![]() ![]() Poor Aesthetics: Unwelcome visual conditions can be created by open expanses of paving with a lack of proper landscaping and/or buffering.Increased Runoff: Stormwater runoff that may be heated by contact with pavement, and unfiltered water volume can harm natural drainage patterns and ecosystems.Increased Heat: Heat can be reflected by exposed asphalt or concrete surfaces not shaded by landscape material.Pedestrian/Vehicle Conflicts: Unsafe conditions for pedestrians can be created by unnecessary vehicular conflict points and lack of sufficient lighting.The following limitations may be associated with improperly designed parking facilities, which are generally the opposite of the advantages listed above: Aesthetics: Good parking design can mitigate the visual impacts of surface parking lots with landscape material and/or visual buffers.Environmental Quality: Properly-designed parking facilities can improve water quality by filtering and cooling stormwater runoff through stormwater best management practices, including vegetated swales and rain gardens. ![]() Energy Efficiency: The provision of properly-designed and adequate parking facilities can encourage more public transit use, and reduce the heat island effect that can lower cooling costs for adjacent structures.Safety: Safer pedestrian conditions can be encouraged by minimizing vehicular conflicts and providing adequate lighting.Properly designed and constructed parking facilities can provide the following benefits: The 'Parking Facilities: Policy' tool focuses on how a municipality may use and/or regulate parking facilities through various parking management planning options to achieve a functionally and environmentally appropriate amount of parking spaces, as well as the use and potential development of park and ride facilities to mitigate traffic congestion. This tool focuses on the physical design attributes and improvements that municipalities should consider in the development of parking facilities. Facility types generally include off-street surface parking, on-street parking, and structured parking (parking garages). If there is a consistent abundance of available parking, it may indicate the parking lot is too large creating unnecessary environmental impacts such as increased stormwater runoff and heat island effect.ĭetermining the proper size, location, and layout of parking facilities are important decisions that municipalities must make to provide the most appropriate level of parking within a community. Lack of available parking also makes it more likely that people will utilize public transit, if it is available and relatively convenient. The more difficult it is to find available parking, the less likely people will drive their automobiles to a destination. Parking availability can affect not only the destination, but also the means people will use to reach a destination. Vehicular parking facilities play an important role in the efficiency of Chester County's overall transportation system. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |