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Update, 12:10 p.m. Monday: The city of Detroit, as promised, has posted "no parking" signs on the stretch of Russell Street at the Fisher Freeway in Eastern Market.
Some readers commented on the original story and on Facebook, saying it should be assumed that a parking space is illegal if it has a stripe in the back of the spot.
However, that's not the case in Eastern Market. There are plenty of parking spots with stripes in the back of the spot, including those in front of such popular places as Supino Pizzeria and Russell Deli on Russell.
► Update, 5:45 p.m. Friday: The City of Detroit on Friday said it will post "no parking" signs on a small stretch of Russell Street at the Fisher Freeway in Eastern Market in Detroit where some people were being ticketed, not realizing it was a "no parking" zone. The tickets are $45.
The small stretch of road is a bridge for the Fisher Freeway. State law prohibits parking on bridges. I parked there on Thursday and was ticketed, as were a number of other cars. The area I parked in had white parking stripes and no signs forbidding parking. And I didn't realize there was a state law forbidding parking on bridges.
The decision to place the signs there came after I wrote a story and inquired about the situation with city hall. On Thursday, Dan Austin, deputy communications director for the city, said he would look into the matter.
On Friday, he said some signs will be up by Tuesday.
Thursday's original column
I lunched Thursday at a new sandwich shop in Eastern Market, a part of the city I frequent.
When I came outside, a $45 ticket was on my car and about five other cars parked alongside.
The thing is, I parked on a short stretch of road on Russell Street that serves as a bridge for the Fisher Freeway. I, like everyone else there, parked between the white parking stripes. They looked pretty real. And no sign said "No Parking."
I called the city's parking division and spoke to two people. Both told me drivers should know that state law forbids parking on a bridge.
"That's mandated by the state government," one clerk said, adding that a "No Parking" sign might add unnecessary weight to the bridge. Mmm. Mind you, cars and people travel across that bridge constantly.
Stupid me. Stupid us. Instead of drinking beer and watching "House of Cards" on Netflix, I should spend more time brushing up on the nuances of parking violations in the city.
Meanwhile, Detroit rakes in revenue from folks who don't know about the law.
Dan Austin, deputy communications director for the city of Detroit, said Thursday: "We're looking into it. We're going to send a crew out and try to figure what 's going on."
They look like regular parking stripes
I spoke to Dan Carmody, president of the Eastern Market Corporation, who said he's been trying to get the city to post a permanent "No Parking" sign. On weekends, when more park people park there, Eastern Market sets out a temporary warning sign.
Carmody suggested people "might want to contest the ticket because there's no signage."
Sounds like good advice.
