East End Traffic Safety Committee Initiative – Executive Summary and Prioritization
Riverside Drive and Pete Rose Way form one of Cincinnati’s primary gateways into Downtown and the East End, connecting riverfront parks, schools, and business districts that generate year-round pedestrian activity. Since June 2024, a coalition of East End and adjacent community stakeholders has worked with the City to document corridor conditions and advocate for practical, engineering-based improvements—driven by the reality that this area serves major destinations and high volumes of visitors, including Sawyer Point programming, Friendship Park, and the Montgomery Inn Boathouse.
While the City has made helpful incremental progress, speeding, inconsistent/insufficient warning signage, and pedestrian conflict points remain persistent safety risks along multiple segments of the corridor. The need is underscored by recent serious crashes—including a fatal crash near the Montgomery Inn Boathouse—and by documented crash history on key problem areas such as the Collins
“S-curve.” These conditions are compounded by long, straight roadway stretches that encourage excessive speeds and by pedestrian crossing behavior that reflects long signal delays and limited crossing options.
This document is intended to help the City move from“study and discussion” to implementation. The recommendations are designed to be actionable and location- specific, combining near-term, lower-cost fixes (signal timing, standard white regulatory speed signage, high-visibility crossing warnings, radar feedback signs, raised crossings, and removal of outdated/confusing temporary signage) with mid- to long-term corridor treatments (road diet concepts, targeted intersection redesign, and curve safety improvements). We respectfully request that DOTE and partner departments use these proposals as the basis for a phased implementation plan—prioritizing the highest-risk locations first and aligning larger changes with scheduled maintenance cycles—so this gateway corridor becomes predictably safer for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, park users, and nearby residents.