DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly nine years after a Lincoln High School student was killed while crossing Southwest Ninth Street, city leaders are considering more safety improvements along the busy corridor between the school and the Raccoon River.
A roundabout at SW 9th Street and Bancroft Street is one of several proposals under review as Des Moines continues evaluating ways to reduce crashes and calm traffic in the area. The city-led effort follows a traffic study showing more than 500 crashes between 2019 and 2023 along the roughly 3.5‑mile stretch, including three fatalities and 12 serious injuries. A speed study also found that more than 85% of drivers exceed the posted 30 mph limit.
“Obviously that’s not acceptable,” said Luke Hoffman with the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, an organization pushing for more walkability and safer infrastructure throughout Des Moines. Hoffman said the corridor needs design updates that better protect pedestrians and other vulnerable users…