ANNOUNCER: BRICK BY BRICK IS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO LEADING SUPPORT FROM: ...AND MANY MORE.

WE COULDN'T DO THIS WORK WITHOUT YOU.

THANK YOU.

THOMPSON: WHETHER YOU'RE ON YOUR FEET OR PEDALING ON WHEELS, COMMUTING ON CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS CAN BE DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS.

FOR MANY THE SOLUTION IS IN THE DESIGN.

MAROHN: BY SACRIFICING SPEED IN ORDER TO GET INCREASED SAFETY, WE'RE JUST BUILDING BETTER PLACES, PLACES THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO LIVE IN.

THOMPSON: CITIES IN OUR REGION, INCLUDING DAYTON AND CINCINNATI, ARE WORKING TO RIGHT SIZE OUR ROADWAYS TO CREATE SAFER STREETS FOR ALL USERS.

ESCOBAR: WE KNEW INTERNALLY THERE WAS AN ISSUE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A CRITICAL NEED TO HAVE HAPPEN.

ESCOBAR: ANYONE WHO'S A VULNERABLE USER ON THE ROAD.

WE'VE SEEN MORE FATALITIES AND EVER INCREASING NUMBERS.

THOMPSON: TODAY, A LOOK AT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

A SHIFT ON THE GROUND THAT ALSO MAY REQUIRE A SHIFT IN MINDSET.

BLUNT: AT SOME POINT IT, LIKE, IT CAN'T BE JUST THE LAWMAKERS.

IT HAS TO BE A CHANGE OF MINDSET.

THOMPSON: LET'S GET INTO IT.

THIS IS BRICK BY BRICK: SOLUTIONS FOR A THRIVING COMMUNITY.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO BRICK BY BRICK, WHERE WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING SOLUTIONS FOR A THRIVING COMMUNITY IN SOUTHWEST OHIO.

I'M YOUR HOST, ANN THOMPSON, ALONGSIDE MY COLLEAGUES, MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST EMIKO MOORE AND HERNZ LAGUERRE, JR.

HEY, GUYS.

MOORE: HELLO.

LAGUERRE: HELLO, ANN.

THOMPSON: SO TODAY WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT RESPONSES TO ROADWAY SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY CARS VERSUS PEDESTRIANS AND ALSO CYCLISTS.

SOMETHING WE CAN ALL RELATE TO.

EMIKO, WHAT'S THE GIST?

MOORE: YOU KNOW, AUTOMOBILE DEATHS INVOLVING PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE NATIONALLY SINCE 2009/2010.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE CITIES ARE NOT RESPONDING.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES THAT ARE UNDERWAY THAT MAY DEMONSTRATE THE WAY FORWARD.

THOMPSON: ALL RIGHT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO BE CHECKING OUT SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES IN CINCINNATI AND DAYTON IN A FEW MINUTES.

HERNZ, YOU WERE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE MAN KNOWN AS OHIO'S BIKE LAWYER, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THE BIKE FRIENDLINESS LEVEL HERE LOCALLY.

LAGUERRE: YEAH.

STEVE MAGAS, AKA THE BIKE LAWYER.

HE HAD A LOT TO SHARE ABOUT PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ONLY IN CINCINNATI, BUT IN THE STATE AS A WHOLE.

AND AS YOU HEAR FROM OUR CONVERSATION, HE SAYS WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

BUT HE ALSO SAYS IN MANY INSTANCES WE COULD AND WE SHOULD MOVE QUICKER.

MOORE: YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE.

IN SOME CASES THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A DECADE, MAKING TWEAKS AND ADJUSTMENTS.

THE GOAL IS WORTH IT, THOUGH: SAVING LIVES.

LAGUERRE: FOR SURE.

THOMPSON: WELL, LET'S DIVE IN, SHALL WE?

WE'LL SEE YOU BOTH IN A MOMENT.

LAGUERRE: YES, MA'AM.

THOMPSON: THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HAS AN AMBITIOUS GOAL REDUCING ROAD TRAFFIC DEATHS AND INJURIES BY 50% BY 2030.

THE PEDESTRIAN PART OF THIS ISN'T GOING VERY WELL IN THE US.

FROM 2013 TO 2022 PEDESTRIAN DEATHS INCREASED BY 50%, WHILE DEATHS IN 27 OTHER HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES DECLINED A MEDIAN OF 25%.

HAMILTON COUNTY WAS THIRD IN OHIO FOR PEDESTRIAN CRASHES AT 2079 IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY WAS THE FOURTH HIGHEST AT 877.

THE OVERALL TREND LINES DURING THAT SPAN ARE ALSO UP AND DOWN FOR HAMILTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY, SHOWING THE SAFETY CHALLENGES PERSIST.

WHY IS WALKING ALONG OR CROSSING A STREET SO DANGEROUS?

A NUMBER OF THINGS ACCORDING TO THE W.H.O., INCLUDING SPEED, DISTRACTED DRIVING BEHAVIORS, UNSAFE ROAD DESIGNS, THE GROWTH OF THE SUV, VICTIM BLAMING, AND OTHERS.

