CINCINNATI – Since school started, more children are walking on the sidewalks and crosswalks.
While turn signals flash in school zones to warn drivers, a study by the City of Cincinnati’s Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) found that most drivers do not follow the rules.
The study, released earlier this year, examined four different zones of Cincinnati Public Schools in May 2024, monitoring speeds at 15-minute intervals while zone lights were on as students entered and exited schools during the school day.
DOTE focused on one main street near each of the following schools: Gamble Montessori, Withrow High School, Woodward High School, and Shroder High School.
The data showed that in each school zone, an average of 95% of drivers drove faster than 20 miles per hour, with 59% averaging 30 miles per hour or more.
The Gamble Montessori School school zone has a 20 mph speed limit when lights are on or students are present.
The school zone along Westwood Northern Boulevard for Gamble Montessori had the highest percentage of drivers traveling over 30 miles per hour. According to the city, 95% of drivers were traveling 10 miles or more faster than the school zone speed limit.
“I think they should put cameras around the school grounds just to make sure everything is OK,” says Sidney Coleman, a neighbor who lives a few blocks from Gamble Montessori.
“We could turn off some street lights to make sure people stop,” Coleman added.
We sat down with Council Member Mark Jeffreys and asked if speeding is a problem in any of the city’s school zones, whether or not they were included in the 2024 study.
“I don’t know how it is in all school districts, but it is certainly a problem throughout the city and remains a problem throughout the city,” Jeffreys said.
Residents of school districts told us they are seeing similar problems.
Samantha Horn is a resident who lives across from James N. Gamble Montessori High School, right where the school zone begins.
“My car was hit last October. It was totaled and I had to replace it,” she said.
Horn said it’s not just her family that’s affected – many of her neighbors have had to deal with drivers colliding with parked vehicles. She said she and her neighbors have filed petitions to try to put up speed bumps along their street to curb the speeding they see right outside their doorsteps.
“We are not seeing the level of interest in the issue that we believe would be necessary to solve the problem,” Horn said.
WCPO 9 News brought these concerns to Jeffreys, who suggested that anyone who wants to improve safety in their area should join forces with their local council and submit a joint request.
Cincinnati residents can also find information on the Hamilton County 311 website to call or use the 311Cincy app.
