Cincinnati installed 64 pedestrian safety projects last year, but is only scheduled to complete 11 in 2025.
City Council and the mayor’s office have directed a lot of extra money to pedestrian safety over the last few years, but federal stimulus is running out.
RELATED: Streets around UC have been updated to improve pedestrian safety, with more changes coming
“We are always working hard to try and find the most cost-effective solutions that we can,” said Mel McVay, who manages the pedestrian safety program for the Department of Transportation and Engineering. “The reality is, the most effective tools we have are also the most expensive tools that we have when it comes to pedestrian safety, so our money just doesn’t go as far as we would like.”
Projects installed last year include speed cushions, which have cutouts that allow emergency vehicles to drive over without slowing down.
McVay says they are the most effective way to slow down speeding drivers, although she acknowledges they aren’t always popular.
“It is cutting edge, and that means it may not be perfect,” she said. “We will continue to try to make adjustments to that design, knowing that it’s the best tool that we have.”
FROM THE ARCHIVES: 6 pedestrian safety ideas being piloted in Cincinnati
The city also uses traditional speed humps, plus curb extensions, raised crosswalks, and barriers (called hardened centerlines) that prevent drivers from veering into another lane when making a turn at an intersection.
Drivers in Cincinnati hit 335 people with cars last year, the highest number since 2019.