It’s no secret that having more people in your storefront leads to bigger profits. Safely and comfortably getting customers into your doors isn’t as easy as you might think.
Providing a hazard-free, free-flowing parking lot for the public helps make the shopping experience more enjoyable. Plus, it maintains a higher property value for your building. Here are three ways to make your parking lot safer for cars and pedestrians.
Smooth traffic flow
First and foremost, a great parking lot features smooth traffic flow. This limits the chances of collisions and other accidents involving pedestrians. It also cycles out a higher volume of cars, which in turn helps your business.
The easiest way to make your parking lot smoother is by implementing an alternating “one-way” system, where cars must follow a strict direction before finding a spot. Additionally, you can designate dedicated exits and entrances to avoid two-way traffic from entering and exiting throughout the lot. Lastly, generously place stop signs throughout the parking lot to maintain slower speeds.
Separate pedestrians from traffic
Keeping people away from cars keeps everyone involved safer. So how can you effectively police a separated parking lot? Consider adding pedestrian-only walkways that lead customers from their cars to the front entrance. This keeps foot traffic off of the road and stops cars from cutting through painted lines.
Try and divert exiting and entering traffic to the least populated areas of the parking lot. If you can limit the number of cars moving towards the entrance of your building, you can keep pedestrian and vehicle interactions to a minimum. Keep your parking lot well-lit to avoid nighttime accidents.
Make signage and directions visible
Once you’ve installed dedicated pedestrian walkways and one-way traffic systems, you must enforce these safety features by keeping signs and paint visible. If drivers can’t see which way to go or when to yield for customers, then your safety implementations are useless.
Consider regular line stripping and repainting, so that road signage stays bright and visible. Ensure that signs are upright and functional. Use cones and other bright warning objects to keep cars and pedestrians separated and away from any damaged areas of your parking lot.
By following these three ways to make your parking lot safer for cars and pedestrians, you can ensure a better shopping experience for everyone. If all else fails, consider hiring parking lot attendants to police your safety implementations.
