Queen Creek sees drop in e-bike complaints after passing ordinance

Less than two months after the town passed an emergency ordinance aimed at curbing reckless operation of e-bikes and other motorized devices, the Queen Creek Police Department is reporting a noticeable drop in complaints.

In May, the council unanimously voted to prohibit the use of e-bicycles and other motorized devices in town parks, establish a specific process for impoundments, set a 15-mph speed limit on sidewalks, multiuse pathways/trails and parking lots, and require hands-free operation of phones and other cellular devices by riders.

More than 56 days before and after the ordinance was passed, QCPD Chief Randy Brice said e-bike and juvenile-related disturbance calls fell 34% townwide from 250 to 165.

Brice reported the new statistics to the Queen Creek Town Council during its Wednesday meeting.

Comparing the first quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of this year, such calls increased by 94% from 247 to 478.

“What we’re looking at was high-conflict areas where we had lots of people, high-speed riding, some reckless riding as well, but in areas where it was mainly meant for other things,” Brice said. “We even had incidents where there would start to be conflicts — actually assaults — and disorderly conduct and fights between youth and adults in various areas … the result really is that families were complaining. They were leaving that space. They weren’t coming around.”

Brice showed the council a video in which a person riding a type of motorized bike at about 32 mph struck a bicycle rider. The person on the motorized bike left the scene of the accident turning it into a serious crime.

The flashpoints for incidents were generally occurring in the town’s parks. In the 56 days before and after the ordinance went into effect, police said there was a 34% drop in e-bike and juvenile-related disturbance calls at Frontier Family Park. Desert Mountain Park saw a drop of 78%, and Mansel Carter Oasis Park saw an 80% decrease in calls.

“Mansel Carter was really the genesis of most of the issues,” Brice said. “I will say anecdotally from my partners in the region, we have seen a lot of the offenders that were coming here are now back in their own cities and towns and doing the same thing they were doing here because we have the right code in place.”

Under the new ordinance, e-bikes and motorized devices can only be operated in the park’s designated roadways and parking lots for entrance and exit. If an operator wants to take their e-bike to another area of a park the bike must be walked or carried to the location.

The 15-mph speed limit takes away the guesswork police must put in to determine whether an e-bike is a class 1, 2 or 3, especially when people are modifying less powerful bikes to make them faster.

The ordinance also set up a specific process for police to impound and release e-bikes and other motorized devices. Impoundments would focus on incidents of reckless operation, disregarding traffic controls and riding in prohibited areas.

For underage kids riding recklessly, police will call the parents to the scene, issue a seizure form and place a mandatory 72-hour hold on the device. To get the device back, an impoundment fee will apply, as well as completion of a two-hour safety course.

“One the best things that we did in this entire code was a process to impound the offending bikes if they actually violated portions of town code and slow things down and then bring accountability into place with the parent and the juvenile involved,” Brice said.

Some parents are already asking if their kids can take the course even if their devices have not been impounded to be proactive about safety, something the department welcomes and encourages.

QCPD has also added a service where any resident who has purchased or is thinking about purchasing a motorized device can make an appointment with police staff to help them determine if the device is legal and whether insurance, registration and driver’s license are necessary.

In passing the ordinance, the council was adamant that it did not want to discourage kids from going outdoors and riding their e-bikes or escalating situations.

“We love to see our youth outdoors and being active away from screens and all of that. But, it’s very nice to see our parks being used for their intended purposes, as well as keeping our e-bikers safe,” Mayor Julia Wheatley said. “I just really appreciate that slow roll approach of starting with education.”

Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org. Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.