MEDINA — City safety offi­cials are banning parking on Guilford Boule­vard.

“No Parking” signs were posted on the street after the city’s Traffic Safety Com­mittee voted unanimously Nov. 2 to enforce the ban. Parking previously was permitted on some sections of the road, a main artery to the city’s southeastern residential neighborhoods.

Hanwell

Kolesar

“Really, the decision was based on the volume of cars traveling through there because it is a main feeder street to that entire residential area,” said Mayor Dennis Han­well, who also serves as the city’s safety director.

Ward 3 Councilman Mark Kolesar said he received com­plaints from several residents about congestion caused by cars parked on the street, which led to him bringing the issue to the committee.

“Guilford is a collector street, and many neighborhoods depend on that stretch of road,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve gotten complaints here and there, but over the last year it’s really increased.”

Traffic statistics provided by the Police Department influ­enced the decision to ban parking, according to a depart­ment statement. In 2009 and most of 2010, 32 accidents, 34 parking offenses, 17 parking citations and 245 traffic offenses were reported on the street, the department reported.

The Police Department will issue warning citations for vehicles parked illegally on Guilford Boulevard for the next 60 days, unless it is a second occurrence, in which case a citation will be issued.

The Traffic Safety Committee is made up of the mayor, city engineer, streets superinten­dent, law director, and fire and police chiefs.

Service Director Nino Piccoli said the committee also was concerned safety service vehi­cles could not maneuver the narrow street.

Kolesar said he has received a few complaints from resi­dents about the change. Some suggested limiting the ban to busy hours, but the amount of traffic in the morning and afternoon to and from Heritage Elementary School, as well as that caused by evening com­muters, led to officials deciding against the idea.

“There were comments sug­gesting limiting the ban to a couple of hours of the day, but … the window of parking was so narrow we felt there should be no parking altogether,” he said.

Contact Lisa Hlavinka at (330) 721-4048 or lhlavinka@medina-gazette.com.