FOR DAYTON THE CHALLENGE IS REFLECTED IN ITS EFFORT TO RIGHT SIZE ITS INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND EMIKO MOORE JOINS US TO BRING US UP TO SPEED, IF YOU WILL.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DAYTON RE-ENGINEERING ITS STREETS FOR HALF THE POPULATION IT HAD IN 1960.

MOORE: THAT'S RIGHT, ANN.

DAYTON HAD A POPULATION OF 260,000 AT THAT TIME.

SO THE STREETS WERE DESIGNED TO MOVE TRAFFIC AROUND THE CITY, MEANING MORE LANES FOR MORE TRAFFIC.

TODAY, THE POPULATION IS AROUND 130,000, SO SOME OF THE LANES CAN NOW BE BETTER USED TO ACCOMMODATE ALL FORMS OF TRAVEL, INCLUDING PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS, MAKING THE ROAD SAFER FOR ALL TRAVELERS.

DRIVING AROUND DAYTON, YOU MAY NOT REALIZE THAT SOME BEAUTIFICATION AREAS SERVE DUAL PURPOSES.

DAVID ESCOBAR, DAYTON CITY ENGINEER, SERVES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.

ESCOBAR: THIS IS A LANDSCAPE ZONE OR A FURNITURE ZONE.

YOU CAN ADD, YOU KNOW, STREET BENCHES, TRASH CANS, DIFFERENT OTHER ITEMS INTO THE INTO THE MIX THAT CREATE A BARRIER BETWEEN THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.

SO THE PEDESTRIAN DOESN'T FEEL AS HAMPERED OR AS HAMSTRUNG IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHEN THEY'RE WALKING.

MOORE: THE CITY IS WORKING TO CREATE ACCESSIBLE STREETS FOR ALL.

ESCOBAR: SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REVIEWING ALL KINDS OF INSTALLATIONS, ALL KINDS OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO HELP US MAKE US A A MORE WALKABLE, BIKEABLE, DRIVABLE CITY, RATHER THAN JUST BEING MOTOR CENTRIC.

MOORE: THE STATE DID A TWO YEAR TRAFFIC STUDY ON NORTH MAIN STREET IN 2017.

STATISTICS SHOWED 36 CRASHES INVOLVED PEDESTRIANS, 5 RESULTED IN DEATHS.

ESCOBAR: YEAH.

SO THIS WAS A HIGH SPEED CONCERN AREA.

WE HAD SEVERAL PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES, WHICH ONE IS TOO MANY OBVIOUSLY?

MOORE: IN 2024, THE STATE BEGAN SAFETY CONSTRUCTION MEASURES SPANNING AROUND THREE MILES ON NORTH MAIN STREET.

THE PRICE TAG: $6.5 MILLION.

ESCOBAR: SO WE'RE HERE AT THE CORNER OF NORTH MAIN AND HUDSON AVENUE.

IT'S A MAJOR INTERSECTION FOR US.

WHAT WAS THE INSTALLATION WAS JUST WHERE THE CURB LINE IS NOW.

SO IT WAS A LONGER CROSSING DISTANCE FOR PEDESTRIANS.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT AS EASY TO TRAVERSE.

YOU HAD TWO, FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC TO MAKE IT ACROSS.

NOW YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION.

MOORE: ANOTHER INSTALLATION, A MID BLOCK ISLAND.

ESCOBAR: WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A REFUGE ISLAND, SO IT'S A SPACE WHERE PEDESTRIANS CAN CROSS ACROSS THE STREET BUT HAVE A SAFE CROSSING IF THEY CAN'T MAKE IT ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

MOORE: BUT NOT ALL DRIVERS WERE HAPPY TO SEE THE CHANGES.

ESCOBAR: FOR FOR A WHILE WE WERE FACING A BARRAGE OF PHONE CALLS.

MOORE: ANOTHER STREET IN DAYTON HAS HAD NUMEROUS CRASHES THAT PROMPTED THE COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES TO FORM THE WAYNE AVENUE SAFETY COALITION.

WILLIE MORRIS, IV, IS THE PRESIDENT.

MORRIS: IT'S NEEDED BECAUSE AS YOU CAN KIND OF HEAR BEHIND US HERE, VEHICLES SPEED BY THIS VERY NARROW STREET.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SIDEWALK SPACE TO STAND ON.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF BUSINESSES HERE ON WAYNE AVENUE, KIND OF IN OUR SOUTH PARK AND TWIN TOWERS NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE WANT TO SEE SUCCEED.

AND PEOPLE FEEL NERVOUS COMING DOWN HERE BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE TO BE OTHER THAN INSIDE THE BUILDING.

MOORE: FOR PEDESTRIAN MISTY CHASTAIN, CROSSING THE STREET CAN BE NERVE WRACKING.

CHASTAIN: THEY CAN COME OUT OF NOWHERE.

THEY COULD BE TURNING OFF A STREET THAT YOU CAN'T SEE.

IT'S JUST VERY UNKNOWING.

