The Consolidated Canal project was started in 1891 by Dr. A.J. Chandler. The canal was purchased by the United States Government in 1908, and is one of eight canals in Maricopa County managed by the Salt River Project (SRP).
The Paseo Trail, located on the Consolidated Canal, is part of the City of Chandler Recreation Division. This park is on land leased from the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
So What’s the Fuss All About?
As agreed to in the Salt River Project Land Use License, signed by Mayor Kevin Hartke on 2022 November 01, the City of Chandler has a legal obligation to maintain this property in “a reasonably good, sanitary and safe condition”. This includes the enforcement of Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS § 13-1502 A.1), as authorized by the Codified Federal Regulations (43 C.F.R. § 423 and 43 C.F.R. § 429) and specified by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation – in particular, see section 423.40 Vehicles. In addition, as part of the City of Chandler Recreation Division, activities on this leased property are subject to enforcement of the City of Chandler Municipal Code Chapter 31, Section 6 – specifically, the operation of motorized and motor-assisted vehicles or devices is subject to Paragraph C. As a side note, even though the City of Chandler did not include the Consolidate Canal below Riggs Road, the City of Chandler owns ALL of the property on the east side of the Consolidated Canal south of Riggs Road, and north of Elmhurst Dr., excluding the railroad tracks (editorial comment: I feel that that Chandler Police Department should patrol this property that is owned by the City of Chandler). As a second side note, ARS § 13-1502 A.2 also specifies that some railroad company properties are also covered by this statute (which includes the railroad tracks between 116th Street and Elmhurst Drive. Not an editorial comment – the Chandler Police Department has repeatedly refused to respond to my reports on either of these properties – they claim they have an agreement with Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office that they will respond.
Here is an important piece of that final rule:
Although bicycles and e-bikes will be defined differently, the rule applies certain regulations that govern the use of bicycles to the use of e-bikes in the same manner as the Policy Memorandum. These regulations are explained in more detail above and include rules of operation and adoption of state law to the extent not addressed by NPS regulations. The rule also gives superintendents the authority to limit or restrict e-bike use after taking into consideration public health and safety, natural and cultural resource protection, and other management activities and objectives. If warranted by these criteria, superintendents may use this authority to manage e-bikes, or particular classes of e-bikes, differently than traditional bicycles in particular locations. For example, a superintendent could determine that a trail open to traditional bicycles should not be open to e-bikes, or should be open to class 1 e-bikes only: C.F.R. § 420.5 (a)(7). Every restriction or closure that limits the use of e-bikes must be supported by a written record explaining the basis for such action. The record will explain why e-bikes are managed differently than traditional bicycles if that is the effect of the restriction or closure. All such restrictions and closures should be listed in the superintendent’s compendium (or written compilation) of discretionary actions referred to in 36 C.F.R. § 1.7(b).
Based on conversations held with the Parks and Recreation administrator and board of directors, and representatives of Chandler Police Department, SRP Trails representative has clearly stated that the administrator has determined that no class (1, 2, or 3) of e-bikes are allowed on either side of the Consolidated Canal / Paseo Trail. An email from the individual responsible for the multiple use trails along SRP canals has provided an email to the City of Chandler Mayor and Council which states unequivocally that ALL motorized vehicles, including all e-bikes, are prohibited on the Consolidated Canal, based on the decision of the Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation.
Finally, some positive movement…
The Chandler Police Department installed an electronic billboard on the east side of the Consolidated Canal, just south of Ocotillo Road.
But…
At the 17th Annual Chandler Family Bike Ride, while the website warned participants that e-bikes are prohibited on the canal, the announcer at the start of the ride could not bring herself to tell the truth. The announcements began with Mayor Hartke reminding everyone to ride safely, and then the unknown woman reminded e-bikes to ride them with power off while they are on the canal. As Mayor Hartke, members of City Council, Police Chief Chapman, and City Attorney Schwab are aware, the City of Chandler does not supersede Federal Law, and they are not entitled to mislead e-bike users that they may ride on the canal with power off – they have been told e-bikes are prohibited on the canal. Period.
What Are the Dangers?
Good question.
One danger is what happens when the police don’t do their job, and parents think it’s okay to harass me.
The clip starts when the driver slows down and yells out the passenger window at me. I wait for a bit before starting, but the he pulls over around the corner, gets out of his vehicle at 00:31, and kicks at my car at 00:35. I continue on, losing sight of the his vehicle, but between 01:40 and 01:50 he accelerates to catch up to me and follows me closely until I stop. The man gets out of his car at 02:30, approaches my car, grabs my phone, and tries to yank it out of my hand at 02:35. As he is doing this, he says that he is recording me, and I reply that I am on the phone with 911, and he leaves.
