Reverse Angle Parking
Downtown Enid Test

During a First Friday event in 2015, Main Street Enid tested Reverse Angle Parking, or Back-In Angle Parking on one block of downtown Enid.

Approximately 50 people tested it, with 45 seeing the benefits and loving the ease of pulling forward into traffic instead of backing out into oncoming traffic. 5 people frustrated, mostly not realizing what we were doing.

Thanks to Downtown Threads, everyone who tried Reverse Angle Parking received a free Back-In to the Future t-shirt, featuring our own clock tower, and an Opinion Card, showing they tried it and earned the right to have their opinion considered in this test. :)

The entrance of the lane along the parking was blocked to allow a comfortable area to test the parking, and signs were placed to show what was going on.

---

With the event starting at 6:00 pm, we started to block parking spaces with cones as people pulled out of the spaces, starting around 4:00. As spaces cleared, we used a piece of plastic or cardboard (cut at a 45-degree angle and a tape measure, we laid safety tape (blue & white stripes) to show up brighter than the regular stripes. The parking spaces on that block are a little irregular and very narrow, so we made these 10' wide to allow extra time for those inexperienced or afraid to back in.

Despite the 90% positive results, we are not implementing this type of parking permanently just yet. But we're sure that every time people almost get backed into or almost back into someone else, they might wish upon a star that safer parking might be real some day.

---

Benefits of Reverse Angle Parking

Improved Driver Visibility

• When leaving a parking space, drivers are facing forward, allowing a better view of traffic and cyclists
• Drivers do not have to back into traffic blindly when leaving. This makes departures safer, quicker and easier.

Easier Loading/Unloading

• When vehicle doors are open, they block pedestrian access to the travel lane and guide them back to the sidewalk.
• The vehicle’s trunk is accessed from the sidewalk, making it safer and more convenient to load/unload items.

Accessible Parking and Curb Ramps

• Accessible parking spaces are provided with direct access to the sidewalk.
• Wheelchair users can load/unload from the vehicle’s side or rear, away from the traffic lane.

Traffic Calming

• Onstreet parking visually narrows the roadway lane width, contributing to slower speeds and enhancing driver alertness.

Happy Parking!