The two most commonly used techniques in Cincinnati are speed humps and corner bump-outs.

A "speed hump" is a slightly raised section of roadway that is typically 22" long and two feet from curbs. The first six feet slope upwards three inches, the next ten feet is level, and the last six feet slope downward from three inches to the street level. Speed humps are installed at regular intervals, 300'-500' apart; but not in front of driveways, on top of manhole covers, on curved sections of roadway, within 100' of intersecting streets, or on streets with a 7% grade or greater. If vehicles exceed the 25-MPH speed limit at the speed hump, the motorist will encounter an uncomfortable ride.

It has been documented that a series of speed humps have been effective in controlling vehicle speeds and have resulted in a general reduction in cut-through traffic. This is a positive effect of speed humps. A negative aspect is the increased emergency response time by fire equipment and ambulances by as much as 20-30 seconds passing over each speed hump.

A "corner bump-out" is a six-inch raised concrete curb extending out into the street filled with dirt for plantings at the corner of an intersection. The bump-out extends nearly halfway into the intersecting side street and allows for ingress only or for egress only; no two-way movement through the narrowed section.

In effect, vehicles can only enter or exit the street at the intersection thereby reducing traffic on that street. This is a positive effect of bump-outs. A negative aspect is the single entry or exit point at one end of the street for local residents, plus loss of on-street parking at the bump-out.

Additional options for neighborhood street calming are listed in the Neighborhood Street Calming Program handbook.  Click here to request a handbook.