Overview
- An engineering review of 140 speed cushions at 44 schools found 95% exceeded the maximum allowed grade, with only two installations matching contract blueprints.
- Documented extremes included a 33% grade outside George Childs Elementary and heights up to 7 inches near Henry Lawton Elementary.
- Installed from 2023 to 2025 under the city’s Vision Zero effort, the cushions averaged about $51,000 per school, totaling $2.2 million in the sample and potentially more than $6 million citywide.
- The report warns that overly steep cushions can damage vehicles, cause loss of control, slow emergency response, and lead drivers to swerve in school zones.
- Controller Christy Brady urges bringing installations into compliance or seeking vendor restitution, while the Streets Department reviews next steps.