Tips for Designing an Effective, Safe Corporate Parking Lot

03.13.23

Having an effective corporate parking lot is essential for businesses. This space is the first interaction visitors have with a company's location, and a poor parking experience can lead to a decrease in business visitors and harm relationships with clients.

Understanding the factors that go into the best designs for corporate parking lots can help businesses optimize their parking areas and develop stronger relationships with their visitors. This guide covers numerous parking lot safety tips to help companies create the best parking lot design possible.

Read the full article or jump to a specific section:

• Safety Tips for Corporate Parking Lots
• How Landscaping Parking Lots Can Improve Curb Appeal
• The Benefits of Implementing Commercial Shade Structures
• Types of Shade Structures for Corporate Parking
• Implement Quality Shade Structures with VPS

7 Safety Tips for Corporate Parking Lots

Safety elements are essential when businesses want to provide a quality experience with their parking lot. As open public spaces, safety can be challenging to ensure. Strategies and design elements can promote increased safety and security in these areas, encouraging customers and employees to use the lot to its fullest.

1. Post Rules and Directions Clearly

Regulatory and directional elements can promote increased safety. Rules improve behavior, while directions help people safely navigate spaces. Some ways to communicate rules and directions to commercial parking lot visitors include the following:

• Lot hours: Some businesses limit their lot hours to align with their operating hours. Corporations can create safer environments by ensuring customers can seek out employees when they need assistance. Using signs to highlight lot hours can communicate information effectively to lot visitors.
• Reserved spaces: Parking lots must have accessible parking spots for individuals with disabilities or conditions that make it difficult to navigate the area. They might also designate lots for pregnant people, those with young children, or veterans. Businesses can mark these spots with signs and paint, helping visitors understand where they can park. 
• Prohibited activities: Companies can improve safety by clarifying what behavior they condone in their parking lot. Some actions can pose a risk to vehicles parked in the lot, increasing the risk of scratches and dents. Corporations can post signs prohibiting smoking, skateboarding, and loitering in their lots to create a safer environment. Speed limits and bumps can also support safety standards.
• Directories: Businesses can improve the experience for first-time visitors by helping direct them throughout corporate and commercial locations. Guides can highlight where businesses are and assist customers in finding the location they need to visit. Clear messages can reduce frustration, building positive impressions with customers, executives, and employees. Understanding where to go can reduce distractions, creating a safer environment for motorists and pedestrians.
• Pavement directions: Companies can help pedestrians and motorists understand how to move within the parking lot. Pavement arrows can indicate how motorists must drive through lanes or find the exit. Painted crosswalks can highlight where pedestrians can cross and draw attention to areas for motorists, creating safer spaces for people traveling to and from their cars.

Directional and regulatory efforts can show that businesses are dedicated to promoting a safe environment on their properties. By reducing threats and frustration, visitors can enter a company with a better first impression.

2. Ensure Adequate Lighting

Adequate lighting is essential for vehicular and pedestrian safety. When motorists on lots can see properly, they can navigate around other drivers, stationary vehicles, and pedestrians.

While activity might spike during the day, employees and customers might need to access commercial locations when there isn't natural light. Even if the lot closes before dark, employees might need time to complete closing procedures, requiring safe navigation after dark.

A well-lit lot can also deter crime on the premises. Criminals rely on dark spaces and shadows to hide. Comprehensive lighting solutions increase visibility in parking lots, making it easier for visitors to assess threats and make out identifying features.

3. Choose a Safe Location and Protection 

The parking lot's location can determine safety on commercial property. Remote lots make it hard for people to get help, and isolation can increase various criminal activities. When visibility is crucial for safety, building a corporate lot in a more public location with increased traffic can create a safer environment.

Corporate parking lots have several unique needs. As companies design their parking lots and their layouts, consider the following elements:

• Employee parking: Employees need safe parking, as they often arrive first and leave last. Many companies require employees to park in back lots to open more spaces for customers in the front. The isolation of rear lots can increase employee risks, especially those opening and closing alone. Instead, consider giving them a section of the front lot close enough to the doors to increase visibility and reduce isolation. 
• Waiting areas: Guests might wait in the lot for several reasons. They may arrive before opening or carpool with individuals who have yet to arrive. Some employees might like taking breaks outside between shifts. When visitors want to use commercial parking lots for purposes other than parking, companies can increase safety by providing waiting areas. Add more lighting and amenities to these spaces, like benches and trash cans.
• Pickup and curbside: People love efficient, simplified services. Curbside and pickup services allow individuals to pick up their orders conveniently. Many companies benefit from these services, enabling them to reach different audiences and enhance buyer experiences. Businesses can optimize safety for curbside and pickup options by designating space for these transactions. Consider setting aside parking spaces or creating curb inlets where vehicles can safely wait without obstructing traffic.
• Public transportation: Parking lots often only serve individual cars, but creating room for public transit stops can be highly beneficial. When buses can drop people off closer to their destination, there are fewer opportunities for accidents between them exiting the bus and entering a store. Consider building stops in corporate parking lots to increase safety and efficiency for customers and employees.

