Recently, four cyclists had their citations for running stop signs on the Raccoon River Valley Trail dismissed in Guthrie County.

Greene County Sheriff Steve Haupert says he supports Iowa Department of Natural Resources Officer Jeremy King for issuing the citations.

“I felt that he was very justified in giving those citations.  I think it was probably an awareness for bicyclists to be cautious at those crossings.”

He notes that there are cyclists on the trail in Greene County that don’t adhere to the posted stop signs, but that older cyclists do take the time to obey them.

“Most of the time you’ll see, like when Pedaler’s Jamboree was here, if it’s an uncontrolled or if there are not officers there to direct traffic, most of your older generation bike riders will stop.  You can even be standing there directing traffic and they’re going to slow way down and still look both ways and make sure (there’s no traffic).  It’s kind of what they’ve always done.”

Jefferson Police Chief Dave Morlan also serves on the Greene County Conservation Board and says any regulations on the trail that isn’t in their rules and regulations, they fall back on the Iowa Code.