LID Method - Parking Lots

Parking lot size can be reduced through design specifications requiring smaller spaces for compact cars. The town of Bedford, for example, requires that 30 percent of spaces be designated for compact cars only. Parking "islands" can be turned into vegetated depressions, such as bioretention areas, rain gardens, or vegetated swales. All serve to capture the runoff, filter and infiltrate it. These initiatives are attractive and low maintenance, and support healthy vegetation. Seasonal parking areas, such as at outdoor recreation areas and overflow parking, can be made of permeable pavement, as can double as emergency access roads. The remaining greatly reduced runoff from these parking lots can be directed to infiltration basins (either open or sub-surface), or vegetated swales that clean the water prior to discharging to surface waters. Cherry Street in Hudson is a good example.