(Des Moines, IA) — Biking communities across Iowa are calling for safer trails following the death of cyclist Courtney Petersen, who was struck and killed by a dump truck last Thursday while crossing an intersection on the High Trestle Trail.
“I think it’s really a system failure in the design of that specific intersection. We need cars to slow down, we need flashing lights, and potentially an underpass. Definitely, removing the mounds has to be done,” said Luke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
The trail’s crossing at 44th Street intersects a road with a 55-mile-per-hour speed limit, where drivers must crest a hill in both directions before they can see the trail. Petersen, a paralyzed veteran, was riding a hand-crank bike that sat low to the ground, making her less visible to oncoming traffic…