The City of Cincinnati installed speed cushions on Paddock Road this week to calm traffic through the Paddock Hills neighborhood. The City plans to install more speed cushions in multiple neighborhoods this summer.

Speed cushions are similar to speed humps but with wheel cutouts to allow emergency vehicles to pass through without slowing down.

The City conducted a pilot project on Winneste Avenue last year that showed the devices significantly calmed traffic. 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.

“We’re very excited to expand our speed cushion program this summer,” 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.”

Paddock Hills is the first of 12 neighborhoods slated to receive speed cushions this year. The other neighborhoods include: Avondale, Clifton, East Price Hill, Evanston, Over-the-Rhine, Pendleton, Roselawn, West End, West Price Hill, Westwood, and Winton Hills. These initial locations were prioritized based on pedestrian 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 continue to coordinate with community councils to gather input citywide.

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