Parking is prohibited on Colfax Street under an ordinance unanimously adopted by the members present at the Toms River Township Council meeting last week. 

The recommendation to ban parking on both sides of the entire length of the downtown street came from the township's police department, according to officials. 

"It was their recommendation from their study," Business Administrator Paul Shives told resident Carol Benson, who questioned why the ban is necessary. "It came from them."

"Parking should be permitted on one side of the street," said Benson, who added that she has never seen "more than two cars" parked on the roadway.

Benson said that with no cars parked along the street, she fears the roadway could more easily be used as a shortcut for drivers from Highland Parkway to Main Street. 

"I think you're going to make it a speedway and I think it's unfair to the businesses that have been at that location for the past 20, 25 years," she said. 

Council President Mo Hill said that the ordinance was "guided" by the police department with public safety in mind.

"This request comes from our police department, so I'm going to defer to their knowledge on traffic safety," he said.

All council members voted in favor of the change — George Wittmann and Maria Maruca did not vote as they both received excused absences and were not present at the meeting. 

Should the parking prohibition cause issues, Hill said that the council always has the option of modifying the measure.

"If we have to revisit this in the future, we can do that. If we find that this is an issue, we can revise the ordinance," he said.

The prohibition is scheduled to take effect 20 days after publication and once appropriate signage has been posted, according to the ordinance.