When people can use company parking lots in various ways, businesses can enhance the visitor experience and build trust.

4. Install Security Cameras

Security cameras are another crime reduction strategy businesses can implement around parking lots. This technology allows security teams to monitor various spaces simultaneously, from parking lots and loading docks to storage spaces and sales floors. They provide comprehensive coverage and live footage that companies can use to provide more efficient reactions and responses to threats.

Installing security cameras around parking lots offers several benefits:

• Deterring crime: Like lighting, visible security cameras can reduce crime by increasing visibility. When businesses have teams analyzing and reviewing live footage, they can collect and store historical footage. Businesses can use files as evidence against criminals, discouraging them from committing crimes on properties with cameras. 
• Filing insurance claims: If a company experiences theft or vandalism, its security cameras can collect valuable evidence to submit insurance claims. They can provide proof of incidents and their circumstances for a smoother, more efficient process. Additionally, cameras can catch damage unrelated to criminal activity, like weather damage, for increased functionality.
• Identifying criminals: If criminals vandalize facilities or steal accessories, footage can help local authorities identify the involved individuals. Cameras allow companies to capture several identifying details, from clothing to faces. They can also use them to solve vehicular crimes, like a motorist hitting a parked car.

Security cameras can be powerful tools for businesses. When businesses know how to use them, they can increase safety and security at their location.

5. Implement Emergency Call Stations

When corporations want a high-response safety and security system, an emergency call station can benefit employees and customers. These stations allow individuals to connect with emergency responders with the press of a button. Booths often include a flashing strobe light to direct dispatchers to the individual.

These systems are beneficial in more remote locations where there might be less traffic and other protective measures. Spacing them throughout parking lots can help individuals feel safer as they return to their cars, knowing they can contact help if needed. Systems like this help corporations build trust and assurance with their customers, employees, executives, and other visitors.

6. Hire Security Guards

While the right tools can help deter crime, having individuals patrolling parking lots can increase threat identification and response. Businesses can hire guards to circle lots, look for signs of criminal activity, or guard entryways. Even if a company's location is in a safe area, security guards can take on several roles, including:

• Monitoring lots after hours: Empty lots can attract criminal activity and other unwelcome behavior. Security guards can walk or drive around lots and patrol buildings, deterring individuals from accessing them after hours. This kind of security can reduce theft, vandalism, and damage to facilities. If something does happen, guards can identify and respond to the incident as it occurs.
• Protecting items and providing a secure presence: Security guards can protect products from theft. Many stores use security guards to review receipts and ensure they match purchased goods. Especially if companies offer more high-end products, this method can increase safety for their goods and employees. Stationing security guards during operating hours gives employees and customers someone to go to when they need help or see a potential threat.
• Admitting only permitted individuals: Many corporations limit their facilities to permit only employees and executives. Security guards can provide or deny access to designated employee lots or offer services to members. They can operate barriers and issue guest passes while helping people with directions and reducing crime.

Security guards can be valuable assets to businesses. Understanding how to deploy their services to benefit parking lots and daily operations can enhance customer experience and functionality.

7. Maximize Drainage in Parking Lots

Parking lot safety goes beyond human actions and interactions. Depending on local climates, weather can also threaten people and property, leading to extensive safety risks and damage companies should aim to avoid as much as possible.

Heavy storms and precipitation can cause parking lots to flood, making them unusable or potentially endangering individuals and vehicles. When rainwater and melting ice mix with chemicals on pavement, runoff can harm aquatic ecosystems and drinking water sources for serious health concerns.

Choosing the proper drainage system is essential when designing parking lots. The drainage system a company chooses depends on the area's climate and precipitation intensity and frequency. Some standard solutions include:

• Standard catch basins: With this drain type, the surface grate catches debris and larger materials to prevent them from getting stuck in passageways. It offers a temporary holding area for water before directing it off the property, making it better for smaller spaces that collect less water.
• Concrete-encased drainage basins: This drainage solution uses reinforcements to handle higher volumes of water for more high-traffic areas. With this option, businesses can effectively keep their parking lots clear for years to come, thanks to the basin's high durability.
• Trench drainage basins: Like standard catch basins, trench drainage options use grates to filter debris and litter before handling water. They incorporate trenches to redirect water away from commercial facilities at a higher capacity than standard catch basins. These basins are ideal for commercial settings because of their increased functionality and scope.
• French drains: For a more aesthetically pleasing drainage option, French drains offer more stylish grates and entry points. Their design makes it more possible to landscape around drains, helping them blend into the surroundings for a more seamless look. They use trench or pipe systems to transport water, and the engineering involved makes them beneficial for properties with low spaces.