MOORE: MORRIS TOOK US TO THE CORNER OF WAYNE AND CLOVER, WHERE BACK IN 2022, 44 YEAR OLD PEDESTRIAN JENNIFER JOHNSON WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A SPEEDING VEHICLE.

MORRIS: THIS ONE OVER HERE WAS WHERE JENNIFER JOHNSON WAS STANDING WAITING FOR THE BUS THAT MORNING IN DECEMBER.

AND IT WAS BAD ROAD CONDITIONS.

IT WAS ICY.

IT WAS SNOWY THAT DAY.

AND AGAIN, IT COMES DOWN TO KIND OF JUST VEHICULAR BEHAVIOR.

WHEN IT COMES DOWN, COMING DOWN WAYNE AVENUE, YOU GET TUNNEL VISION, YOU GO STRAIGHT AHEAD.

YOU DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW DANGEROUS IT IS OUTSIDE -- MOORE: WHOA!

MORRIS: OUTSIDE OR -- YEAH.

YEAH.

AND THIS IS, AGAIN, WITH THIS HISTORIC BUILDING BEING SO CLOSE TO THE SIDEWALK, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE TO STAND SAFELY.

YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE TRAFFIC, WE STILL FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A DANGEROUS SPOT.

MOORE: MORRIS SHOWED US AN INTERSECTION THAT IS LIKE AN OBSTACLE COURSE FOR PEDESTRIANS.

MORRIS: SO THIS IS INTERSECTION OF WAYNE AND KEOWEE, WHICH I CALL THE INTERSECTION OF HELL, BECAUSE IT'S JUST A WEIRD SPOT TO BE.

YOU HAVE TRAFFIC COMING IN, AND THEY'RE TURNING RIGHT TO GO INTO THE 35 EAST ENTRANCE, TRAFFIC PASSING IT TO GO TO THE 35 WEST ENTRANCE AND TO CONTINUE DOWNTOWN.

THERE'S NO GREAT WAY TO CROSS THIS INTERSECTION ACROSS THE STREET WHERE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET OVER THERE.

THE SAFEST WAY TO DO SO IS TO GO HERE, THEN THERE, THEN THERE AGAIN, WHICH IS A WHOLE LOT OF LEAPFROGGING FOR ONE STREET CROSSING.

MOORE: EARLIER THIS YEAR, WAYNE AVENUE SAFETY STUDY PROPOSED MEASURES TO TARGET HIGH SPEED RISK AREAS, INCLUDING WAYNE AND CLOVER.

MORRIS: WHICH PART OF THE PROPOSITION FROM ODOT IS WHAT THEY CALL A SPEED TABLE AT THIS INTERSECTION, WHERE IT'S ESSENTIALLY ONE GIANT HUMP WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO UP, YOU'RE ON TOP OF IT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE INTERSECTION.

YOU HAVE TO GO BACK DOWN AGAIN ONCE YOU GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.

SO YOU THINK OF IT LIKE A GIANT SPEED BUMP.

MOORE: THE COALITION AND THE CITY HAD TO BE FLEXIBLE IN THEIR POSITIONS TO MOVE FORWARD.

MORRIS: SO WE MADE THAT DANCE IN BETWEEN THE TWO SECTIONS OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, MOVING VEHICLES AT A REASONABLE PACE AND A REASONABLE VOLUME AND LANDED SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.

ESCOBAR: I CAN LOOK AT MAPS, I CAN LOOK AT DATA.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO A FEEL OF LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND KNOWING THE DAILY ACTIVITIES THAT THAT AREN'T ALWAYS CAPTURED BY ALL THE DATA THAT WE CAN GO THROUGH.

MOORE: CONSTRUCTION OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON NORTH MAIN STREET WILL BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR.

AND FOR WAYNE AVENUE, A GRANT TO FUND THE NEEDED SAFETY UPDATES IS BEING SUBMITTED TO THE STATE THIS FALL.

FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR STREET SAFETY, DAVID ESCOBAR, THE CITY ENGINEER, ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO REACH OUT TO THEIR OFFICE OR START BY TALKING TO YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND DEVELOP A SOLUTION OR A PLAN TO TAKE TO THEM.

AS ESCOBAR SAYS, THEY CAN LOOK AT ALL THE DATA AND STUDIES, BUT THEY DON'T EXPERIENCE THE STREETS THE SAME WAY AS THOSE WHO USE THEM REGULARLY.

SO THEY NEED YOUR INPUT TO IMPROVE HOW THEY DESIGN THE STREETS.

THOMPSON: THANKS, EMIKO.

THAT ON THE GROUND KNOWLEDGE IS SO IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REDESIGNING THINGS.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON SOME CAMERA TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE SAFETY AS WELL.

MOORE: THAT'S RIGHT.

THE CITY HAS HAD TRAFFIC SPEED CAMERAS IN A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS FOR A WHILE NOW.

BUT JUST RECENTLY, AS THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS REPORTS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ASKED THE CITY COMMISSION TO APPROVE AN ADDITIONAL 64 CAMERAS AS WELL AS 17 RED LIGHT CAMERAS.

