What is the standard length of a parking space?
2 Answers
According to the "Specifications for Setting On-Street Parking Spaces on Urban Roads," the standard size of a parking space is determined by the size of the vehicle. Medium-sized bus parking spaces are 3m wide and 8-10m long; large bus parking spaces are 3.5m wide and 12.5-14.5m long; large truck parking spaces are 4m wide and 7-10m long; small car parking spaces typically measure 2.5~2.7m × 5~6m. The width of a single-lane turnaround lane should not be less than 3.5m, while a double-lane turnaround lane should not be less than 5m. The turnaround section should allow a vehicle to complete a full turn in one go. For safety or to accommodate medium and large vehicles, it is often set to 6m or more. Details are as follows: (Length ≤ 6m, width ≤ 1.8m) vehicles: The minimum spacing between vehicles should be no less than 0.5m, and the spacing between vehicles and walls or the ends of parking spaces should also be no less than 0.5m. (6m < length ≤ 8m, 1.8m < width ≤ 2.2m) vehicles: The spacing between vehicles should be no less than 0.7m. According to the "Architectural Design Code for Garages," the specific dimensions for small car parking spaces in indoor garages are as follows: The designed outer dimensions of a small car are 4.8m (length) × 1.8m (width) × 2.0m (height). For perpendicular parking, the minimum parking space size should be 5.3m (length) × 2.4m (width), with a minimum driveway width of 5.5m at the front of the space. The minimum distance between a small car and the side walls should be 0.6m, and the minimum distance to the front and rear walls should be 0.5m. Modern underground garages are large in floor area and accommodate many parking spaces. To ensure free vehicle movement, driveways are planned to be relatively wide. Driveways, as the horizontal passages dedicated to parking spaces, account for the primary floor area allocated to parking spaces and often occupy 50% or more of the total parking space floor area. Parking space arrangements can be categorized into three types: parallel, angled (30°, 45°, 60°), and perpendicular. Large vehicle parking spaces should not use angled or perpendicular arrangements. Details are as follows: Parallel parking spaces: Standard length is 6m, width is 2.5m. Angled parking spaces: The diagonal length should be 6m, width 2.8m, with a vertical distance of 2.5m between the two angled lines. Perpendicular parking spaces: Length should be ≥5m, typically set at 6m, width 2.5m. The optimal standard size is usually 2.5m × 5.3m. The "Road Traffic Safety Law" stipulates that on-street parking spaces should not be set on roads with a width of less than 6m for motor vehicle traffic. Pedestrian crossings, expressways, and main roads are also prohibited from having parking spaces. Within urban road areas, government authorities may designate parking spaces where pedestrian and vehicle traffic is not impeded. On-street parking spaces should avoid obstructing non-motorized traffic and should not encroach on non-motorized vehicle lanes. They should not be placed near intersections, building entrances, or bus stops. Vehicle types and parking durations should be specified and indicated with signs. Measures should be taken to avoid impacting motor vehicle traffic. Additionally, on-street parking spaces should not be equipped with ground locks to prevent private occupation. Roads where parking is prohibited may have barriers, posts, or bollards installed on one side. After parking spaces are removed or canceled, all related signs, markings, and management facilities should be promptly cleared to prevent unauthorized parking and ensure road safety and traffic flow. Furthermore, on-street parking spaces should not be set within 200m~300m of off-street public parking lots. Quantitative regulations for on-street parking spaces: The "Specifications for Setting On-Street Parking Spaces on Urban Roads" provides quantitative rules based on road width. For two-way roads: if the actual road width exceeds 12m, parking spaces may be set on both sides; if between 12m and 8m, parking spaces may be set on one side; if less than 8m, no parking spaces should be set. For one-way roads: if the actual road width exceeds 9m, parking spaces may be set on both sides; if between 9m and 6m, parking spaces may be set on one side; if less than 6m, no parking spaces should be set. Regarding accessible parking spaces, the specifications state that on-street parking spaces should include accessible spaces, accounting for no less than 2% of the total. If there are more than 20 parking spaces, at least one accessible space should be provided. Parking space marking colors: White: Paid parking spaces; Blue: Free parking spaces; Yellow: Reserved parking spaces; Time-limited parking spaces: Dotted border, 10cm line width; the permitted parking time should be marked inside the border, with numbers 60cm high. Accessible parking spaces: Special markings; yellow grid lines on both sides indicate no-parking zones for boarding and alighting. Other vehicles must not occupy accessible spaces. Yellow grid lines should be 120cm wide, with outer lines 20cm wide and matching the length of the parking space markings. Prohibited areas for on-street parking spaces: Fire lanes, road sections with no-parking signs or markings, and construction zones that impede traffic; Roads designated for disaster relief and emergency evacuation; Sidewalks, if set, must not encroach on tactile paving for the visually impaired; Near building entrances; Intersections, railway crossings, sharp curves, narrow roads less than 4m wide, bridges, steep slopes, tunnels, and sections within 50m of these locations; Within 30m of bus stops, emergency stations, gas stations, fire hydrants, or fire stations (except for vehicles using these facilities); Within 20m of intersection channelization zones; Near underground utility access points (water, electricity, gas, etc.) and within 15m of these locations; Within 200m of off-street parking lot entrances.
Speaking of parking space length, most standard parking spaces in China are required to be 5 meters long. My car is 4.8 meters long, which fits just right, but some old residential areas have severely undersized self-marked spaces, some less than 4.5 meters, leaving the rear of slightly longer cars hanging out. Newly built residential areas generally follow the 5-meter design, and in commercial underground parking lots, you can even find extra-long spaces for SUVs and business vehicles. However, temporary roadside parking spaces are less strict, often cramped. Last time I drove a friend's 5.2-meter pickup truck, it took up two spaces just to avoid blocking the road.
