The Guthrie County Conservation Board met Wednesday night. A crowd of 30 people came to participate in the discussion about stop signs at trail crossings on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Many of the citizens believe the trail crossings to be dangerous places for cyclists and say it’s only a matter of time before a cyclist who doesn’t stop at a crossing gets hit by a motor vehicle.

Lake Panorama Association General Manager John Rutledge was in attendance and says his family are regular users of the trail and admitted they don’t always come to complete stops at trail crossings, but they always slow down and look in both directions before proceeding over the road. He believes many riders are safety conscious and says it only takes a few negligent cyclists to make the whole community look bad.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources Officer Jeremy King says he lives near a crossing and often sees cyclists failing to stop there. He wants to work with area law enforcement agencies and the Conservation Board to make sure the trail is as safe as possible.

The Conservation Board says they need to do more research and hire a consulting firm before making a decision on what to do in regards to trail crossing enforcement. Director Joe Hanner says he can start working with County Attorney Mary Benton  this week and hopes a solution can be passed by the Board within the next few months.