When constructing a parking lot, companies can increase drainage by setting pavement on a slope to direct water away from the center. Experts recommend using a 2% slope to allow water to gather naturally toward drainage systems without making the lot hard for motorists and pedestrians to navigate.

How Landscaping Parking Lots Can Improve Curb Appeal 

While safety features are a great way to boost first impressions and create effective parking lots, landscaping techniques can also work in a business's favor. With landscaping and exterior design, companies can transform their parking lots and facilities into spaces full of color and originality.

These design stages incorporate several factors, from adding greenery and colors to choosing building materials and styles.

1. Attract New Customers

Quality landscaping can catch the attention of new customers and communicate essential information about the company to them. Landscaping can bring bright color to the property's exterior, increasing its visibility in the surrounding areas. Customers passing through busy throughways or shopping centers can better notice the building if the parking lot is bursting with various colors and plants.

Landscaping choices can also help businesses attract their target audience. They can use plants to support their branding standards by matching them to the company's color scheme, helping solidify brand recognition. Additionally, factors like spacing and color can communicate their values to customers. Minimalism and symmetry can tell customers companies are refined and orderly, while lots of color and textures might show they're fun and welcoming.

By assessing landscaping, potential customers can determine if businesses are right for them. If they align with company interests and values, they're more likely to return, increasing customer retention.

2. Stand out From the Competition

When located in a highly populated area, it can be challenging to compete with other businesses. Landscaping efforts can help customers distinguish the company from others. Adding plants and greenery around buildings and cultivating a unique aesthetic provides a different visual experience that contrasts against neighboring companies, helping catch the customers' eye and drawing them to commercial facilities.

3. Enhance the Visitor Experience

Landscaping can provide a refreshing commercial and corporate experience for customers and employees. As they pass through the parking lot, plants and shrubs can bring life to the spaces, connecting them to nature and creating a sense of calm. Because parking lots have many uses, greenery can be ideal for employees who want to take their breaks outside or customers waiting for carpools or public transit.

The Benefits of Implementing Commercial Shade Structures 

Shade structures can be robust exterior designs and landscaping tools. While their primary function is to offer quality shade, they can benefit companies and visitors in several ways.

1. Lower Car Temperature in the Heat

The shade provided by shade structures can protect vehicles and individuals from heat and UV rays. When cars sit in the sun for long periods, the temperature can drastically rise, making it uncomfortable when individuals return after shopping or working. Commercial shade structures can even play a large role in reducing the trailer temperature, creating a safer work environment for logistic teams.

Shade structures can provide more immediate relief by blocking the source of the excess heat. This benefit can enhance the visitor experience, building a more positive relationship with the corporation.

2. Protect Cars and Customers From Precipitation

In addition to sun protection, commercial sun shades can offer additional weather protection. Hail and sleet can scratch and dent vehicles or crack windshields. Damages and repairs can be expensive and comprehensive, causing employees and customers to be without cars while they wait for repairs. Companies that offer thorough vehicle protection can show their visitors they care about their vehicles.

3. Function as Marketing Materials

Sun shades come in various shapes, designs, and colors, allowing companies to incorporate solutions that match their branding standards. Like plants and landscaping, they can improve brand recognition by developing associations with color and businesses. Because they rise above parking lots, they can help customers notice companies from distances for better competitiveness.

Types of Shade Structures for Corporate Parking 

When considering implementing shade structures for corporate parking lots, companies can choose between multiple types to optimize their investment and functionality. The various types offer different features and benefits, allowing businesses to meet their goals and visitor needs.

Some types of shade structures offered by VPS for corporations include: 

• Cantilever shade structures: Cantilever designs optimize space efficiency by using minimal columns, leaving more space for individuals to park without sacrificing coverage. They come in various styles and configurations, allowing corporations to find the best option for their aesthetic and brand. 
• Mass coverage shade structures: When businesses need to cover more surface area, a mass coverage shade solution functions for increased volumes. This option is excellent for parking lots that require comprehensive coverage. VPS can work with businesses to develop unique layouts to cater to various spaces and applications.
• Solar panel shade structures: Many companies want to prioritize green initiatives. Solar panel shade structures combine shade coverage with clean, green energy from a renewable source. Businesses can show their visitors they care about the environment, helping connect them with customers that share their values.

Implement Quality Shade Structures With VPS 

Corporate applications require larger scopes for shade solutions. PVS specializes in designing and implementing shade structures for expansive spaces like corporate parking lots. With several types and styles, PVS can supply businesses with the right solution for their area and needs. As a result, businesses can construct safe, comfortable spaces for their employees and visitors.

Contact us today to learn more about VPS shade solutions and how we support corporate applications.