Medina is seeking community input to make the city’s public square safer

MEDINA, Ohio — Medina is one step closer to improving public safety for pedestrians in the city’s public square for people like Gina Garapic, who said she almost saw an accident on Monday.

But before any changes can happen, community input is needed.

“While we were sitting there, we saw two ladies crossing the street and the cars were coming towards them and the signal was flashing and the people weren’t even stopping,” said Medina resident Gina Garapic.

In September, News 5 spoke with Medina City Council President John Coyne after council members passed legislation seeking grant money to make several improvements, including adding bump-outs to lengthen the curb and shorten pedestrian crossings to be made at every crossing on the square.

The Medina City Council is seeking grant money to improve pedestrian safety in this popular area

RELATED: The Medina City Council is seeking grant money to improve pedestrian safety in this popular area

This comes after News 5 reported several incidents of people being hit by cars in Medina’s public square.

Among them is the most recent incident in March 2024, when Medina Police body camera footage showed the moment a car hit John McKay’s 9-year-old son as the boy was on his way to school.

“Getting a call that my son had just been hit by a car was probably one of the hardest calls I’ve had,” McKay said in September 2024.

Since then, Medina Police told News 5 in an email that there have been two incidents involving pedestrians around Medina Square.

Coyne said this further motivated council members to seek safety funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation, which he said they received faster than he expected.

“You want to make sure you provide the safest environment you can because the plaza is a busy plaza,” Coyne said.

Although the $1.8 million project isn’t expected to start until April 2026, city engineer Patrick Patton said there is already a rendering and plans on the city’s website to redesign Court Street from Lafayette Street covering, in addition to making improvements such as sidewalk repairs, ADA facility upgrades, and pedestrian button signal changes.

The bump-outs, which cost $500,000, are also included.

“I’m glad to hear that they are doing something to improve safety around the square,” said Garapic.

In a text message, McKay said he believes bump-outs can slow traffic. Still, he says it doesn’t really increase their awareness, so he encourages drivers to focus on the road and the pedestrians around them.

“We know this won’t solve the problem. I think it will be a big improvement and a benefit,” Patton said.

Click here to submit your feedback.