CINCINNATI — There were more pedestrian crashes in Cincinnati this August than there were days, according to city data.
At least 32 people were hit by a vehicle in August, the same number of pedestrian crashes reported in July. So far this year, the city has reported 190 crashes involving pedestrians. Four of those crashes were fatal and pedestrians were seriously injured in nearly 40 crashes.
In the city's four fatal crashes, two men in their 20s and two men in their 60s were killed. Those crashes happened Downtown, in Walnut Hills, Mt. Lookout and Avondale, respectively.
"We have to be more proactive," councilman Mark Jeffreys said after the city's most recent hit-and-run.
City and county leaders have spoken about the need to curb speeding and address pedestrian crashes. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said there has been an increase in the number of speeding citations given, and the city is expanding its speed cushion program after seeing a "dramatic" change during its pilot program. But which neighborhoods need the most attention?
Over-the-Rhine has reported 24 pedestrian crashes in 2022 — more than any other neighborhood. A heat map of the city shows the majority of pedestrian crashes this year have taken place in OTR, Downtown, Westwood and Avondale — in that order.
According to data, those four neighborhoods are not new to pedestrian crashes. Westwood, Downtown, OTR and Avondale join West Price Hill as the five neighborhoods to report the most pedestrian crashes since 2013.
Westwood has reported nearly 300 pedestrian crashes in the last 10 years. Below are the 10 neighborhoods that have reported the most crashes since 2013:
- Westwood - 297
- Downtown - 289
- OTR - 207
- West Price Hill - 199
- Avondale - 183
- East Price Hill - 160
- West End - 130
- Walnut Hills - 123
- Mt. Auburn - 120
- Corryville - 117
Neighborhoods with the least amount of pedestrian crashes in the last 10 years include Linwood, California, English Woods and Columbia Tusculum.
The list is not entirely shocking, as many of the top 10 neighborhoods have a high walkability rating (meaning residents can easily walk to the grocery store, restaurants, parks and more) while those towards the bottom are either smaller or require a car to run errands.
When the city announced plans to add speed cushions to 30 neighborhoods, the 10 streets announced in March were located in Westwood, Avondale, West Price Hill, Walnut Hills and Corryville. OTR and Downtown were not explicitly listed in any plans.
While there has been an increase in pedestrian crashes in the past two months, data shows the number of crashes is down from previous years. In 2018, Cincinnati reported 431 pedestrians hit by a vehicle. That number decreased to 355 in 2019, 315 in 2020 and 317 in 2021. 2022 is on track for around 285 pedestrian crashes.
Pedestrian crashes have increased nationwide, but especially in cities where the population has continued to grow. Hoboken, New Jersey — a city that has seen a sharp decrease in pedestrian crashes — placed bike racks and plots of plants on its intersections. Cars are also prevented from parking near street corners, ensuring people do not have to try and peek around vehicles to see what's coming.
Jeffreys hosted a pedestrian safety forum earlier this year, saying he hopes to address the issue by gathering information from residents and experts from across the country.
If nothing is done, Jeffreys said deaths will continue to happen.
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