percentile, and drivers are practiced at parallel parking, it possible that up to seven cars might be parked
in the same 100’. Inversely, four large vehicles parked carelessly with several feet of separation between
each could fill the same 100’ block face, even though there is enough linear distance to support five
spaces,
Any interruption in the curb will further reduce the practical parking capacity of a length of roadway. Using
the example of the 100’ curb face, if there is a driveway of 10’ in width in the middle of the block, that
would reduce the 100’ of uninterrupted space into two segments of 45’ in length each, reducing the
practical capacity to just four vehicles at an assumed set aside of 20’ per space. The addition of second
driveway on the same block could easily reduce practical capacity to just three vehicles, even if it is only
10’ in width, because it would further reduce the total number of uninterrupted 20’ lengths of open curb
space along the block face.
Other factors which impact the amount of uninterrupted, contiguous space along a curb face include
minimum setbacks from various structures. Some of these setbacks are prescribed to preserve the
efficient flow of traffic within the community, including emergency and service vehicles. As a general rule,
most communities mandate no vehicle may park within a certain distance of an intersections to
accommodate the wider turning movements of long wheelbase vehicles such as fire engines, ambulances,
snow plows, and garbage trucks. Other setbacks, such as prescribed ‘no parking’ areas adjacent to fire
hydrants, exist to assure quick and easy access to resources during emergencies.
Other setbacks such as required ‘no parking’ areas to either side of a curb cut for a driveway or alley exist
to preserve site lines for drivers so they can see oncoming traffic along the roadway from a safe vantage
point within the driveway or alleyway. Without these setbacks, individuals could park right up to the edge
of the curb cut, requiring drivers attempting exit the driveway or alleyway to pull into the roadway to see
if oncoming traffic is present before pulling out.
DESMAN reviewed the code of ordinances and zoning code for Nashua as well as the ten comparable
communities for required setbacks from crosswalks; stop signs or traffic signals; driveways; alleyways;
intersections without crosswalks, stop signs, or traffic signals; fire hydrants; and other structures.
DESMAN also collected information, where available, on dimension standard for parallel parking space,
travel lanes in roadways, and other pertinent regulations pertaining to parking on public streets. Where
there were no clear regulations regarding these items, DESMAN noted this category as “n/a”. A summary
of this research is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Dimensional Standards for On-Street Parking
City: ANashuo Albany Ann Arbor = Concord Concord Manchester Meridian Portland Pertsmouth Rochester West Hartford
State: WH NY MI NC iH NH ID ME NH MN oT
Setback fram Crosswalk nfo 20° 20° 20° 20° 20° 29° 20 nfa 20° 25!
Setback from Sign/Signal 2 30° 30 so 30" 30, 30! 30° nfs 30° nfs
Setback from Drive way 2 . nfa 4 néa Ey 5 nfa S nfa s nfa
Setback irom Alley nfo nfa 4 n/a nja * njfa * nféa nja afa 3 nfa
Setback from Intersection " 25 ~ nfa i nfa 20° 27 afa 23° 20 20' 25
Setback from Fire Hydrant 13’ 15' 15! is’ 15" 3 15° 10° 15' id 10'
Setback from Other Verious “20475 * ao-79 oo ao-7s' © apt a sono “ona 20-75 ~ onfa
Parking Stall Dimensiens oy 23 exzs' ~ ofn2g ~ ogstxa3* a'x22 * gtxgast oxgat ote a2" x20“ 875x200 ox a0
Drive Aisle Width nfo wo az at ag aang aya * aaoet isjg ~ ayer 2/20"
Other Regulations afa iw nfa zz nfa n/a fa nia nfa 26-34 ~ nfa
As the table shows, there are currently regulations in Nashua dictating setbacks from signs and signals,
driveways, intersections, and fire hydrants. Article XII of the Nashua Code of Ordinances also carries
multiple sections (320-61, 320-62, 320-64, 320-69, 320-70) which dictate where parking may or may not
