedestrian

* Lower liability for Owner

* Separate location for signs

* Does require more plan area for garage

3. Shopping or Luggage Carts

* Dwell time vs Circulation

* Storage of Large Carts @ Adjacent Facility & in Garage

* Conflicts w/ Vehicular Traffic

 

Floor/Stall Identification Systems (C)

1. Alphanumeric Schemes By Building Component

*Alpha=Building Unit, Number=Floor

2. Special Names or Character Identities

*Unique color/name systems

* Name floors for local/regional plants, mountains, etc.

* Name floors for local people, personalities

* Name floors for local artists, musicians, writer

* Utilize sound clues w/ different music on each floor

3. Combination Floor ID Systems

4. Stall Numbering

* Relationship to Revenue Control

* Usefulness in Wayfinding

* Method of Application to Building/Floor

* Relationship to Stall Striping Program

* Facilities Management Use of Numbering

 

Building Part & Orientation (C)

1. Number of Garage Units/Areas

2. Distribution of Garage Units/Areas

* Cardinal directions can aid/confuse orientation of user

3. Symmetry and Similarity of Different Garage Units/Areas

* Which way is it to our car?

* Each part of garage looks the same as the others!

4. Numbering For Building Expansion or Area Changes

* Set a pattern which is extendable & makes sense now

 

Nomenclature/Bilinguality (C)

1. Foreign Language on Signs

*Relative length of each language

2. Choosing Meaningful Terms for Areas, Processes & Regulations

* Recognition of terms such as "valet", "long-term", "short-term", etc.

3. Legal Implications of Posting of Local Ordinances

4. Legal Implications of using non-standard traffic signs for design consistency

 

Overall Project Identity (C)

1. Relationship to Commercial Area Image; separate or part/ whole

2. Community Acceptance of Identity

3. Historic/Indigenous Images vs Modern/External Images

4. Relationship to Advertising/Print

 

For more information, please contact me at kbd@olympus.net.