With at least some amount of signage already in place, area residents took to the HOPE listserv over the weekend to wonder if it was now legal to park along Route 1 in downtown Hyattsville.

The answer, according to Hyattsville Communications Director Abby Sandel, is a loud and clear "we are in a grey area."

"Technically, parking is permitted, but we discourage it," said Sandel in an interview yesterday.

Though the city has approved a plan to bring 61 new parking spaces to Baltimore Avenue between Madison and Hamilton streets, the State Highway Administration has yet to deliver all of the necessary signage to clearly define where and when one may park their car along the thoroughfare. 

"Until the signage is in place, it would be very difficult for somebody to figure out where they may park," said Sandel. "One of the requirements for Route 1 parking is that we be vigilant about enforcing prohibitions on parking during peak hours, when we will be towing cars that are parked."

The new streetside parking arrangement prohibits parking on Route 1 between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. 

And while the dozen or so signs which currently line the road do spell out when one can park, they do not, among others, warn motorists that those who flaunt the parking prohibitions face the prospect of being towed for their obstructive infraction.

According to Sandel, city officials spoke with SHA representatives early yesterday morning to confirm that the full regimen of necessary signage is on its way, however there is no definite date by which the signs are expected. 

Once the signs are installed, the city will only need to install parking meters before the Route 1 parking plan is fully implemented as approved by the City Council, which means residents could see a few weeks of free streetside parking downtown.