This blog post provides guidance on where best to position parking lot signposts for curbside pickup, and the optimum direction the signs should be facing.
This is based on the following common parking space scenarios:
- Angle Parking (most common)
- Angle Parking – mixed
- Head-In Parking – sidewalk
- Head-In Parking – narrow sidewalk
- Head-In Parking – landscape bed
- Parallel Parking
Angle Parking is considered the most common configuration for parking lots and has the advantage of allowing for double-sided signage. That is, a second sign can be mounted back-to-back on the signpost using double-sided sign brackets. This creates efficiencies as one bollard/signpost can be utilized for two parking spaces.
When a landscape bed is incorporated into the parking lot layout, a ground spike can be used to mount the bollard/signpost directly into the natural ground, about 10” in from the curb. (Angle Parking, mixed).
Head-In Parking is often utilized when a pedestrian sidewalk is present. A minimum 36” clearance is recommended from the post base to the edge of the sidewalk, and 10” from the curb to the edge of the bollard/signpost base. In situations when less than 36” clearance from the sign base to the edge of the sidewalk is available (Head-In Parking, narrow sidewalk) it is recommended that the bollard/signpost be placed 10” in front of the curb, to maximize walking space on the sidewalk.
It is important to note that if the post is placed less than 10” in front of the curb, the flexing spring could be incorrectly leveraged against the curb, resulting in the hardware that secures the base being pulled up or out.
When a landscape bed is utilized in place of a sidewalk, a ground spike serves as the ideal solution, about 10” in from the curb. (Head-In Parking, landscape bed).
Parallel Parking requires a bit of a deviation from Head-In Parking, in that the bollard/signpost is installed to align with the front end of a vehicle, vs. centered between the parking space lines. This curbside pickup configuration is often used near the front of a store or restaurant when vehicles are moving in and out of a pickup area at a rapid pace, with minimal time available for each customer interaction.
This layout can be especially useful in a restaurant pickup situation, where hot food is placed into take-out containers and staged in an area just inside the building – with the ability for quick deployment as customers pull up in their vehicles.
Whether you are outfitting a parking lot for a supermarket, hospital, restaurant, retail store, or something else, FlexPost is here to help as you design (or reconfigure) your curbside program. Contact us today to discuss your project!
