By Kevin Aldridge
Enquirer staff writer

Cincinnati City Council's Neighborhoods Committee Tuesday gave the bump to "bump outs" on a stretch of Vine Street connecting downtown to uptown Clifton.

Bump outs are extensions of the sidewalk at intersections that reduce traffic speeds and the distance required for pedestrians to cross the street. Council members cited a desire to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents on one of the city's main arteries as key reasons for recommending their removal.

"With a two-way street, bump outs don't make a lot of sense conceptually," Councilman John Cranley said.

Councilwoman Laketa Cole, who chairs the neighborhoods committee, said the city would study traffic patterns after the removal of bump outs. She said the city might also revisit the status of Vine as a two-way street later.

The city installed the bump outs when Vine Street was converted from a one-way street to a two-way street in 1999. The bump outs were a concession requested by residents who were concerned for pedestrian safety.

A recent study by the city's traffic and engineering department, however, concluded that the bump outs are contributing to traffic congestion and accidents on Vine Street.

City engineers, who did not recommend the placement of bump outs in 1999, said bump outs were a national trend when the city installed them. They said the most successful application of this traffic design occurs on one-way streets or two-way streets that are at least 50 feet wide. But for a two-way street such as Vine Street - which is only 40 feet wide - it is not the best way to move cars, city officials said.

"Whenever I try to get to Clifton using Vine and there are buses (on the street), you're just stuck," said Councilman David Pepper.

Metro buses often stop in the middle of the street to pick up and unload passengers because the bump outs make it impossible for them to pull all the way to the curb. This creates traffic tie-ups and causes some drivers to try to pull around the buses, almost causing accidents, Cole said.

A handful of Over-the-Rhine residents and business owners expressed their opinions about the removal of bump outs during a special meeting Tuesday. Some residents said they feared that Vine Street might become a speedway if the bump outs are removed.

Katrina Webber, who's lived on Vine Street for 20 years, said safety is a big concern because her 6-year-old son catches the bus every day at the corner of Vine and McMicken streets.

"Sometimes cars come up on the sidewalk. I'm terrified he's going to get hit by a car," Webber said.

"It's going to put our children in a lot of danger."

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com