15 - 



PARKING TIPS FOR ROADSIDE MARKETS* 



Ample parking is a major concern for most new farm markets (and some 

 old ones too!) Today's shopper likely will not stop-to-shop if there is no 

 safe convenient parking area. Carefully planned customer parking offers 

 great opportunity for building up your trade. It is very important to 

 understand the handling of the traffic flow into and out of the parking lot. 



1. Allow a ratio of 4 square feet of parking space for each square foot of 

 market size. For example, a 40 x 50 ft. building (2,000 square feet) 

 would require approximately 8,000 square feet or nearly one-fifth acre 

 of land for parking . 



2. Allocate one parking space (about 400 square feet) for each $100 sale. 



3. Provide 15 parking spaces for each 100 cars expected daily. 



All of these general rules are good, but the important consideration 

 must be the convenience of the customers. 



Parallel parking space should be 22 feet long by 10 feet wide. Parallel 

 parking is awkward and wastes space, but is used sometimes to fill in odd 

 areas. A combination of 90 degree angle and parallel parking often makes 

 the best use of small or irregular lots. 



Parking at 90 degrees to a curb or fence accommodates the most cars in 

 the lot. Minimum practical dimensions for a parking stall are 10 x 20 feet. 

 With 90 degree parking, two-way traffic aisles are best. 



Where lots are 60 to 70 feet wide, 90 degree parking and two-way aisles 

 are recommended. One row of 90 degree parking, plus a two-way aisle, can be 

 installed in lots as narrow as 42 feet. 



The smaller the angle (45 to fiO degrees) the easier it is to park, 

 though cars with power steering are easy to park anywhere. 



For 45 degree stalls, 14 foot aisles will be satisfactory for one-way 

 traffic. For 60 degree stalls, 18 foot aisles are recommended to give suf- 

 ficient clearance for drivers backing out of the stalls. 



The Eno Foundation for Highway Traffic Control suggests the following 

 steps in laying out a parking lot. 



1. Make an accurate drawing of the area including the following: 



- Outline and use abutting properties, buildings and vacant areas. 



- Abutting sidewalks, streets and alleys with direction of traffic flow 

 on each. 



*Repri"n"ted with permission from The Great Lakes Fruit Growers News 23(3): 64, 

 March, 1984. 



