Parking in a T Intersection

Question: I live on a street where there is a T intersection. I'm wondering if it is OK to park in the top T portion of the intersection.

To complicate matters, there is a curb let down (or curb ramp) on one leg of the T intersection. What is the distance required from the curb let down before a car can park? Is it 1.5 m (distance from a driveway) or is it 6 m (distance from the crosswalk)?

For reference, you can see the intersection on Google Maps at 14th Avenue East and Maddams Street in Vancouver:

Parking in a T Intersection

The short answer is no, unless a sign permits parking. The fact that a road ends at a T intersection does not make the top of the T available for parking. It is still part of the intersection.

When Vehicle Stopping Prohibited

Section 189 of the Motor Vehicle Act prohibits stopping, standing or parking in a number of locations, including intersections and crosswalks:

189 (1) Except when necessary to avoid conflict with traffic or to comply with the law or the directions of a peace officer or traffic control device, a person must not stop, stand or park a vehicle as follows:

(c) in an intersection, except as permitted by a sign;

(e) on a crosswalk;

(f) within 6 m of the approach side of a crosswalk;

This means that the prohibition on parking in an intersection answers the first part of the question. A T intersection is still an intersection, so the top of the T is not a place where you may park unless a sign specifically permits it.

In this Vancouver example, there is also a no-parking sign posted at the location:

What About the Curb Ramp?

The curb ramp is useful because it can help identify the location of an unmarked crosswalk. A crosswalk does not have to be painted on the road to be a crosswalk under the Motor Vehicle Act.

The Act defines a crosswalk as:

"crosswalk" means

(a) a portion of the roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by signs or by lines or other markings on the surface, or

(b) the portion of a highway at an intersection that is included within the connection of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on the opposite sides of the highway, or within the extension of the lateral lines of the sidewalk on one side of the highway, measured from the curbs, or in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the roadway;

In other words, an unmarked crosswalk can exist at an intersection where the sidewalks define its location. The absence of painted lines does not mean that there is no crosswalk.

Six Metres From the Crosswalk

Once the location of the crosswalk is established, section 189 provides the answer to the parking-distance question. You must not park on the crosswalk or within 6 m of its approach side.

The 6 m distance is measured from the approach side of the crosswalk, not from the curb ramp itself. The curb ramp can help you identify the crosswalk, but it is the crosswalk that determines where the 6 m restriction applies.

The 1.5 m distance mentioned in the question is therefore not the distance that applies to the crosswalk. The applicable Motor Vehicle Act restriction is the prohibition on parking on a crosswalk and within 6 m of its approach side.

Learn More

• Parking Distance Rules in British Columbia
• Parking Too Close to a Crosswalk