Margarita Madness At The Purple People Bridge : May 17th

Public Feedback Wanted at College Hill Transportation Safety Panel Discussion

In addition to some free snacks from Decibel Fried Chicken, guests will get a glimpse into new data that shows an improvement in safety after installing traffic-calming tools.

Jan 17, 2024 at 1:26 pm

Samantha Steenz asks drivers to slow down on Hamilton Avenue on April 12. She doesn't feel safe crossing the street as a low-vision pedestrian. Photo: Madeline Fening

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Headway is being made on a project to improve traffic safety in College Hill, and now's the time to review the data and get involved.

That's the pitch from those behind the College Hill Safety Project, a collaborative initiative to calm traffic for pedestrians and cyclists.

Since December 2021, groups The Devou Good Foundation, the College Hill Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Task Force, and other community leaders, have been working to implement infrastructure tools that calm traffic and protect pedestrians and cyclists.

In March of 2022, Matt Butler of the Devou Good Foundation found most Hamilton Avenue drivers were exceeding the 35-mile-per-hour speed limit.

“About 75% of the drivers were going above 35 miles per hour,” Butler said. “Top speed was 98 miles per hour," Butler told CityBeat during a March 2022 demonstration asking drivers to slow down.

North Bend Road was seeing similar speeding problems, with around 70% of drivers exceeding the speed limit. Both stretches of North Bend Road and Hamilton Avenue are dotted with businesses, schools, churches and restaurants.

College Hill Residents Ask Hamilton Ave. Drivers to Slow Down, Call on CPD to Do More: Data shows some Hamilton Avenue drivers have been clocked going 98 miles per hour in the 35-miles-per-hour zone.

The Devou Good Foundation will be hosting a College Hill Transportation Safety Panel Discussion on Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Esoteric Brewing Co. at 918 E McMillan St.

In addition to some free snacks from Decibel Fried Chicken, guests will get a glimpse into new data that shows an improvement in safety after installing traffic-calming tools.

Data from the Devou Good Foundation's Vision Zero project shows that, between Aug. 11, 2022 and Jan. 1, 2023, there were 43 crashes, 21 injuries and two deaths along the surveyed sections of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road. After installing traffic-calming tools, like protected bike lanes and intersection bump-outs, there were only 31 crashes, five injuries and no deaths along the same sections in the same time frame the following year.

"It's time to delve deeper into the intricacies of the project, and we believe your perspective would greatly contribute to the ongoing dialogue," said Kristina Spears of the Devou Good Foundation.

Presenters at the panel discussion will include Butler, Department of Transportation and Engineering liaison Felicia Eschenlohr and Julie Brown of the College Hill Forum on Traffic and Pedestrian safety.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

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About The Author

Madeline Fening

Madeline Fening is CityBeat’s investigative news reporter. Proudly born and raised in Middletown, she attended Bowling Green State University before moving to Austin, Texas where she dabbled in documentary filmmaking, digital news and bartending. Madeline then moved to Cincinnati to work for WCPO 9 News as an...