THIS FOLLOWS TESTING OF THEM IN 11 SCHOOL ZONES EARLIER THIS YEAR.

THOMPSON: ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT RESPONSE AS WELL, I GUESS.

THANKS, EMIKO MOORE.

MOORE: THANK YOU.

THOMPSON: AS DAYTON CONTINUES TO REFINE THINGS, CINCINNATI HAS BEEN TRYING TO MAKE STREETS SAFER FOR NEARLY A DECADE.

THIS FOLLOWS THE DEATH OF A NORTH SIDE BUSINESS OWNER, A TEEN WALKING TO SCHOOL, AND THE SERIOUS INJURIES OF HER PEERS.

IN A WORLD OF HECTIC HIGH SCHOOL DAYS, GETTING TO AND FROM SCHOOL SHOULD REQUIRE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STUDY.

BUT SINCE 2018, WESTERN HILLS STUDENTS HAVE STRUGGLED ACROSS NEARBY BUSY STREETS.

A 15 YEAR OLD WAS HIT ON THE SIDEWALK LAST YEAR.

IN AN EARLIER INCIDENT, GABBY RODRIGUEZ WAS KILLED WHILE WALKING TO HER BUS.

DEMAREE: AND MY INITIAL REACTION WAS AS A DAD, AS A FATHER OF A CHILD, AND I REACTED PATERNALLY LIKE THIS HAS GOT TO STOP.

THOMPSON: IN THE MIDST OF GRIEF, TEACHER JEFF DEMAREE AND HIS STUDENTS DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, EVEN TESTIFYING IN COLUMBUS TO INCREASE PENALTIES IN SCHOOL ZONES.

BLUNT: WE ARE THERE OURSELVES, LITERALLY FIGHTING TO GET THIS CHANGE, AND IT'S STILL HAPPENING.

AT SOME POINT IT CAN'T BE JUST THE LAWMAKERS, IT HAS TO BE A CHANGE OF MINDS.

RICHARSON: MOST OF THE TIME IT IS THE DRIVERS, LIKE YOU SAID.

I THINK STUDENTS ARE JUST MOSTLY UNAWARE AND A LOT OF THEM ARE ABSORBED IN THEIR PHONES, HEADPHONES, OR SOME SORT OF ELECTRONICS.

THOMPSON: WITH THE HELP OF SOME MARKETING EXECUTIVES, THIS IS WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH.

THEY NOW NEED MONEY TO PUT IT UP IN MORE PLACES.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES.

OTHER KIDS WERE ALMOST HIT BY CARS AND DEMAREE WONDERED ABOUT ACCIDENTS NOT EVEN REPORTED.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO CROSS THE STREET.

SO WHAT HAS THE CITY DONE TO HELP OUT?

DEMAREE: THE CITY HAS PROVIDED SOME PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.

WE'RE STANDING ON WHAT THEY CALL A BUMP OUT, WHICH IS A PIECE OF CONCRETE THAT WAS INSTALLED SPECIFICALLY TO NARROW THIS LANE, WHICH WILL FORCE CARS TO SLOW DOWN.

THERE'S ALSO SOME OVERHEAD LIGHTING THAT WAS INSTALLED AND THEN SOME BOLLARDS THAT WERE PUT UP, AGAIN TO TRY TO DECREASE THE SPEED AND TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN COMING THROUGH THE SCHOOL ZONE.

THOMPSON: HE WORKED WITH THE CITY PLANNER IN CHARGE OF MAKING CINCINNATI'S STREETS SAFER, WHO A YEAR AND A HALF INTO THE JOB WAS HIT BY A CAR HERSELF.

MEL MCVAY KNEW SHE HAD TO FIND A WAY TO SLOW CARS DOWN CITY WIDE.

THE SLOWER THE SPEED, THE BETTER THE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL FOR THE PEDESTRIAN.

MCVAY: YOUR DEGREE OF RISK EXPONENTIALLY GOES UP WITH SPEED.

I WAS LUCKY, BUT A LOT OF FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE NOT BEEN SO LUCKY.

THOMPSON: MCVAY IS STARTING TO SEE RESULTS AS THE CITY DRILLED DOWN ON A NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING SPEED HUMPS.

MCVAY: SO WHAT THE DATA TELLS US IS THAT THE SPEED CUSHIONS ARE BY FAR THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TRAFFIC CALMING TOOLBOX.

WE HAVE SEEN REDUCTIONS IN SPEED UP TO 21 MILES AN HOUR, WHICH IS HUGE.

THOMPSON: WHO KNEW THERE COULD BE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPEED HUMPS?

SOME WORK AND SOME DON'T.

THIS ONE DIDN'T BECAUSE IT'S BLACKTOP AND IN SMALL SECTIONS IT FLATTENS OUT.

THIS ONE'S CONCRETE, BUT IT'S MISSING THE TINY LIP THAT SLOWS YOU DOWN.

THIS ONE HAS THE LIP, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, IT MAKES YOUR CAR BOUNCE MORE.

