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Residents press Chandler council to enforce ban on motorized vehicles along Paseo Trail
Summary
A resident told the Chandler City Council that electric bikes and other motorized vehicles are violating a 1999 city restriction and Salt River Project rules along the Paseo Trail and canal; staff said they are discussing targeted enforcement options with police and will report back.
Brook Beal, a Chandler resident, told the City Council on March 27 that electric bicycles and other motorized vehicles are using the Paseo Trail and canal path in violation of local and utility rules and are creating safety risks for pedestrians, equestrians and wildlife.
Beal said the council passed an ordinance in 1999—“Chapter 31, section 6, paragraph c,” he said—that he interprets as prohibiting motor-assisted vehicles on the canal, and he also cited Salt River Project (SRP) guidance that disallows motorized vehicles on the waterway property. “For the past two years … I’ve been trying to get cooperation from the city attorney’s office and the Chandler Police Department to prohibit the ebikes and other motorized vehicles on the canal,” Beal told the council.
Beal described safety concerns including sustained high speeds, interactions with horses and pedestrians, and a drowning risk near open water. He recommended several enforcement and mitigation steps: parking officers near canal access points to intercept riders, deploying traffic cameras, increasing bicycle officer patrols, adding signage and measuring speeds at lamp-post intervals to identify high-speed riders.
City staff acknowledged the challenge is enforcement rather than a gap in law. A staff member told the council, “We have been talking with the police to promote some additional enforcement measures we may be able to employ, and so we’ll share those with you,” and said catching offenders in the act remains difficult.
Council members suggested next steps including studying trail use, adding signage and returning with possible enforcement measures for council consideration. Councilmember Martinez and Councilmember Harris asked whether a formal study of trail usage, speeds and accidents would help identify physical or regulatory mitigations; staff agreed to investigate options and report back.
The discussion took place during public comment tied to the upcoming Chandler family bike ride (April 5). The council did not take formal action on enforcement that night; the transcript shows staff committed to bring ideas and potential targeted enforcement options back to council for consideration.
