Nearly a quarter of car crashes in Cincinnati happen within 1,000 feet of a school, according to a new report, highlighting ongoing safety concerns for students.
Cincinnati City Council members outlined potential solutions in a June 10 report that details crash rates near schools and includes a two-day speeding study near six campuses.
The city recorded 35,474 crashes from 2023 to 2025, nearly a quarter of them within 1,000 feet of a school, according to the report sponsored by City Manager Sheryl Long. During school commute hours – 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m to 4 p.m. – that share rose slightly to 26%.
Nearly a third of pedestrian and bike traffic crashes from 2023 to 2025 occurred within 1,000 feet of a school.
City Council and the school board members discussed solutions, including increasing surveillance cameras in school zones, during a joint meeting June 16.
Cincinnati Public Schools board member Eve Bolton said she “recoils” at the thought of boosting surveillance but “there probably is some room for partnership between the district and the city because I think there is probably a need for greater camera activity, campus and street-wise.”
Board members also discussed involving students in safety solutions through internships and other opportunities.
“We’re speaking adult to adult and there’s gaps,” CPS board Vice President Kareem Moncree-Moffett said. “They need to see this data that you’re talking about because this is data but this is also experiential learning. They’re living these numbers.”
Students on the West Side, Moncree-Moffett said, regularly face near-misses with cars and ongoing safety challenges when biking or walking.
Drivers are speeding the most around these schools, city finds
To accompany the crash data, the Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering collected speeding numbers from April 28-29 during school arrival and dismissal times. The department looked at six schools, five of which are part of Cincinnati Public Schools: Carson School, Dater Montessori School and Aiken, Woodward and Withrow high schools.
Orion Academy, a charter school serving students in K-8 in South Fairmont, was the sixth school included in the study.
The department’s data showed the highest speeding rates near Withrow University High School in Hyde Park and Woodward Career Technical High School in Roselawn.
What is the city doing to lessen crashes, speeding near schools?
The Department of Transportation and Engineering takes traffic requests on a rolling basis, but safety improvements near schools and other key destinations are prioritized.
Through the department’s Traffic Calming Program, officials work with community councils and rank areas based on several criteria, including crash and speed data, census information and proximity to schools, parks and recreation areas. Projects are then funded in ranked order and executed as the city budget allows.
At a June 16 City Council meeting, the department presented a list of existing and planned street improvements near schools, including adding speed cushions and school flashers and upgrading pedestrian signage.
The following list shows all the improvements the department presented for areas near schools, with a handful of years of completion missing from the city data.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Drivers speed the most near these schools, new Cincinnati report finds
Reporting by Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
