BY REBECCA BENNETT — “Snowzilla” has moved out, and even though Hyattsville residents are beginning to dig and wander out, travel is far from easy in the area. Main arteries, such as East West Highway, Queens Chapel Road and Baltimore Avenue, are fairly clear of snow. However, there is so much snow that it takes away a half or a whole lane in many spots. Homeowners on those streets have also found it difficult to clear a path in their driveways, so we have seen automobiles stopped along major routes for loading and unloading.
Sidewalks along some of the major routes are not clear, so watch out for pedestrians walking in the street. Last night, many people on foot took to the center turn lane of Baltimore Avenue.
The City of Hyattsville is working on clearing side streets. Some of the snow emergency routes, such as Jefferson Street and 42nd Avenue, are in decent shape. However, it is difficult to get in and out of the neighborhood without going down a snow-covered street. Most of the residential streets are still pretty slick, and there is still potential to end up on a street you cannot pass through. It is also still possible to get stuck. Turns are slippery, frequent plowing and travel have caused some tight turns. On many streets, the snow piles that fill in the space between parked cars have made it impossible for cars going opposite ways to pass each other.
As some travelers have found out, they could fairly safely travel to their destination, but the mounds of snow have taken away almost all of the street parking. Businesses in the Shoppes at Arts District found the main parking lot next to the apartments, which was covered in two feet of snow last night, has been freshly plowed this morning.
