This six-lane arterial runs right next to the University of Cincinnati and sees heavy pedestrian traffic. It is signed for 35 mph, though drivers frequently exceed it. An 18-year-old University of Cincinnati student was killed by a hit-and-run driver while attempting to cross the road in a crosswalk in September 2023.

Although 25 mph would be a safer and more appropriate speed limit for Jefferson, City officials do not have the authority to lower it. According to speed data compiled by the City of Cincinnati and the Devou Good Foundation, the median driver is traveling about 35 mph along Jefferson, meaning it would likely not qualify for a lower speed limit, even under ODOT's revised guidance. As a result, City staff does not support the installation of certain traffic calming measures, like speed humps, an example of the "chicken and egg problem," where street design promotes high speeds, drivers take advantage, and then those speeds become an obstacle to changing the street design to promote slower speeds.