# Handicap Van Accessible - HELP???



## mmmarvel (Dec 5, 2012)

My understanding is that for an ADA space to marked (and proper) for van accessible it needs an 8' accessibility island next to the parking spot, please correct me if I'm wrong.  The question is, if there is an 8' accessible island, can parking spots on either side of that island be marked van accessible?  In other words, there is one accessible island that is 8' or wider, can the parking spots to the right of the island and the parking space to the left of the island both be marked as van accessible parking?


----------



## mtlogcabin (Dec 5, 2012)

> In other words, there is one accessible island that is 8' or wider, can the parking spots to the right of the island and the parking space to the left of the island both be marked as van accessible parking?


Short answer Yes

Although most vans open on the right and a lot of the door and ligt controls are located on the rear of the van so backing a van into the space to use the shared aisle is not always the best solution if more than one van accessible spot is required.


----------



## Forest (Dec 5, 2012)

it can be less than 8' wide reduced to 5' if the space is 11' wide per exception in the 2003 ICC/ANSI


----------



## mmmarvel (Dec 5, 2012)

mtlogcabin said:
			
		

> Short answer YesAlthough most vans open on the right and a lot of the door and ligt controls are located on the rear of the van so backing a van into the space to use the shared aisle is not always the best solution if more than one van accessible spot is required.


Thank you very much


----------



## mmmarvel (Dec 5, 2012)

Forest said:
			
		

> it can be less than 8' wide reduced to 5' if the space is 11' wide per exception in the 2003 ICC/ANSI


Good information, thanks


----------



## mark handler (Dec 5, 2012)

Architectural Barriers Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS)

TAS CHAPTER 5: GENERAL SITE AND BUILDING ELEMENTS

CHAPTER 5: GENERAL SITE AND BUILDING ELEMENTS

Advisory 502.3.4 Location. Wheelchair lifts typically are installed on the passenger side of vans. Many drivers, especially those who operate vans, find it more difficult to back into parking spaces than to back out into comparatively unrestricted vehicular lanes. For this reason, where a van and car share an access aisle, consider locating the van space so that the access aisle is on the passenger side of the van space.


----------



## steveray (Dec 5, 2012)

IN CT we are 8' spot w/ 8' crosshatch and the CH cannot be shared.....


----------



## Msradell (Dec 5, 2012)

We have a handicap van and while all of these discussions about van parking spaces are great there's one major problem!  These parking spaces are not restricted to vans and thus everyone that's handicapped Parks in them because they are usually closer to the business.  Regulations need to be changed so that only vehicles with side entry ramps can park in these spaces.  As it is now they're basically useless.  An even better alternative would be to require all handicapped spaces to be van accessible but I don't see that happening.


----------

