Restriping a Lot in The Dalles to ADA Standards
When a lot in The Dalles has faded to ghost lines, the restripe that follows is the best chance to fix more than visibility. Stripping a lot to bare asphalt and repainting costs roughly the same whether you reproduce a non-compliant accessible layout or correct it. The smart owner uses that moment to bring the accessible stalls fully up to code.
This guide covers what an ADA-compliant restripe looks like for a Wasco County lot, why paint choice carries extra weight in the eastern Gorge climate, and what to verify before the first line goes down. It builds on our statewide Oregon ADA parking compliance guide.
The Compliant Striping Layout
A correct accessible stall is more than a blue rectangle:
- Stall width: at least 8 feet for the accessible space
- Access aisle: 5 feet wide for a car stall, 8 feet for a van stall, painted with diagonal hatching
- Van alternative: an 11-foot stall with a 5-foot aisle is an accepted substitute for the 8-and-8 layout
- International Symbol of Accessibility: painted in each accessible stall to spec
- NO PARKING text: lettered in the access aisle to discourage encroachment
- Aisle placement: level with the stall and connected to the route to the door
Two accessible stalls can share one access aisle, a useful space-saver in tighter downtown lots in The Dalles. For full marking detail, see our 2026 ADA striping requirements and the ADA access aisle striping spec.
Confirm Your Count Before Painting
A restripe is the right moment to verify your accessible count is current. The standard is one accessible space per 25 total, scaling up, with at least one in six accessible stalls being van-accessible. Older lots in The Dalles often predate the current van ratio and run a van stall short. Correcting that during layout, before paint touches asphalt, is far cheaper than re-cutting stalls afterward.
Paint Cannot Fix Slope
Striping makes a lot look right, but it cannot correct slope. The 2 percent maximum on accessible stalls and aisles applies to the finished surface. If the Gorge's freeze-thaw winters have settled the asphalt past that limit, fresh paint over a 3 percent slope is still a violation. Before restriping, check the accessible stalls and aisles with a level. If slope is out of tolerance, regrade or patch first. Paint hides the problem from your eyes, not from a tape and level.
Choosing Paint for the Eastern Gorge
This is where The Dalles differs sharply from the wetter, milder Willamette Valley. Hard winter freezes, blowing grit, and intense summer UV fade traffic paint faster than the state average. Because faded accessible markings become a compliance gap, durability is a compliance issue, not just an aesthetic one:
- Water-based latex is cheapest but fades fastest under the Gorge's UV
- Oil-based paint adheres better and holds color longer through freeze-thaw
- Thermoplastic is the most durable and the best long-term value for accessible stalls, lasting years in eastern Gorge conditions
- Reflective glass beads improve nighttime visibility through long, dark winter evenings
Spending a little more on durable material for the accessible stalls keeps those critical markings compliant longer between full restripes.
Timing the Work
Traffic paint needs dry pavement above roughly 50°F to cure. In The Dalles that means late spring through early fall. The dry climate offers strong curing conditions, but the same UV that cures paint also ages it, reinforcing the case for durable material. Wind can also be a factor during application, so a calmer window helps clean lines. Booking in spring for early-summer work usually locks in better scheduling.
Signage Completes the Job
A compliant restripe needs compliant signs. Each accessible stall requires a vertical sign with the International Symbol of Accessibility mounted at least 60 inches to the bottom, a "Van Accessible" plate on van stalls, and Oregon's required fine-amount plate. The Gorge wind leans and loosens posts over time, so replace any bent, leaning, low, or faded signs as part of the same project rather than leaving a freshly striped lot with non-compliant signage.
Pairing With a Full Restripe
If the whole lot is due for fresh lines, fold the ADA corrections into the larger restripe to share mobilization costs. Pricing, durable paint options, and seasonal timing are covered in our parking lot striping in The Dalles guide.
The dimensions and specs here are general guidance based on the 2010 ADA Standards and ORS 447.233. Your lot's exact compliance depends on measured conditions, so have a qualified contractor verify dimensions and slope before painting.