Becky Broeder knew it was just a matter of time before a bicyclist crashed into one of Missoula's new and controversial "bulbouts."

Broeder, who often commutes by bike, had called the city to voice her concerns over the concrete curb extensions, but figured the discussion would really ramp up once someone was injured.

"I figured that there would probably have to be a test case before we really figured out what to do with them," she said Monday. "I just didn't plan to be that case."

Turn the clock back a week. Broeder was riding her old Schwinn mountain bike home from the Bryan Adams concert about 11 p.m. Broeder lives on Howell Street, and her route home goes west on Phillips Street, which got a series of bulbouts as part of a "Safe Routes To School" grant.

The city of Missoula also installed other bulbouts around town this summer, including near Rattlesnake, Paxson, Russell, and Lewis and Clark elementary schools.

As Broeder closed in on the intersection of Phillips and Bulwer, a car came up behind her. Although she had a bright light, she wasn't sure the car could see her, so she slowed down in hopes of letting it pass before the road narrows at the bulbout.

"I think a lot of people have just been riding into the traffic lane to get through these spots safely, but I wasn't going to do that in the dark," she said.

As the car approached, Broeder watched over her left shoulder as the car came near, but didn't realize how close she was to the bulbout.

"I hit it and went over the handlebars," she said. "I hit my abdomen on the bars then went over and landed on my face."

The collision left Broeder with three broken molars and 30 stitches in her chin, which was split open nearly to the bone.

"I'm still sore," she said.

Broeder means that both literally and figuratively.

"Now that this has happened, I want the city to do something about these things," Broeder said. "We shouldn't be waiting for something worse to happen to somebody. I am an experienced rider, but what happens when a child comes along? Something needs to be done."

The city of Missoula has been working with the people in the neighborhood near Lowell School for nearly five years.

"They've been concerned with excessive speed in their area and they've been very concerned about moderating the behavior on their streets," said city Public Works director Steve King.

This summer, a series of traffic-calming devices were installed along Phillips Street. They are low concrete barriers that encroach on the roadway and are designed to protect pedestrians at intersections; Phillips also has them in the median at intersections.

"We've been responsive to the neighborhood's concerns, but that's not the end of it," King said. "We do a variety of evaluations and part of that is public acceptance, and that's the phase we're in now."

That evaluation could lead to changes in the bulbouts. In fact, it's already happened at the corner of Scott and Phillips, where Mountain Line buses were having trouble making the corner.

In the case of the Phillips and Bulwer intersection, the bulbouts have created a situation where someone using the roadway must accommodate someone else.

"On a low-volume street, the driver can usually just move around the bicycle," King said. "But on Phillips, because of the median, something more than that will be required."

Stopping, for instance, King said. But who should stop and under what circumstances?

Near Rattlesnake Elementary School, cyclists have taken to riding in the middle of the traffic lane when approaching the bulbouts recently installed there.

But in the Rattlesnake, there's still room for a car and a bike to pass through the bulbout section together. Phillips isn't so accommodating.

"There's no way a bike and a car are going through there at the same time," Broeder said. "I just don't understand why you would install something that is bound to cause an accident."

Broeder is very mindful of the hazards facing pedestrians. She just thinks the bulbouts solve one problem while creating another one.

"Why couldn't we have something that works for everyone?" she asked. "That's what I would be pushing for."

Broeder attended a meeting of the Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Board on Monday, and said she's anxious to work with the city. King, too, attended that meeting, and said the bulbout conversation will continue.

"We want to understand what the problems are and see what the best cost benefits of a solution are," King said. "The idea is that we are trying to make the road safer for all users. It's a very serious concern."

Serious indeed.

"How many times will we need to see this happen before we fix it?" said Broeder, her chin a criss-cross of black stitches.

Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or at mmoore@missoulian.com.