CINCINNATI — A new traffic project has been successful at slowing drivers down in College Hill, according to speed data from the organization behind it.
The project is focused on parts of North Bend Road and Hamilton Avenue. It includes a new protected bike lane and reduced traffic lanes on part of North Bend Rd., more on-street parking and new rubber bumps near crosswalks.
The goal is to slow drivers down. Vision Zero, part of Devou Good Foundation, spearheaded the project. It worked with the City of Cincinnati and College Hill residents, who have advocated for safer streets for years.
The project route travels right past where McKenna Stahl and Mark Ventura live.
“I never biked on North Bend because everyone was driving way too fast,” Stahl said. “Out of my own safety, I just totally avoided it.”
Now, Stahl says she feels more comfortable biking on major roads in the neighborhood.
“People are actually looking out and making sure that there aren't bikers in the lane, or people are trying to cross the streets,” she said.
“Before this project was a lot of middle fingers, just a lot of honking at us,” Ventura said.
Devou Good Foundation tracked speeds in the area before and after the project was installed.
At one checkpoint along the westbound lanes of W. North Bend Road, the organization recorded a roughly 90% decrease in drivers exceeding 40mph. At that same checkpoint, there was a 57% decrease in the eastbound lanes.
Matt Butler, President of Devou Good Foundation, said reducing traffic lanes naturally reduces driver speeds.
“If you think about driving down an alley, versus driving on the freeway, you're not going to go 70 miles an hour down an alley, because it doesn't feel comfortable,” he said.
Butler said the traffic calming measures were designed to last roughly five to seven years. He said that would give the community time to evaluate the project and decide what should become a permanent solution.
“The nice thing about the interim materials is if things don't work out, then we can kind of adjust and shift things, which we were actually doing based on neighbor feedback in real-time while the project was being built,” he said.
Not everyone is supportive of the changes. Jamica Travis and Tyron Horne both drive yellow buses through the area.
“It's kind of traffic-ey and congested and backed up,” said Travis.
“It makes our route so late because it's down to one lane,” said Horne.
Stahl and Ventura say bicyclists deserve a safe space on the roads they share with cars.
“Bikers are here and we're staying,” Stahl said. “You build it, we will come and we'll ride it.”
Vision Zero is working on similar projects in Northside and Walnut Hills. The organization also has more grant funding available for other neighborhoods interested in similar projects.
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