Residents say proposed e-bike ordinance and canal signs won’t solve safety problems; city agrees to review signage

Chandler — Several residents told the Chandler City Council on June 11 that a proposed e-bike ordinance and recent canal signage will do little to address safety without clearer enforcement and changes to sign placement and legibility.

Brook Beiel of Chandler addressed the council during public comment on a proposed ordinance related to electric bicycles, saying he opposed the ordinance in its current form because he did not see how police could reliably identify e-bike classes or enforce speed and age limits. "I don't think we're going to see any enforcement of this law or any meaningful enforcement of this law," Beiel said, warning that weak enforcement could lead to accidents, injuries and deaths.

Beiel later used the unscheduled public appearance period to criticize new signs along the canal. He said QR codes were mounted too high and the lettering too small for riders or drivers to read at typical canal speeds. "If I want to scan it, I have to hold it about 8 inches from the sign," he said, adding that the signs' text height was far smaller than recommended for visibility at 20–30 mph.

Council members and the city manager responded that staff would review sign locations and readability. The city manager said staff could revisit the signs and report back; Council member Harris asked that entrance points, mid-route exits and end-of-segment locations be covered consistently.

Other public commenters urged the council to include additional canal safety measures in the budget, including targeted police patrols and cameras to monitor activity. One commenter estimated modest costs for increased patrols and said cameras could reduce the need for continuous officer presence.

Why it matters: The items highlight resident concern about public-safety measures that rely on clear enforcement and usable signage. City staff agreed to follow up; no ordinance language or enforcement plan was amended on the record during this meeting.

Next steps: Staff will review signage placement, size and QR code usability and report back to council; the proposed e-bike ordinance remained under consideration on the docket and will move through the council process separately.