What is the standard size of a parking space?
2 Answers
According to the "Specifications for Setting On-Street Parking Spaces on Urban Roads," the standard size of a general parking space is determined based on the size of the vehicle. Small parking spaces typically measure 2.5~2.7 meters in width and 5~6 meters in length. The width of a single-lane turning lane should not be less than 3.5 meters, while a double-lane turning lane should not be less than 5 meters. The turning section should accommodate a vehicle's need for a one-time turn, and for safety or to accommodate medium and large vehicles, it is often set to 6 meters or more. Details are as follows: (Length ≤ 6m, width ≤ 1.8m) vehicles: The standard spacing between vehicles should not be less than 0.5 meters, and the spacing between the vehicle and walls or the ends of the parking space should not be less than 0.5 meters. (6m < length ≤ 8m, 1.8m < width ≤ 2.2m) vehicles: The spacing between vehicles should not be less than 0.7 meters. Small vehicle parking space: Length should be ≥5 meters, width 2.2-2.5 meters. Large vehicle parking space: Length 7-10 meters, width 4 meters, depending on the vehicle type. According to the "Architectural Design Code for Parking Garages," the specific dimensions for small car indoor parking spaces are as follows: The design dimensions for small cars are 4.8m (length) x 1.8m (width) x 2.0m (height). The minimum size for a small car parking space using a perpendicular parking method should be 5.3m (length) x 2.4m (width), with a minimum driving lane width of 5.5m in front of the parking space. The minimum distance between small cars and side walls should be 0.6m, and the minimum distance to front and rear walls should be 0.5m. Modern underground parking garages have large floor areas and numerous parking spaces. To ensure free vehicle movement, driving lanes are planned to be relatively wide. Driving lanes, as horizontal passages dedicated to parking spaces, account for the main floor area allocated to parking spaces and can occupy 50% or more of the total parking space floor area. Parking space arrangements can be divided 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 space: Standard length is 6 meters, width is 2.5 meters. Angled parking space: Diagonal length should be 6 meters, width 2.8 meters, with a vertical distance of 2.5 meters between the two diagonal lines. Perpendicular parking space: Length should be ≥5 meters, typically set at 6 meters, width 2.5 meters. The optimal standard size is generally 2.5x5.3m. The "Road Traffic Safety Law" stipulates that roads with a width of less than 6 meters for motor vehicle traffic shall not have on-street parking spaces. Crosswalks, expressways, and main roads are also prohibited from having parking spaces. Within urban road areas, government authorities may designate parking spaces without obstructing pedestrian or vehicle traffic. On-street parking spaces should avoid interfering with non-motorized vehicle traffic and should not encroach on non-motorized vehicle passage space. They should not be set near intersections, building entrances, or bus stops. Vehicle types and parking times should be regulated and indicated via signs. Measures should be taken to avoid affecting traffic flow on motor vehicle lanes. Additionally, on-street parking spaces should not have ground locks to prevent private occupation. Roads prohibiting on-street parking may have isolation barriers, posts, or piers installed on one side. After parking spaces are removed or canceled, on-street parking signs, markings, and other management facilities should be promptly cleared to prevent continued parking and ensure road safety and operation. Furthermore, on-street parking spaces should not be set within 200m~300m of off-street public parking lots. Quantitative regulations for on-street parking space setup: The "Specifications for Setting On-Street Parking Spaces on Urban Roads" provide quantitative regulations based on road width. For two-way roads, if the actual road width is greater than 12 meters, parking spaces may be set on both sides; if between 12 and 8 meters, parking spaces may be set on one side; if less than 8 meters, no parking spaces should be set. For one-way roads, if the actual road width is greater than 9 meters, parking spaces may be set on both sides; if between 9 and 6 meters, parking spaces may be set on one side; if less than 6 meters, no parking spaces should be set. Regarding disabled parking spaces, the specifications state that on-street parking spaces should consider setting aside disabled parking spaces, which should account for no less than 2% of the total parking spaces. When there are more than 20 parking spaces, at least one disabled parking space should be set. Parking space marking colors: White: Paid parking spaces; Blue: Free parking spaces; Yellow: Reserved parking spaces; Time-limited parking spaces: Dotted border, line width 10cm; the allowed parking time should be marked inside the border, with numbers 60cm high. Disabled parking spaces: Special parking space markings; yellow grid lines on both sides indicate areas for disabled passengers to board and alight, where other vehicles are prohibited from parking. Other vehicles must not occupy disabled parking spaces. Special pavement markings within disabled parking spaces indicate exclusivity. Yellow grid lines: width 120cm, outer line width 20cm, inner fill line width 0cm, with a 45° angle to the outer line. The outer line length should match the parking space marking length. Requirements for prohibiting on-street parking spaces: Fire lanes, road sections with no-parking signs or markings, and construction zones affecting traffic; Roads with disaster relief and emergency evacuation functions; Sidewalks, if set, must not encroach on blind paths; 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; Sections within 20m of intersection channelization zones; Underground utility (water, electricity, gas) access points and sections within 15m of these locations; Within 200m of off-street parking lot entrances.
I've been driving for over a decade and have come to appreciate the importance of parking space dimensions. The most common small parking space in China is 6 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, which fits my sedan perfectly without crossing the lines. However, I've found it quite cramped when with kids—the car door can only be half-opened to let them exit safely, and loading shopping bags often requires squeezing sideways. Some new residential areas have started using 2.8-meter-wide spaces, which are noticeably more comfortable. European and American standards are even more generous, with U.S. perpendicular spaces typically starting at 2.7 meters, and Germany requiring a 1-meter passage between two vehicles. When it comes to truck spaces, they're even larger. I've seen dedicated 8-meter-long spaces at ports, thoughtfully designed for container trucks' turning radius. For parking large vehicles, logistics parks are the reliable choice—ordinary mall underground garages are simply too tight to fit.