Drowning is a danger!
The City of Chandler Parks and Recreation Department hired over 300 lifeguards for the summer of 2024 (with CPR training) for its six aquatic centers and swimming pools. There are signs posted that prohibits running, glass containers, etc. Life vests are available. Probably most of the best practices relevant to large recreation facilities near water are provided. The exact details are not provided on the Chandler Aquatics website, but the approximate capacity of a single location is between 350,000 and 500,000 gallons, and the total capacity is between 2,100,000 and 2,500,000 gallons. By comparison, each mile of the Consolidated Canal upstream of Chandler’s water treatment plant on McQueen is about 4,500,000 gallons (about twice the total of all the aquatics locations). Downstream of the treatment plant, the capacity ranges from dry to 1,250,000 gallons, depending on the water level.
So, what are the City of Chandler’s Mayor, Council, Parks and Recreation Department, and Chandler Police Department doing to ensure public safety on the Paseo Trail? In a recent study session (2025-06-09) of the City Council, Vice Mayor Ellis indicated as a user of the trail she was concerned about safety on the canal, and Police Chief Bryan Chapman replied that it’s safe since there have been not incidents. There is no regular patrol of any sort by the Chandler Park Rangers or Police Department. As I have been told on several occasions by high-ranking members of the Chandler Police Department, no vehicle with pedals (such as e-bikes) will be stopped. The fact that the Chandler Police Department is ignoring the issue of e-bikes is well known in the local community – I have been told by both juveniles and adults that e-bikes are allowed on the trail by the Chandler Police Department. There is no posted speed limit (only vague reference to “safe speed”), and many bikes and e-bikes are travelling over 25 mph (for which they could be given a speeding ticket if they were on one of the 650 miles of surface streets with that limit).
Even the minimal efforts made by the Parks and Recreation Department have provided more controversy than benefit. In mid-2023, I asked to have signs along both sides of the canal (since again there was denial that the west side of the canal is under the jurisdiction of the City of Chandler – it is) that state clearly that e-bikes are prohibited on the canal. By early 2024, a number of sign posts had been erected on the east side of the Paseo Trail, each of which had two signs. The top said “No motorized vehicles”, which did not clarify the e-bike issue. The second is a small yellow diamond that indicates bicycles are to ride single file.
In the fall of 2024, a high school cycling club decided that the best place to meet and train is along the canal. Naturally, this involves speed (encouraged, as I heard, by the adults advising/supervising), and riding side-by-side. As with the e-bikes, I recorded these violations with my camera, which one of the adults took great exception to. When I pointed out the sign that specifically prohibits this behavior, he became quite belligerent, and we both ended up calling the police – I called 911 in this instance because of his actions. We each told our story separately and I left. The following week, the student continued to ride side-by-side, I recorded a video, and one of the adults again confronted me, and told me that the single file sign is a yellow diamond advisory, and not enforceable by law.
To clarify, I have asked the City of Chandler Streets department to put up advisory signs on Chandler Heights to alert drivers to ducks and geese crossing the street where the canal goes under the bridge. I was told that such an advisory sign is not standard, so the Street department will absolutely not do so. The sign that indicates bicycles must ride single file is not found the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) MUTCD (Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices), so the Streets department would not have posted such a sign. Furthermore, ALL advisory signs must measure at least 18 inches (the single file sign does not). Finally, the east side of the Paseo Trail is neither a street, road, highway, etc., or a bike path (it’s a multi-use trail), so the sign surely was not posted by the Streets department, and is not an FHWA MUTCD advisory sign. Like all of the other signs posted on the Paseo Trail, it is a sign posted by Parks and Recreation that directs proper use of the City of Chandler facilities, subject to City of Chandler Municipal Code Chapter 31.
In mid-2023, I asked to have electronic billboards placed on both sides of the canal to convey the information that e-bikes are prohibited. More than a year later, that suggestion has not yet come to fruition.
Who Owns the Adjacent Properties?
In the diagram below, the canal runs down the middle; parcels in green are privately owned; parcels in brown are City of Chandler; parcels in olive are US Government; unknown parcel numbers are not shown. Streets are black; through streets cross the canal; others stop at or before the adjacent properties. All locations are approximate and not to any scale.
