Tuscaloosa lots we stripe
The university shapes a lot of the parking in town. Student apartment complexes have big lots that are full most of the time, and the stores and restaurants near campus see heavy traffic. On game days, lots all over town get packed. Clear stalls, arrows and fire lanes matter most when a lot is full and everybody is in a hurry. DCH Regional Medical Center and the clinics around it add busy medical lots with a lot of accessible parking.
Out in the county, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance and the suppliers and warehouses that serve it have employee lots, truck lanes and concrete floors that need lane and bay lines and yellow safety lines. Add Shelton State and Stillman College, churches, schools and strip centers along McFarland Boulevard, and there is plenty to keep striped.
Heat, rain and heavy use
West Alabama gets hot, humid summers and plenty of rain. Sun fades paint and heat softens asphalt, while rain carries grit that wears lines down. Apartment and campus-area lots take steady traffic every day, and entrances and drive lanes go first. Lots that fill up on game days take a lot of wear in a short time.
We stripe on dry pavement with enough time for the paint to set, and we can talk through timing around move-in weeks or the football schedule. On sealed lots we wait until the sealer is ready. If there are potholes or broken edges along the lines, we can do minor asphalt and concrete repair first.
Alabama fire code and ADA in Tuscaloosa
The Alabama State Fire Marshal has adopted the 2021 International Fire Code, including Appendix D on fire apparatus access roads. Under the IFC, fire apparatus access roads generally need at least 20 feet of clear width and can require NO PARKING FIRE LANE signs or markings. The City of Tuscaloosa also adopts codes locally, so check with Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue on what your site needs. Apartment lots in particular often need fire lanes kept clear.
Accessible parking follows the 2010 ADA Standards. Each accessible stall needs a marked access aisle at least 60 inches wide, and at least one of every six accessible stalls must be van accessible. Stalls and aisles cannot slope more than 1:48. We lay out the stalls, paint the symbol and stripe the aisle so drivers do not park in it.
