Part of $20M grant money to be used on improving pedestrian safety in Cincinnati neighborhoods

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Improvements for cyclist and pedestrian safety are coming to some of Cincinnati’s underserved communities thanks to grant money.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and councilmembers say residents in West End, Queensgate, and Lower Price Hill will see updates to their communities thanks to the new $20 million RAISE Grant.

“When we look at it from an equity standpoint in terms of connecting people to jobs and resources, a third of people in these communities within these census tracks will be able to take advantage of this mobility and connectivity,” the mayor said.

The grant will help the city fund safety improvements to Cincinnati streets, including 36 enhanced intersections, more than three miles of protected bike lanes, and install three transit corridors to address safety deficiencies and reduce crashes while increasing mobility.

“Right now, our roads are designed as highways in the middle of our city,” Mayor Pureval explained. “Designed to get people from point A to point B as fast as possible. Oftentimes, that comes with negative effects like pedestrian injuries, and some instances, fatalities.”

The safety improvement announcement is music to the ears of West End resident Julia Riston who lives in the Mercy Health nursing facility right off Linn Street.

She says it’s a busy street with schools, apartments, and businesses and that the city should add more safety measures.

“We need more lights, and we need more signs telling people where they should cross at,” Riston said.

Fellow West End resident Rochelle Gamble says the city needs to reduce speeds on Linn Street.

“Thirty, maybe even let’s break it down to 25 [mph],” said Gamble. “That way, we can break it down to 20 when the kids get out of school because the kids are already out, and they [drivers] flying.”

Mayor Pureval agrees with those statements.

The construction does not start until 2026, however, the mayor says the city will continue to look for convenient ways to fix these problems before that.

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