Madisonville Seniors Still Waiting on Speed Humps Near Medpace Parking Garage

Two residents of a Madisonville senior living community say they have waited more than two years for speed humps on Stewart Avenue, and they are worried about their safety in the meantime.

June Lu and Ann Boland, who live at St. Paul Village, raised the issue at a Let's Talk event held Wednesday at Element Eatery, located within the Medpace campus. St. Paul Village sits on the opposite side of that campus. The women said problems began after Medpace proposed a large parking garage along Stewart Avenue, and that traffic and speeding on the small street have grown since the garage opened with an exit onto it.

Boland said the road dips near the garage and that drivers often accelerate hard after spotting a green light from far away. She mimed a car rushing past the structure with a sweep of her hand and a loud "VROOOOOM." The two also wondered why speed humps agreed upon in 2024 have never been put in.

According to Boland, Medpace agreed to pay for the humps. Her attempts to press either the company or the Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering (CDOTE) to get them installed, she said, have ended in frustration.

Lu said she feels "endangered" by the absence of speed control, and Boland agreed. "All kinds of people come in and out of St. Paul Village, and it's hazardous to come out of there," Boland said.

A CDOTE spokesperson responded to a request for comment with a written statement. "The City is aware of St. Paul Village residents' request for speed humps on Stewart Avenue and has been in communication with Medpace about it. We're continuing those conversations to determine next steps," the statement read.

Christopher Pfaff, Medpace's head of facilities, also replied in writing. He said the company is working with the city on traffic calming on Stewart as agreed during planning meetings. CDOTE has completed designs for the speed humps, he said, and Medpace has been meeting with the city to organize funding once bids for the work are available.

Pfaff's statement said Medpace agreed to pay for the humps but that the city will carry out the work. "While we cannot control the speed at which the work is completed, Medpace, along with the city partners are actively meeting to move this project forward," the statement said.

For Boland, the wait has gone on long enough. "We just want Medpace to do what they said they would do," she said.