Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Reverse Angle Parking topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission discusses reverse-angle parking compliance, design differences with Tulsa
Summary
Commissioners debated why reverse-angle parking on 30th Street did not achieve the same compliance seen on Tulsa’s Cherry Street, and staff noted design-width and roadway configuration as likely factors.
Commissioners used the March 17 meeting to ask why reverse-angle (back-in) parking on the city’s 30th Street district has produced uneven compliance compared with Tulsa’s Cherry Street.
Commissioner Littlefield said his recent observations in Tulsa showed “reverse angle parking on Cherry Street was 100% packed and 100% compliant.” He asked staff to investigate what Tulsa does differently. Justin Henry, planning department staff, said Tulsa’s success may reflect broad downtown usage of back-in stalls and placement on one-way streets, both of which tend to improve compliance. Henry said staff would consult Tulsa colleagues and return with findings.
Staff further noted that design differences likely matter: the reverse-angle stalls used on the local 30th Street project are 9 feet wide, whereas Tulsa’s standard calls for 11-foot stalls. A 11-foot bay “might be easier to back into” and could improve compliance, staff said. Commissioners and staff also discussed other factors that affect driver behavior, including whether the street is one-way, mid-street medians or other roadway treatments, and the problem of impatient drivers honking while someone is backing in.
Commissioners also asked about physical delineators (sometimes called “armadillos”) used to protect bike lanes and medians; staff said most delineator posts in the city are adhered with epoxy rather than bolted, and that temperature and traffic can dislodge them over time.
Why it matters
Back-in (reverse-angle) parking can improve loading safety and traffic flow when it’s implemented with the right street profile and stall width. Commissioners signaled interest in data-driven tweaks — stall width, one-way conversions and protective devices — before making broader design changes in the city.
What’s next
Staff (planning and traffic services) will check Tulsa’s practice and report back with recommendations and potential design adjustments for local reverse-angle installations.