BUT THIS ONE DRIVERS LIKE BECAUSE IT HAS A SMOOTHER EDGE.

MCVAY: THE CONCRETE SPEED CUSHIONS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.

THEY'RE ABOUT $20,000 A PIECE AND YOU NEED ONE IN EACH LANE.

MOST OF OUR STREETS ARE FOUR LANES WIDE, SO YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT $88,000 TO DO THEM CURB TO CURB VERSUS A SPEED TABLE I CAN INSTALL FOR ABOUT $10,000.

THOMPSON: A SPEED TABLE IS LIKE A RAISED CROSSWALK ONLY IN BLACKTOP, WHICH DOESN'T FLATTEN IF IT GOES ACROSS THE ENTIRE ROAD.

THE CITY IS PREPARING TO PILOT THEM ON MAJOR STREETS.

HERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.

WITH STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY, CINCINNATI WILL REDESIGN MORE PROBLEM STREETS WITH CURB BUMP OUTS AND BIKE LANES, FORCING DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN.

CHANGES CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH IN MADISONVILLE, ESPECIALLY AT THIS DANGEROUS INTERSECTION NEAR A SENIOR APARTMENT BUILDING AND A SCHOOL WHERE SOMEBODY WAS KILLED.

RESIDENTS GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO AVOID IT AND HAVE TO WAIT TWO MORE YEARS FOR A RAISED CROSSWALK HERE.

WITH LIMITED CITY MONEY AND OTHER PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS ONE ISN'T AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

MADISONVILLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION CHAIR KERRY DEVERY HAD TO DO SOME OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING TO GET THE MONEY FOR MORE SPEED HUMPS.

TIF, OR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.

DEVERY: SO IT WAS BASICALLY LIKE A FORMAL REQUEST TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL.

JUST A LETTER SAYING, "HEY, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO SET ASIDE $500,000 OF THE TIF FOR TRAFFIC CALMING ON THESE TEN STREETS."

AND THEN I THREW IN LIKE FOUR ALTERNATIVES IN CASE, LIKE, SOME OF THEM GOT VETOED, OR IF THERE WAS MONEY LEFT OVER, THEY COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND DO FOUR MORE.

RIGHT?

THOMPSON: THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED IN JULY AND THE SPEED HUMP SHOULD BE IN PLACE BY NEXT SUMMER.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, DEVERY SAYS IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY.

DEVERY: AND SO IF YOU CAN SLOW CARS DOWN, LIKE, THERE IS A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT NEIGHBORS WILL GET CONNECTED MORE OFTEN BECAUSE THEY'LL BE HANGING OUT OUTSIDE MORE OFTEN.

THEY'LL WALK DOWN THE STREET AND BIKING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THOMPSON: SOMETHING THAT WEST HIGH STUDENTS CAN ATTEST TO.

CRUZLENIHAN: AND I THINK IF WE TREAT EVERYBODY WITH RESPECT AND WE GIVE EVERYBODY THEIR TIME THAT THEY NEED, THEN EVERYBODY CAN BE HAPPY.

THOMPSON: THERE ISN'T AN EASY SOLUTION, AS YOU JUST HEARD.

TEACHER JEFF DEMAREE SAYS IMPROVING SAFETY WILL INVOLVE MULTIPLE THINGS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENGINEERING, THE BILLBOARD, AND CHANGING THE CULTURE, AND MORE ENFORCEMENT FROM THE POLICE.

IN CINCINNATI, THE SPEED CUSHIONS ARE BY FAR THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE CITY'S TRAFFIC CALMING TOOLBOX.

IN OAKLEY, IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD BEFORE THE SPEED CUSHIONS, 56% OF DRIVERS WERE SPEEDING.

AFTER THE RATE DROPPED TO LESS THAN 1% SPEEDING.

AND THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO STUDY OTHER AREAS.

AS WE'VE SHOWN, THE TYPE AND VARIETY OF SPEED HUMPS HAS EVOLVED, AS HAS THE DATA.

MANY CITIES AGREE SPEED HUMPS WORK.

THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS THEY SLOW CARS DOWN BY ABOUT 10%.

TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, AUTO ASSOCIATION AAA SAYS 1 IN 10 PEDESTRIANS DIE AFTER COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE GOING 23 MILES AN HOUR, BUT 1 IN 4 WILL BE KILLED IF THAT VEHICLE IS GOING 32 MILES AN HOUR.

SO SLOWING FOLKS DOWN EVEN THAT SMALL AMOUNT COULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

MAROHN: IF YOU'RE TRAVELING MORE THAN 20 MILES AN HOUR AND LESS THAN 50 MILES AN HOUR, YOU ARE ON A STROAD.

THOMPSON: AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING STREET DESIGN MORE DEEPLY, HERE'S A TERM FOR YOU STROAD.

IT WAS COINED BY ENGINEER, LAND USE EXPERT, AND STRONG TOWN CEO CHUCK MAROHN AS A WAY TO DESCRIBE ROADS AND STREETS THAT COMBINE ASPECTS OF BOTH, BUT DO NEITHER JOB WELL, ESPECIALLY SAFETY.

