For most parking-lot and residential-street situations, the answer comes down to one question: which class of vehicle do you most need to preserve? Cushion = fire-access corridors, because wheel-track gaps let fire trucks straddle. Table = bus routes, because the continuous flat top lets buses ride at full service speed. Below: the design differences, the use-case mapping, and the cost trade-off our design team walks customers through.
Quick verdict
| If you need to preserve... | Pick |
|---|---|
| Fire-truck and ambulance response time | Speed cushion |
| Bus and transit ride quality | Speed table |
| Both equally on the same corridor | Two devices: cushion at the fire-marshal-flagged location, table at the transit-route location |
| Pedestrian crossing as part of the calming | Speed table (raised crosswalk variant) |
| Lowest install cost per device | Speed cushion (asphalt) |
| Strongest passenger-car speed reduction | Speed cushion |
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Variable | Speed cushion | Speed table |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 6 to 7 ft (split into segments) | 22 ft (continuous) |
| Profile | 2 or 3 segments with wheel-track gaps | Trapezoidal flat-top (3 + 16 + 3) |
| Height | 3 to 3.5 in | 3 to 4 in |
| Design speed | 15 to 20 mph | 20 to 25 mph |
| Passenger-car speed reduction | 6 to 8 mph | 5 to 7 mph |
| Fire-truck delay | 1 to 3 sec/device | 2 to 4 sec/device |
| Bus impact | Lower (most buses straddle one gap) | Lowest (rides flat across plateau) |
| Ambulance impact | Low (straddles gaps) | Low (flat-top minimizes lift) |
| Material options | Asphalt or modular rubber | Asphalt, brick-inlay, concrete |
| Cost per unit (2026) | $2,500 to $8,000+ | $5,000 to $15,000+ |
| Lifespan (asphalt) | 7 to 10 years | 7 to 10 years |
| Best for | Fire-access routes, mixed-traffic | Bus routes, pedestrian-priority intersections |
| ADA-relevant | No (unless paired with crosswalk) | Yes (raised crosswalk variant) |
When to Choose a Speed Cushion
Fire-access corridor
Any street or driveway designated as a fire-response route. The wheel-track gaps in a cushion let fire trucks straddle the device with 1 to 3 seconds of delay vs 5 to 10 seconds for a hump or 2 to 4 seconds for a table. Cumulative delay across a multi-device corridor is the deciding factor. The NFPA 1141 fire-access standard treats cushions as the preferred calming device on fire-response calming routes.
Mixed-traffic residential streets without bus service
Cushions deliver more passenger-car speed reduction than tables for less money per device. On residential streets without buses, cushions are usually the right call.
Hospital and emergency-services campuses
Internal calming on hospital campuses where ambulance flow is constant. Cushions slow visiting cars without delaying ambulance arrivals at the ED entrance.
Lower budget per-device
Cushions are typically 30 to 50 percent cheaper per device than tables. For a property owner installing 4 to 6 calming devices on a budget, cushions usually win.
When to Choose a Speed Table
Bus route
The original use case for tables. TriMet, LTD, Lane Transit, and Cherriots routes can ride 22-foot tables at full service speed; humps and cushions both lift standing passengers and jolt seated riders. The Oregon DOT transit-friendly calming guidance treats tables as the default for bus corridors.
Pedestrian-priority intersections
A table at an intersection turns the entire crossing into a raised pedestrian platform. The plateau can be marked as an ADA-compliant crosswalk under PROWAG (Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines). The speed table vs raised crosswalk reference covers the combination.
Mid-block residential corridors with mixed traffic
Long residential corridors with delivery vehicles, transit, and passenger cars benefit from the gentler ride. Volume reduction is similar to cushions; complaint volume is lower.
Architectural / aesthetic streets
Brick-inlay tables in historic neighborhoods. The plateau face can carry decorative brickwork that becomes part of the streetscape. Cushions don't offer the same architectural option.
Corridors needing the gentlest ride
If the calming target is strong (you need to slow vehicles) but the ride trade-off matters (high-frequency transit, delivery vehicles, ambulances), tables are the gentlest device that still delivers measurable speed reduction.
When to Use Both on the Same Corridor
Some corridors fit both criteria -- bus route at one block, fire-marshal-flagged calming need on a different block. Cojo's typical solution is a mixed-device install:
- Speed table at the bus-stop location
- Speed cushions at the calming-priority intersections
- Coordinated MUTCD signage between the two
A 2025 Portland install on an inner-East Side corridor used 2 cushions on the south end (fire-access priority) and 1 table at the north-end bus stop, with consistent signage and chevrons across all 3 devices.
Cost Trade-off
Industry Baseline Range
| Item | Speed cushion | Speed table |
|---|---|---|
| Single device install | $2,500 to $8,000+ | $5,000 to $15,000+ |
| Series of 3 (same site) | $2,000 to $6,500+ per | $4,500 to $12,000+ per |
| Material (asphalt) | $2,500 to $5,000+ | $5,000 to $10,000+ |
| Material (brick-inlay or concrete) | not standard | $10,000 to $15,000+ |
| Maintenance (annual) | $300 to $700+ | $300 to $800+ |
Current Market Reality
Tables cost more per device because the pavement footprint is 50 percent larger and the construction includes screeding the plateau flat (a different skill from shaping a parabolic hump). Cushions are split into segments that require more form-work but use less total material. The cost gap narrows on multi-device same-site installs because mobilization is amortized.
Cojo's Mixed-Device Tigard Install (2025)
Cojo installed a series of 3 cushions on a fire-access road in Tigard at the request of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. The cushions reduced 85th-percentile speeds from 28 mph to 21 mph with 5 seconds of total fire-truck delay across the series. A separate but adjacent corridor used 1 speed table for transit access -- both projects coordinated with TVF&R's regional calming program. See the speed cushions guide for the cushion engineering and the speed tables guide for the table specs.
Get the Right Device for Your Site
If you are weighing cushions vs tables for a specific corridor, send Cojo a site photo, the road authority contact, and a brief description of the calming priority (fire access, transit, pedestrian). We will return a free desk review with a recommended device and a quote within one business day. See speed cushion installation in Portland for a local example or asphalt maintenance services for the full install scope.