The City of Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering is planning to install speed cushions in multiple neighborhoods this year to reduce speeding after a pilot project on Winneste Avenue in Winton Hills showed the devices significantly calmed traffic.

This was the city's first time to study speed cushions, which are similar to speed humps but with wheel cutouts to allow emergency vehicles to pass through without slowing down.

On a typical day prior to the speed cushion installation, 95 percent of vehicles on Winneste exceeded the 25mph speed limit. The average speed was 37mph, and 25 percent of those traveling on Winneste exceeded 40 miles per hour.

A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 40 miles per hour has an 80 percent likelihood of serious injury or fatality, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Data collected after the speed cushion installation shows a dramatic decrease in speeding. After installation of the speed cushions, only 11 percent of vehicles on Winneste exceeded the speed limit (versus 95 percent previously). The average speed dropped from 37mph to 20mph.

	Before	After
% of Vehicles Speeding	95%	11%
Average Speed	37mph	20mph
% of Vehicles Exceeding 40mph	25%	0%

"We're very excited about the results of our pilot project in Winton Hills," said John Brazina, Director of the Department of Transportation and Engineering. "Speed cushions are going to be game-changing when it comes to reducing speeding in our neighborhoods."

Given the extraordinary success of the speed cushions on Winneste, the city will be expanding the program to other neighborhoods in 2022. Streets will be prioritized for the program based on crash history and proximity to schools, recreation areas, and business districts. Residents interested in seeing speed cushions installed in their neighborhood should contact their community council with their suggestions. The city will coordinate with community councils to gather input citywide.