ThamKC/Shutterstock
Cincinnati, Ohio is testing a new way to get drivers to slow down and improve road safety. Called "speed tables," this pilot project will see these longer, gentler speed bumps installed on busy streets throughout the city, starting with Winneste Avenue in Winton Hills. This street has a lot of pedestrian traffic due to the Winton Hills Elementary and recreation center being nearby — and 12 people have been hit by cars in the last five years.
"There has to be some type of, we call it vertical deflection that forces a driver to slow down. That is the most effective thing we can do," Senior Planner Melissa McVay told Local 12 News. Why a long, flatter speed bump? McVay stated that drivers avoid traditional speed bumps by driving on the edges. The speed tables are spread across the entirety of the road, eliminating that option (unless drivers want to damage their cars). The city plans to monitor crash data around areas with speed tables to see if they should expand to further locations.
What are speed tables and their requirements?
LOCAL 12 / YouTube
Speed tables could save Cincinnati money while also saving lives. The newly installed speed tables on Winneste Avenue cost around $10,000 to install — much cheaper than $200,000 for concrete speed bumps. While the material can be changed, there are specific guidelines for speed tables: they must be 3 to 3.5 inches in height and 22 feet in length. This ensures that the vehicle's entire wheelbase is impacted, encouraging a reduced speed — hopefully around 25 to 45 miles per hour, the operating speeds for areas with speed tables, depending on how far they are spaced out from one another. Vehicles will be warned that a speed table is coming with a sign.
There are also some recommendations for cities implementing speed tables, although they're not required. They can't be on streets wider than 50 feet, but they can be applied in both directions on two-way streets. If a speed table is placed on a crosswalk, this area should be desginated as a raised crosswalk with the rules and signs to match. Ohio is no stranger to implementing speed tables in its cities, with Massillon installing some in mid-2025, following the likes of Canton and Cleveland Heights. Maybe New York City needs more speed tables to cut down on drivers racking up hundreds of tickets without consequence — or any of these other risky cities to drive in.
