Chandler Council hears about e-bike trail concerns, solutions

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Chandler City Manager said nearly all of the 126 calls over the past six months or so for people riding e-bikes along Consolidated Canal trails have been from one person.

That one person was given time at the Monday, June 9, study session to address his concerns in a formal presentation.

Brook Beall is a south Chandler resident who lives near the canal. He’s made a few pitches, during public input time, at council meetings over the past six months, to encourage the city to do more to keep e-bikes of the canal trail used by pedestrians, bicyclists and others.

On June 9, Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke decided to allow Beall to speak during a scheduled appearance before the City Council.

Beall titled his presentation “Crime Spree on Consolidated Canal,” though Hartke didn’t use the words “crime spree” when he introduced Beall.

“My definition of a crime spree is more than 400 events, over the past couple of years, by the same 10 to 12 people,” Beall told council. “I contacted SRP (Salt River Project, which makes rules for canal areas), and it’s clearly not allowed.”

Beall pointed out that Chapter 31-6-C of the city code also appears to prohibit e-bikes from trails. There are permanent and electronic signs near trails that also carry this message.

Beall wants the Chandler Police Department to do more enforcement. He even returned to the podium during public input of the Thursday, June 12, regular council meeting to ask either police or City Attorney Kelly Schwab to provide a list of what is and isn’t permitted regarding e-bikes in the city.

There have been 40 to 50 weekly targeted patrols by Chandler Police this year and eight traffic stops have taken place along the canal since October 2024, Wright said, all being youth on motorized bikes or dirt bikes. He didn’t say how many were cited, but all eight were informed they were trespassing.

Wright said the city has spent money on additional signs about motorized vehicles. Beall himself showed digital photos of electronic “traffic trailer” signs that address the prohibition of e-bikes on the trail.

Chandler Police also set up a tent along the canal trail, for several hours, as an educational tool to let area travelers know about the e-bike prohibition.

Wright also said the city has “refreshed” its relationship with SRP in order to put out cohesive messaging about canal use rules.

Council member Matt Orlando asked Wright to return within 30 days with more ideas on what can be done.
Chandler Police Chief Bryan Chapman also spoke. He said no injury accidents have happened along the canal. But he said no police department for a city the size of Chandler is going to prioritize e-bikes on a canal over more urgent safety concerns.

Chapman said concerns along long stretches of canal are relatively new to the department. He said patrol and staff time devoted to what he says are very long stretches of the canal (between arterial crossings) must be balanced against patrolling higher-trafficked parts of the city.

“We’re trying to be strategic about the deployment of our resources,” Chapman said. “And we’re trying to use education, not enforcement, to mitigate some of those issues along the canal.”

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.   Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.