MAROHN: STROADS HAVE SLOW TRAFFIC AND SO THEY FAIL AS A ROAD.

THEY ALSO HAVE LOW FINANCIAL PRODUCTIVITY SO THEY FAIL AS A STREET.

UNFORTUNATELY, STROADS ALSO HAVE VERY BAD SAFETY RECORDS, AND ON TOP OF IT ALL, THEY'RE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.

THOMPSON: WE'VE GOT A LINK TO A FASCINATING EXPLAINER TO THIS CONCEPT, WHICH IS A WORTHWHILE VISIT FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO ANALYZE THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS OR GAIN SOME KNOWLEDGE AROUND SOLUTIONS IN THIS SPACE.

JUST HEAD TO OUR SHOW PAGE ON CETCONNECT.ORG OR THINKTV.ORG AND CLICK ON THE BLUE LEARN BUTTON.

SO WHAT'S STOPPING MORE CITIES FROM BEING PROACTIVE?

A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION POLICY BRIEF SAYS THERE'S A LACK OF POLITICAL BUY IN FOR ROAD SAFETY.

FUNDING IS INADEQUATE FOR THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM, AND RESOURCES ARE WASTED ON INEFFECTIVE ACTIONS LIKE SCHOOL BASED EDUCATION ON ROAD SAFETY AND DRIVING TRAINING IN PLACE OF SOUND EVIDENCE AND PLACE BASED OPPORTUNITIES.

IN SHORT, AS CITIES CONTINUE TO TINKER WITH STREET DESIGN LONG TERM, INCREASED PEDESTRIAN SAFETY MIGHT ALSO COME DOWN TO NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX.

LAGUERRE: WE SHIFT NOW TO SAFETY FOR CYCLISTS.

IN 2023, WE HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF BICYCLISTS EVER RECORDED THAT WERE KILLED IN CRASHES WITH MOTOR VEHICLES IN THE US, 1155.

WITH PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST ROAD SAFETY OFTEN OVERLAPPING., I VISITED WITH THE MAN KNOWN AS OHIO'S BIKE LAWYER, STEVE MAGAS IN ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, ON THE EAST SIDE OF CINCINNATI, TO LEARN MORE.

STEVE MAGAS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON BRICK BY BRICK.

MAGAS: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

LAGUERRE: APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WANTED TO KNOW, HOW DID YOU BECOME THE BIKE LAWYER?

MAGAS: I ALWAYS RODE.

I MEAN, I RODE AS A KID.

I KIND OF LOST IT FOR A WHILE AS A TEEN AFTER I GOT THE CAR.

BUT THEN IN LAW SCHOOL, I DIDN'T HAVE A CAR, SO I HAD A BIKE AND I RODE TO CLASSES.

TODAY, NOW, ABOUT 2009, I STARTED MY OWN SOLO PRACTICE.

THE BIKE LAWYER THING HAS KIND OF DEVELOPED OVER TIME, BUT IT STARTED EARLY ON TO AN ADVOCACY AND HANDLING CASES AND THEN KIND OF MORE OFFICIALLY WITH THE EMAIL.

AND THEN THE WEBSITE CAME OUT LIKE 15, 16 YEARS AGO.

LAGUERRE: SO YOU WROTE AN ARTICLE ON YOUR WEBSITE, OHIOBIKELAWYER.COM, WHERE YOU DESCRIBE THE WORST CITIES FOR WALKING AND CYCLING.

I WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT CYCLING PIECE.

CINCINNATI WASN'T NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY, BUT IT WAS NUMBER ONE IN OHIO.

WHY IS THAT?

MAGAS: CINCINNATI HAS BEEN KIND OF SLOW TO REACT TO SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.

IT'S JUST BEEN IN THE PAST 7 OR 8 OR 9 YEARS THAT WE'VE SEEN SOME CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'VE SEEN SOME BIKE LANES, WE'VE SEEN PROTECTED BIKE LANES WHICH HAVE COME INTO PLAY.

THERE'S SOME LEARNING CURVES WHEN IT COMES TO HOW DO MOTORISTS, I'VE HAD AT SEVERAL INTERSECTION CRASHES WHERE THE MOTORIST HAS RUN INTO CYCLISTS IN PROTECTED BIKE LANES.

CLEVELAND AND COLUMBUS HAVE TRIED SOME OTHER THINGS.

THEY CALL THEM BIKE BOXES, WHERE THERE'S A BIKE LANE TO THE RIGHT, AND THEN THE BICYCLIST CAN COME UP TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AND FILTER IN, AND THEN GET A HEAD START ON THE TRAFFIC.

THOSE SEEM TO BE PRETTY EFFECTIVE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST PAINT, SOMETIMES IT'S PAINT, PLUS SOME SOME SAFETY OR BARRICADES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THERE'S OTHER TYPES OF INFRASTRUCTURE, THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO TO INCREASE SAFETY OR AT LEAST DECREASE THE ROAD VIOLENCE.

