Over the weekend, new yellow warning paint and three toilet plungers—glued to the new concrete—appeared on the Meredith Trail at the intersection at 16th and ML King where four or more riders have fallen this year. At least two riders were taken to the emergency room after they smacked the curb and tumbled over the handlebars.

At first glance, it appears to be smooth sailing for eastbound cyclists. Big oops! There’s a new 6-inch-high serious curb,installed earlier this year by the City of Des Moines, jutting right into the middle of the sidepath that throws unsuspecting riders. And what rider anticipates a curb in the middle of a sidepath?

In early May, the hazard was first reported to city departments, including Engineering and Public Works. However, the city has taken no remedial action, despite several e-mail exchanges.

The painted curb and plungers should suffice as an intermediate solution until city departments come together for a better solution.

Earlier this year, Omaha bike advocates glued 120 plungers to a city street to mark out what a protected bike lane would look like on a dangerous corridor. The action was labeled “Plungers for a Safer Aksarben.” In February, a similar deployment of plungers in Wichita, Kansas led to city officials installing protective posts along a stretch of a bike lane, the Wichita Eagle reported in March.