Why are parking spaces so small?
Intro
Cars, whether combustion engine or electric, are getting bigger. So, it stands to reason that parking spaces should grow to match. Or does it? While some governments, such as the UK’s, are issuing guidance for this, there is concern from parking operators at the changes and outright opposition from some mobility thought leaders. Intertraffic World’s Lauren Dyson talks to the experts.
We have all been there. You have skilfully manoeuvred your car into a tight parking space, but then you have to breathe in and open your door ever so slowly – just enough – so that you can squeeze through that tiny gap between your car and the one next to you. If you dread parking in public car parks, you are not alone. Research commissioned by AppyParking+, revealed that almost half of motorists (46%) find parking to be the most stressful part of driving. The study also revealed that motorists are likely to give up on a space twice a week and 38% of motorists will just keep driving until they find a space that works for them.
Part of the problem is, while cars have become bigger over the years, the size of parking bays has stayed the same. Parking guidelines for the UK were first published by the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1976, with the requirement for public bays to be 2.4m (8ft) wide x 4.8m (16ft) long. The guidelines were ideal in the 1970s, when the average family saloon was almost 20cm narrower than the equivalent today. But as side-impact safety systems have improved and driver preferences have changed, many people own bigger and wider cars that simply take up more space.
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“Over the past few years, NCP has already started trialling wider bays on a few of our larger sites and as a business we welcome any review that looks thoroughly into this issue from all sides,” says Kevin O’Connor, director of leased services at NCP. “Some customers want larger bays, and some customers on our busier sites that fill up quickly would be concerned that in order to provide larger bays we would need to reduce the number of overall spaces available. On receipt of formal notification of the new guidance and agreed expectations we will certainly review and apply as required, where we are able to.”
Older car parks may have to adapt to accommodate the demand for larger spaces but that will mean fewer spaces. Car parks are beginning to introduce wider bays and marked pedestrian spaces as refurbishments are completed but this is ongoing and takes time. Multistorey car parks provide particular challenges as they are not easily adaptable and re-building them is costly. A successful car park will need have the right balance of capacity and efficiency.
The bigger picture
Fewer parking bays could cause more frustration for drivers, and it could also result in increased parking charges, as facility owners look to recoup revenue that would otherwise be lost. Larger parking bays could also mean that parking facilities need to occupy a larger footprint, using up more green space and land that could be used for infrastructure supporting more sustainable transport modes, such as cycle lanes.