LAGUERRE: NOW, HOW MANY CYCLISTS HAVE BEEN IN CAR RELATED ACCIDENTS IN CINCINNATI AND IN SOUTHWEST OHIO IN GENERAL?

MAGAS: STATEWIDE, WE EXPECT AROUND 1500 CRASHES A YEAR WHERE A CYCLIST AND A CAR TANGLE.

AND THAT GENERATES A CRASH REPORT.

THEN THAT GENERATES A NUMBER IN SOME STATISTICAL MODEL SOMEWHERE.

CINCINNATI IS IN THE HUNDREDS.

YOU KNOW, CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, CINCINNATI ARE THE THREE BIG CITIES.

AND IF YOU LOOK, WE'LL LOOK AT A MAP OF WHERE ALL THE BIKE CRASHES OCCUR.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE CLUSTERED CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, CINCINNATI AND THEN DAYTON, TOLEDO, AKRON, CANTON, YOUNGSTOWN, THE BIGGER CITIES IN THE STATE HAVE THEIR FAIR SHARE AS WELL.

I MEAN, I GOT TO -- I ALWAYS -- I TALK A LOT ABOUT BIKE STUFF, AND I ALWAYS START WITH THE FACT THAT OHIO, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHER STATES, IS REALLY A VERY SAFE PLACE TO RIDE A BIKE, THE NUMBERS WISE.

LAGUERRE: I KNOW RIGHT OUTSIDE THIS OFFICE IN ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, THERE'S BEECHMOUNT AVENUE.

ARE THERE A LOT OF CYCLISTS THAT GO THROUGH THERE?

AND IF SO, DO YOU FEEL THAT IS SAFE FOR THEM TO RIDE THERE?

MAGAS: BEECHMONT HAS ITS MOMENTS.

IT CAN HAVE DISTRACTED DRIVERS.

IT CAN HAVE DRIVERS GOING TOO FAST.

THE BIKE LANES HAVE CERTAINLY HELPED.

THEY PUT A STARTING AT THE BEECHMONT LEVEE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, THEY PUT A BIKE LANE ON THE RIGHT GOING UP THE HILL, WHICH HAS BEEN, I'M SURE, FOR THE TRAFFIC, THE OTHER CARS HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T CLIMB THAT HILL AT 20 MILES AN HOUR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ARE PUSHED OUT OF THE WAY OF THE FASTER TRAFFIC.

SO I'M SURE THAT HELPS.

AND THE SAME WITH BEECHMONT AVENUE.

THERE IS A BIKE LANE ON BOTH SIDES OF BEECHMONT.

BIKE LANES ARE FUNNY BECAUSE IN OHIO THE LAW DOES NOT MANDATE THAT YOU USE A BIKE LANE.

HOWEVER, IF THERE'S A BIKE LANE THERE AND BECAUSE IT'S DEBRIS LADEN OR WHATEVER, YOU DON'T WANT TO USE IT.

SO NOW YOU'RE IN THE REGULAR TRAFFIC LANE.

PEOPLE GET MAD AT YOU, YOU KNOW?

SO THERE'S THIS STRESS COMPONENT THAT GETS ADDED INTO IT AS WELL.

LAGUERRE: WHAT GIVES YOU HOPE THAT WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HOPEFULLY ONE DAY LOWER THE RATES OF CYCLIST RELATED ACCIDENTS?

MAGAS: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I LOOK AT BACK TO THE '80S.

AND WHEN I SAY THE '80S, I MEAN THE 1880S.

PEOPLE GOT BIKES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE 1880S.

AND THEY RODE, THEY BOUGHT THEM LIKE CRAZY.

THEY RODE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THERE WERE NO LAWS IN PLACE AT THAT POINT, BUT THE WHOLE LEGAL THING DEVELOPED WHERE PEOPLE PASSED LAWS.

AND EACH BOOM THAT WE'VE HAD, BECAUSE THE CAR TOOK OVER FOR A WHILE, A BOOM CAME IN THE '60S.

ANOTHER ONE CAME RECENTLY DURING COVID WHEN BIKE SALES WENT THROUGH THE ROOF.

BICYCLING IS HERE.

IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

I THINK WE'RE SLOWLY MAKING INROADS, YOU KNOW, AT THE STATE LEVEL, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN TERMS OF SPENDING THE MONEY AND DOING THE THINKING THAT'S REQUIRED TO TRY SOME CREATIVE WAYS TO KEEP CARS AND BIKES FROM TANGLING WITH EACH OTHER.

SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF OPTIMISM THAT WE'RE HEADING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.

LAGUERRE: WELL, STEVE MAGAS, BIKE LAWYER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON BRICK BY BRICK.

MAGAS: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

WHAT A GREAT THING.

I APPRECIATE IT.

LAGUERRE: APPRECIATE IT.

THOMPSON: WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS WE COVER?

WHETHER IT'S RESPONSES TO ROAD SAFETY OR METHODS FOR INCREASING BROADLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT.

JUST HEAD TO OUR SHOW PAGE AT CETCONNECT.ORG OR THINKTV.ORG TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND THE RESPONSES.

WE EVEN HAVE SOME GREEN BUTTONS ON THERE WHERE YOU CAN SHARE SOLUTIONS YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT, OR JUST LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

SEND US A NOTE.

OKAY, WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE TEAM REASSEMBLED TO TALK TAKEAWAYS, AND HERNZ AND EMIKO, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO THINK ABOUT.

LAGUERRE: WE DEFINITELY DO.

YOU KNOW, ONE COMMON THREAD THAT WE HAD IN ALL OF OUR STORIES IS THAT ALL THE EXPERTS AND THE ACTIVISTS WHO WANT TO INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PUT THE ONUS ON MOTORISTS.

DESPITE THE SIGNAGE, DESPITE THE CAMPAIGNS THAT TELL PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON THE ROAD, WE HAVE DISTRACTED DRIVERS.

CASE IN POINT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE ON THE ROAD, COUNT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THEIR PHONES WHILE THEY'RE DRIVING.

YOU KNOW, STEVE CALLED THE PHONE THE CRASHERTAINMENT SYSTEM.

THOMPSON: LEAVE IT TO THE OHIO BIKE LAWYER TO COME UP WITH THAT TERM.

LAGUERRE: NO.

YEAH, FOR SURE.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, REALITY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE EFFORTS THAT -- THE EFFORTS TO INCREASE INFRASTRUCTURE TO GIVE DRIVERS NO CHOICE BUT TO SLOW DOWN IS VERY MUCH NEEDED.

THOMPSON: STUDENTS ALSO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

THE ONES THAT I INTERVIEWED SAID THAT THEY WERE WEARING HEADPHONES SOMETIMES AND DIDN'T OFTEN LOOK BOTH WAYS.

MOORE: AND A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE OFTEN ON AUTOPILOT AS WE DRIVE.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER AND NOT EVEN REALIZED HOW YOU EVEN GOT THERE?

SO WE DO NEED KIND OF VISUAL CUES AND ROAD ENHANCEMENTS TO HELP US TO STAY ALERT.

AND IT'S FASCINATING TO SEE HOW SPECIFIC STREETS ARE DESIGNED, KIND OF THE PSYCHOLOGY THAT GOES BEHIND ALL OF THIS, THE CURVE OF THE STREET OR THE PLACEMENT OF TREES AND LANDSCAPING.

THESE ALL CAN IMPACT A DRIVER'S BEHAVIOR TO SLOW DOWN OR PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE ROAD AND SURROUNDINGS.

THOMPSON: AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE ALMIGHTY SPEED HUMP AS ONE ARTICLE REFERRED TO IT, AS THEY DO WORK, THEY CAN BE EXPENSIVE.

CINCINNATI IS TRYING TO DRILL DOWN ON THE BEST ONE AND ALSO THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, BECAUSE THESE CONCRETE STRUCTURES, YOU NEED FOUR OF THEM IF THERE'S FOUR LANES, CAN COST AS MUCH AS $88,000.

SO CINCINNATI WILL NOW TRY BLACKTOP ACROSS THE ENTIRE ROAD, KIND OF LIKE A A RAISED CROSSWALK ON SOME MAJOR STREETS, GETTING THE COST DOWN TO $10,000.

LAGUERRE: YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GOOD THAT THEY'RE MAKING EFFORTS TO MAKE IT MORE COST FRIENDLY.

BECAUSE DESPITE THE COST, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S REPORTS THAT SHOW THE US HAS A VERY AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.

OUR ROADS AND OUR HIGHWAYS ARE OLD.

I THINK ON AVERAGE, OUR ROADS ARE ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD.

AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, HOW MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN 30 YEARS?

THE TECHNOLOGY.

HOW MUCH HAVE CARS CHANGED IN THE PAST 30 YEARS?

I THINK IT'S TIME THAT ROADS CHANGED AS WELL.

MOORE: AND ADD ANOTHER LAYER TO THE CITY MANAGERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THIS KIND OF THING AND MAKE PRIORITIES ON WHICH WHICH STREETS THEY ARE GOING TO WORK TO FIX.

THAT'S WHY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT.

A LOT OF TIMES THE COMMUNITY CAN IDENTIFY CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE REALLY AREAS OF CONCERN.

THOMPSON: YEAH.

SO TRUE.

AND AS THESE CHANGES ARE BEING MADE, WE'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOME DATA, LIKE IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING WORKING?

SO WE'LL BE INVESTIGATING THAT.

LAGUERRE: YEAH.

THOMPSON: THANKS GUYS.

MOORE: THANKS.

THOMPSON: THAT'S OUR SHOW.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EXPLORATION, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY OR JUST A FEW OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.

AND WHEREVER YOU CALL HOME, WE HOPE YOU'LL REACH OUT AND SAY HELLO.

FOR HERNZ LAGUERRE, JR.

AND EMIKO MOORE, I'M ANN THOMPSON.

WE'LL BE BACK SOON WITH MORE SOLUTIONS.

TAKE CARE.