CINCINNATI — Speeding drivers and more than two dozen crashes.
That's the reason Cincinnati's Department of Transportation is trying out a new pilot program to help keep neighbors in Winton Hills safe through the use of speed cushions.
The speed cushions are made of rubber. They're being installed on Winneste Avenue in hopes of slowing traffic in the area.
Tamara Thomas lives on Winneste Avenue.
"There was an accident up here. People just be driving down here crazy. And people be trying to park and they won't even let them park. It's crazy out here,” she said.
Neighbors on Winneste Avenue said speeding has been an ongoing issue in their neighborhood.
"Cars flying up and down the street almost hitting kids, said Teasha Berry, another resident on Winneste. “I almost seen three kids get hit already, so it’s definitely an issue."
The speed limit is 25 mph, but based on a study the Department of Transportation conducted in June, at least 95% of drivers on Winneste were exceeding the speed limit.
"There have been several pedestrian accidents here in the past," said Jillian Oneill from the city of Cincinnati Traffic and Road Operation Division.
Data shows there have been 25 traffic crashes on the Winton Hills street in the past six months alone.
“A lot of the citizens and people who pass through like to drive faster than that. In this community we have a lot of children who are constantly crossing the streets, along with the elderly and the disabled,” Oneill said.
The speed cushions have wheel cutouts that allow emergency vehicles to pass through without slowing down. Galen Gordon, who is running for Cincinnati City Council, said he believes the speed cushions will help.
“It's a great step, I believe, to help the residents feel like the city cares,” Gordon said.
The speed cushions are temporary. The city will be collecting data from now until December.
“People live here and it is like a racetrack, especially in that section,” Gordon said. “I'm excited that this is a way that when folks step out their door, they can say, ‘Wow, okay, now they're trying,’ and to me that's the point.”
Shaun Garnett lives on Winneste Avenue. He said the speed cushions are already helping.
"It's been tremendous so far,” Garnett said. “They got them in every little area where the speeding occurs at, so they've gotta slow down now.”
If the results show the speed cushions do in fact help slow traffic, the department said it will consider installing permanent speed cushions on Winneste Avenue and other streets in the city.
