On June 4, 2019 and June 18, 2019, the City Council (Council) discussed extensively many facets of electric bikes and use of the same in the City of Flagstaff. On June 18, 2019, Council adopted Ordinance 2019-19 revising portions of the Flagstaff City Code (Code) including use of electric bikes. Specific to this agenda item, when Ordinance 2019-19 was adopted, Council identified certain sidewalks and multiuse paths within the City of Flagstaff where electric bikes are now prohibited. The language in Ordinance 2019-19 is general as related to the prohibition on the use of electric bikes on certain sidewalks and multiuse paths where signage exists reflecting the prohibitions. 

The reason for the general language was as follows: when the Council adopted Ordinance 2019-19, Council also gave direction to present the prohibitions to specific Commissions to allow for additional feedback on additional prohibitions that they might recommend. Those Commissions were the Pedestrian Advisory Commission, the Bicycle Advisory Commission and the Transportation Commission. Each of those Commissions voted to recommend allowing electric bikes on the Arizona Trail. The Pedestrian Advisory Commission and the Bicycle Advisory Commission also voted to recommend allowing electric bikes on the Nate Avery Trail. Council was informed of the feedback/recommendations from these Commissions in a presentation from staff on October 1, 2019. After the staff presentation, Council discussed and gave no additional direction to staff, effectively maintaining the prohibition of electric bikes on certain sidewalks and multiuse paths which Council had previously approved in the motions that led to the adoption of Ordinance 2019-19.

As a formality for code publication purposes, a minor amendment for accuracy is now appropriate to properly reflect the specific names of the sidewalks and multiuse paths where electric bicycles are prohibited as named by the City Council in the motions that led to the of Ordinance 2019-19. The names are: the Arizona Trail, the Nate Avery and Buffalo Park Trails.

Council discussed and provided direction on the content of the ordinance at work sessions on April 30, 2019, and May 28, 2019; also at the first reading of Ordinance 2019-19 on June 4, 2019, and at the final reading and adoption of Ordinance 2019-19 on June 18, 2019.

On October 1, 2019 Council received a presentation from staff on the feedback from certain Commissions as mentioned in the executive summary above. Council gave no direction to deviate from the trails named as prohibited in the motions leading to the adoption of Ordinance 2019-19. 

Now, as a formality for code publication purposes, proposed Ordinance 2020-18 is to ensure that the previously named, prohibited trails are codified in accordance with the language in the motions which led to the adoption of Ordinance 2019-19. P

Proposed Ordinance 2020-18 does not include revisiting settled issues.