ADA Striping Regulations

ADA parkingHandicap Parking image by Joelyn Pullano from Fotolia.com

The Federal government passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 to make it safe for those with disabilities when they use public facilities. ADA created a set of guidelines for the design and construction of public facilities that ensures equal accommodations for those with disabilities and a safe path of travel from the outside into the building, as well as within the building. Accessible path of travel outside of the building is accomplished by striping a designated area that meets ADA requirements to travel from the public sidewalk or an accessible parking stall to an accessible building entrance.

Access Aisle

ADA requires an access aisle next to the parking space. The access aisle must be designated with boundaries to separate it from the rest of the parking lot. The access aisle is typically painted blue, which is the universal symbol for an accessible parking space or path of travel. The access aisle must be level and have a curb ramp opening within it to allow for a transition to a sidewalk. The access aisle shall have "No Parking" painted within the access aisle boundary.

The access aisle of an ADA parking stall is diagonally striped with the same color blue that denotes the boundaries. The diagonal striping is usually set at a 30-degree angle from the parking space, spaced 36 inches on center. The stripes are typically 4 inches in width and shall extend from one end of the boundary completely to the other end.

ADA requires that the designated path of travel shall be striped when crossing a parking aisle or street to inform vehicles that disabled pedestrians will be crossing there. The path of travel shall have a width of 36 inches minimum and have the boundary designated with the blue paint. It shall also have the diagonal striping at 30-degrees stretching completely across the parking aisle or street crossing.