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Volunteers tell Sunbury council e-bikes and dirt bikes are damaging trails and creating hazards
Summary
Sweeps Committee volunteers urged the city to ban non‑accessible e-bikes and dirt bikes from park trails, citing tire ruts, erosion and safety risks to walkers; council discussed enforcement, signage and existing policy.
Volunteers working with Sunbury's park reported repeated incidents of e-bikes and a dirt bike using trails intended for foot traffic, saying the activity leaves tire ruts that worsen erosion and create trip hazards when it rains.
"E-bikes and dirt bikes are damaging the trails... causing tire ruts ... causing erosion issues along the trails," the Sweeps Committee representative said, urging a policy and signage to restrict non‑handicap e-bikes on city park trails (SEG 143–149, SEG 151–164). The representative noted volunteers, including young helpers, had near-miss incidents with bikes on hillside trails and asked the city to make signage enforceable.
Council members said an e-bike policy was already adopted earlier in the year and can be incorporated for this pavilion property; the chief and staff discussed enforcement options, including citations for violations and targeted patrols. The council asked staff to work with the chief to ensure signage language supports enforcement and to consider operational changes that make the restriction clearer to visitors.
