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Parks commission urges city council to add signage and reroute e‑bikes after safety concerns
Summary
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission voted Dec. 8 to recommend the City Council install safety signage and route e‑bikes onto Bayshore to reduce conflicts on the narrow Scenic Heights Trail; commissioners cited sight‑line issues, differing e‑bike classes and limited enforcement capacity.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on Dec. 8 voted to recommend that the City Council install safety signage and direct e‑bike users to a Bayshore detour to reduce safety conflicts on the Scenic Heights Trail.
Brandon (parks staff) and subcommittee members told commissioners the athletic‑facilities and parklands subcommittee had discussed the difficulty of creating enforceable e‑bike rules and favored low‑cost mitigations such as signage and sight‑line improvements. "We had a lot of back and forth about how do you even regulate something like this," a subcommittee member said, noting enforcement capacity and funding constraints.
Brian Smith, parks and recreation director, suggested trimming vegetation near the trail curve and posting flashing speed reminders. He also raised restricting class 3 e‑bikes — which he said behave more like mopeds — and warned that some high‑powered class 4 units may require licensing and insurance if allowed on trails.
Commissioner Denise Marion said voluntary measures often fail on narrow trails and pushed for clearer rules and consequences, emphasizing that walkways frequently become obstructed by groups walking abreast or by strollers. "Voluntary solutions do not work," she said, arguing for a rule framework commissioners could enforce or monitor.
After discussing options — including a proposed detour under a quarter mile along Bayshore that would use an existing bike shoulder — an unidentified commissioner moved that the commission recommend the council consider "installation of safety signage as well as routing of e‑bikes onto Bayshore, by Woodby Island Bank," and the motion passed by voice vote.
The commission directed staff to pursue a pilot approach: install signage and implement routing, then monitor usage before proposing any code or enforcement changes that would require additional staff or budget. Staff said they will continue detailed discussions in relevant subcommittees and report back on implementation options.
