Cincinnati Students Mark Hazardous Streets for New Safety Grant

City officials report that nearly one in four traffic crashes in Cincinnati occurred within 1,000 feet of a school during the last three years. On Monday night, students and parents met at Westwood Town Hall to pinpoint the exact locations where those risks concentrate.

The city is currently updating its five-year Safe Routes to School plan. This phase focuses on the western corridor, which includes Ethel M. Taylor Academy, Rees Price Academy, Robert Academy, and Western Hills High School. Attendees used physical maps to mark dangerous intersections and propose specific infrastructure changes.

Ava Robinson, a Western Hills student, described a close call with a school bus in the Clifton neighborhood. She noted that streetlights in her area are often dim or broken, making visibility poor for drivers. Robinson suggested adding bike lanes, narrowing vehicle paths, widening sidewalks, and installing more streetlights to improve safety.

Richard Cox, also a student at Western Hills, highlighted the difficulty of crossing streets at crosswalks. He stated that while he presses the signal button every time, the majority of passing cars do not stop. Cox expressed hope that new infrastructure will reduce the stress of waiting for traffic and buses during morning commutes.

Councilmember Mark Jeffreys said the community input will help the health department design specific interventions for the targeted intersections. The city plans to use these findings to build a stronger case for a new state grant application. Jeffreys noted that officials will translate the community's identified trouble spots into concrete design solutions.

The health department expects to submit the application for the $1 million grant in early 2027. The funding would support the physical changes proposed by students and residents, such as improved lighting and roadway modifications near the four western schools.