NEW ORLEANS — Uptown parades are not rolling on Magazine Street this year, but some are lining up there before the parades start. Parking restriction signs have been causing some confusion for businesses and residents.
"Yesterday, none of the parades lined up on Magazine so we were crazy busy. It was wonderful and even when the parades run down Magazine, we are slammed from those too, but today as soon as the parade lined up, we emptied out. It was like crickets out here and that’s unusual for Surrey's on a Sunday at noon," said Surrey's Manager, Mary Sharp.
She believes her customers were either unable to get to Surrey's due to parades or were not sure if they could park on Magazine due to the signs that read 'no parking 9 a.m. to Midnight - Parade Days Only.'
"Which is a 15-hour window. Like, what? So it caused confusion because we don’t know what to tell our customers. They're like, 'can we park here? Not park here?' And we're like, 'I don’t know,'" Sharp said.
"There's not a single car on the block," said Maxwell Davis Sunday afternoon. His dad owns 'The Look' hair salon.
"They (the signs) say, '9 to midnight,' but above it they have a sign that says, '2 hours before and after the parade' so it's really confusing. When I pulled up I had no clue. People don’t seem to know. They are either parking here and risking it or parking around the corner," Davis said.
The City of New Orleans said the Department of Public Works placed the 'no parking' signs to make sure a portion of Magazine Street is clear to traffic before parades begin to allow for the staging of floats. The parking restrictions apply for six blocks on Magazine from Napoleon to Upperline, but not from 9 a.m. to midnight as the signs state.
A city spokesperson clarified the traditional rule of no parking two hours before or after the parade will be enforced and said in a statement, "We regret that parking sings posted for today were unclear and will be making changes going forward."
According to the city, the Department of Public Works will adjust these signs next week to make them clearer for the parades that start Wednesday.
Sharp is hoping for more clarity on which Uptown parades line up in front of her business on Magazine so she can better prepare.
"Yesterday, we were expecting parades to line up on Magazine and they never did, then today they did," she said. "We need all the business we can get."
District B Councilmember Lesli Harris learned of the 'no parking' signs and released the following statement:
"Disrupting parking for a whole day on ten separate days would be more than a small inconvenience to our residents and businesses who have anxiously awaited Carnival for the past two years," said Councilmember Harris. "While the restrictions will certainly cause disruption, this more limited prohibition is aligned with what we all expect during the Mardi Gras season. That said, it's vital to make sure our signage and communications are clear to neighbors, who should be forewarned of the parking restrictions."