Think Before Making Changes

Noticed this post-construction addition at a newly-constructed shopping center. The new wood fence blocks the view of oncoming traffic by persons in the cross-walk and provides an excellent ambush point. A 3-foot to 4-foot high fence would have been sufficient, and still provided visibility.

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Stormwater Bioswale Failure

There are a lot of great designers out there offering workable ideas for stormwater treatment and control. Parking lot bioswales (depressed areas to treat and/or control storomwater runoff are a great example of their thinking. This is only one example: With anything, once it's built, it requires maintenance to function properly. The permitted facility shown below is rather new (around a year old) and it's intended function is already significantly impaired. Here' is what sometimes happens: Outlet structure blocked by debris and dead plant material. Landscaping/sod has died and sides are eroded.

Avoiding Pedestrian Hazards in Parking Lots (2) Landscape Strips

This local landscape strip in the parking area exhibits several flaws. The area is too narrow for the selected tree species (Live Oak) The topsoil within the planting area has been eroded away either by foot traffic or rainfall, or both There is no mulch around the tree to aid in moisture retention. It is possible that the soil is so compacted that the roots must surface to get the oxygen needed to survive. A path is not provided between areas separated by the landscape strip, making traversing an area like this, with exposed roots, hazardous to pedestrians. A mitigating feature is that the planting strip is, placed at a 90 degree agnle with reference to the store entry so that pedestrians are not forced to cross the strip in order to reach the front entry. Some Suggested Design Considerations Ensure the species of tree is well suited at maturity for the space provided. Know the characteristics of the development of the root system. At ...

Avoiding Pedestrian Hazards in Parking Lots (1) Drainage Structures

Don't forget that once a passenger leaves a vehicle, the passenger has become a pedestrian. This photograph is of a parking lot at a local restaurant. The gutter of this style inlet is heavily sloped, and it's location can lead to serious injury to a pedestrian leaving a vehicle.

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