JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

Drivers park along Main Street in downtown Christiansburg, where a plan to limit parking to three hours is still being finalized.

Then: Christiansburg Town Council conducted surveys and polled businesses to determine a limit for on-street parking in the downtown area. To preserve the feel of the area, the council opted to implement aesthetically pleasing signs stating the limit as opposed to parking meters.

The council passed a three-hour parking limit and said enforcement would begin Nov. 1.

Now: "We're a little bit behind schedule with rolling this out," said Vice Mayor and street committee member Brad Stipes.

He said the town now plans to begin enforcing the time limit this month. Those ticketed will have to pay a $10 fine.

The time limit will affect parking spots from town hall along East Main Street to Hickok Street and about a block of streets extending north and south on Franklin Street, Stipes said.

Areas with more restrictive limits, such as the 15-minute limit in front of the post office on East Main Street, will remain unchanged, he said.

Stipes separated the plan into two phases: the physical and enforcement components. The physical plan involves installing the signs, while enforcement deals with how tickets will be issued to those in violation of the limit.

He said the custom nature of the signs contributed to the delay of implementing the time limit. Stipes described the signs as "antique styles," saying they will fit in with the current look of the downtown area.

To determine how the penalty will be enforced, the street committee will communicate with the police department to learn whether uniformed or nonuniformed officers are able to patrol the area, while also determining what method is best.

Police Chief Mark Sisson said while they're still ironing out details on enforcement, steps are being taken.

"I've been authorized to hire a part-time individual to help monitor the traffic downtown," Sisson said.

He received this authorization Monday and plans to have someone hired and working by Feb. 1.

Stipes said the three-hour limit seemed like the best compromise for business owners, because it gives people plenty of time to take care of any commercial business but discourages people from parking for extended periods of time.

"It's going to be done right. ... Our goal is to make it attractive and effective and easy to enforce," Stipes said.