Flashing crossing signals and a speed limit reduction are among the changes Polk County plans to make following a traffic study along Iowa’s famed High Trestle Trail, the site of a cycling death in the fall of 2025.
Polk County staff, along with the consulting firm Bolton & Menk, published a study in late January highlighting road and trail improvements to reduce crashes along the High Trestle Trail. The popular trail runs for 25 miles through five towns in four counties and features the half-mile-long High Trestle Trail Bridge over the Des Moines River, located between Madrid and Woodward in Boone County, according to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
The study focuses on four intersections along Northwest 44th Street from Northwest 118th Avenue to Northwest 158th Avenue between Crocker and Sheldahl north of Ankeny. The report recommends several short- and long-term safety measures to include new signs for drivers and trail users, lighting beacons at crossings and reducing the speed limit to 50 mph from 55 mph south of Northwest 126th Avenue.
On Oct. 9, avid cyclist Corey Petersen was hit by a cement truck while crossing an intersection along the trail at Northwest 44th near Crocker on her recumbent bicycle. The incident reignited calls for safety improvements along the trail, especially at the intersection where two other crashes occurred in 2025.
Seventy-four crashes were reported between June 2020 and June 2025 along the corridor, with over 80% of crashes occurring at the key study intersections, according to Iowa Department of Transportation data included in the study. More than half — 56% — of the crashes resulted in injury.
The intersections with Northwest 118th and Northwest 142nd avenues had the highest number of crashes, the study states.
Even before Petersen’s death, Polk County was studying ways to improve the crossing and others along the trail for cyclists and pedestrians.
“Our hearts remain with the family and loved ones affected by last fall’s fatal crash. While the trail crossing is a clearfocus for the community, this study also points to needed safety improvements at multiple intersections along NW 44th Street,” Polk County Supervisor Jill Altringer said in a Feb. 5 news release about the study. “Polk County Public Works will continue working through these recommendations to make this roadway safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike.”
Long term, county officials want to fund a system-wide safety study of other intersections and trail crossings to determine where traffic patterns or sight lines may have changed in the last few years, the news release states.
“Our trail system is a Polk County treasure,” Polk County Supervisor Mark Holm said in the news release. “We recognize the importance of safety as our trails are a valuable component of our quality of life. Protecting the safety of trail users is a priority.”
Study includes short- and long-term recommendations
In the short term, the study suggests that the intersection of Northwest 118th Avenue and Northwest 44th Street have:
In the long term, the study suggests a single-lane roundabout at the intersection, predicting that an all-way stop will not be able to handle projected traffic in 2045.
The study recommends a similar approach for short-term improvements for the intersection at Northwest 152nd Avenue and Northwest 44th Street. That intersection should be able to keep an all-way stop based on projected traffic in 2045.
For the Northwest 118th Avenue and 158th Avenue intersections, the study suggests to continue “monitoring intersection performance and safety trends.”
The study also suggests adding flashing LED signs at grade-level crossings along the High Trestle Trail and, in the future, considering underpasses or even relocating the trail to a new roundabout at the Northwest 118th Avenue intersection.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: After fatal cycling crash, safety changes slated on High Trestle Trail
Reporting by Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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