Tips: Reverse angle parking
What’s up with that?
Why am I seeing all these cars backing into parking spaces. Isn’t that dangerous and isn’t it hard to back into a parking space?
Response
That’s called reverse angle parking. It actually has advantages over other parking approaches and it’s not that hard to do.
Why bother?
More parking: When cars park parallel on a street, they occupy more linear space than they do with angled parking. Angled parking allows for 30% more cars than parallel parking.
Easier to do: Parking at an angle is actually easier to execute than sliding your car into a parallel spot.
Safer: Why, you may be wondering, are we going in backwards rather than nose first as we’ve always done? Getting into a reverse angle spot will slow down the cars behind you momentarily. However, those cars can see you signaling and know to slow down. When it’s time to exit the spot, you, the driver, have much better visibility, and can pull out safely.
In contrast, while forward angle parking allows you to pull into a spot quickly, the challenge comes when you’re exiting. You can’t see and they can’t see you! That can be dangerous for you, those driving by, and especially for cyclists.
Trips
Check it out!
Are you new to cycling? Do you have a child who is starting to venture off on their own on an old fashioned “acoustic” bike—or an e-bike? Do you love finding quiet, scenic and safer ways to explore Encinitas. In each column, we’ll share a different route that avoids the major throughways, such as Encinitas Blvd., Santa Fe Dr., Leucadia Blvd., or El Camino Real.
Riding to the beach from Village Park – no big streets required!
Do you live in Village Park? Would you love to ride to the beach, but want to avoid the hecticness of Encinitas Blvd and Santa Fe. Then this route is for you.
Follow Willowspring Dr. S to Sprucewood Dr., one block east of El Camino Real. Turn right onto Sprucewood, follow it for a few blocks and turn left on Crest Dr. There is a signal at El Camino Real that allows you to cross safely. Follow Crest up the hill (yes, it’s a little steep) and then turn right on Melba (going west). Follow Melba to Ocean Knoll school where you turn right (north) on Bonita following it until the end. It dead ends here for cars, but as a cyclist or pedestrian, you can squeeze through the small path which puts you on Requeza St. Follow Requeza down the hill, cross the freeway, and turn right on Stratford. Stratford wraps around to D St., which takes you all the way to D St. stairs, a block south of Moonlight Beach.
— Berlfein is chair of Encinitas BikeWalk and lives in Encinitas.
This story originally appeared in Encinitas Advocate .
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