From KVUE News
Austin police have issued an arrest warrant for a man they say recorded himself exposing himself near a child at a North Austin book store.
Christopher Carney, 36, is charged with indecency with a child by exposure.
A sex crimes detective at APD told KVUE News he found almost 300 videos on Carney's cell phone -- half of which police say are of a sexual nature.
Carney, a pedicab driver, is now considered a fugitive because police can't find him anywhere.
On December 3, Austin police got a call about a man peeping through a window of a West Campus apartment on Leon Street. When officers arrived they say they caught Carney in the act. They say he was touching himself while looking through a woman's window.
He was arrested for the misdemeanor and bonded out.
Austin police say it took weeks to get a search warrant to go through his phone, and when they did, they found 275 videos -- many of which were taken early in the morning, and police say half of them captured women in various states of undress.
One of those videos was taken on November 26. Police say it shows Carney on the children's isle of the Book Stop at 4001 North Lamar. Investigators say the video shows a young girl with her back to Carney while he's touching himself.
"I consider him to be a threat to the general public by the nature of what he does, and I would compel anyone who's had a -- someone who they've suspected of window peeping -- anybody, a prowler, anybody that would cause you to wonder what that person's doing -- just a suspicious person to phone the police," said Detective John Server, APD Sex Crimes Unit.
Austin police are also planning to release pictures showing the inside of some of his unknown victims' homes. Investigators hope that will bring forward some of his victims who may not even know that they were victimized.
Austin police also told KVUE News that Carney has a previous arrest for indecent exposure and window peeping.
Friday, January 30
Customers on board with pedicab service in Roanoke
From WDBJ Roanoke News
The Sharebike organization has been instrumental in offering a new service to help people get around Roanoke.
It's called Star City Pedicab.
Patrons can relax in a comfortable cart being pulled behind a bike.
Star City Pedicab is a self-sufficient service that operates off of tips and donations.
All of the revenue generated goes back into Star City Pedicab.
To set up a ride, call the Sharebike office at (540) 344-1499.
The Sharebike organization has been instrumental in offering a new service to help people get around Roanoke.
It's called Star City Pedicab.
Patrons can relax in a comfortable cart being pulled behind a bike.
Star City Pedicab is a self-sufficient service that operates off of tips and donations.
All of the revenue generated goes back into Star City Pedicab.
To set up a ride, call the Sharebike office at (540) 344-1499.
Friday, January 23
Bike Taxi's May Be In Birmingham's Future
From CBS42
When it comes to getting around Birmingham, driving your car or walking the sidewalks are the way most people get from here to there.
Then there are those who rely on public transportation. Well if Willie Pittman gets his way, visitors to Birmingham may be hitching a ride on the back of his bike.
Pittman has dreamed for twenty years of starting a rickshaw service using pedicabs!
He says his business would be for short trips. "We're not in competition with the taxi cab business at all, so we're just trying to give a little spark to the city, when businesses come to the city, they'll see something different."
Pittman says his service would cater to tourists and those looking for a quick ride from the office to lunch.
And after taking a close look at the pedicab, there's some clear advantages to being in the pedicab business. First, it's a green industry, so you can feel good. And then anyone driving a pedicab is going to get a great workout.
But would Birmingham support the business?
Tillman Johnson isn't so sure, but he applauds the idea. "You have to do what you have to do to make a living these days. so more power to whoever wants to get in the business."
Veirdre Gaddis is more optimistic about pedicabs catching on. "To tell you the truth, any man that's going to pull me around would be a plus for me. But I think it's a wonderful opportunity since we're trying to get into more green ideas, and that's another idea for transportation, I think it would function great."
When it comes to getting around Birmingham, driving your car or walking the sidewalks are the way most people get from here to there.
Then there are those who rely on public transportation. Well if Willie Pittman gets his way, visitors to Birmingham may be hitching a ride on the back of his bike.
Pittman has dreamed for twenty years of starting a rickshaw service using pedicabs!
He says his business would be for short trips. "We're not in competition with the taxi cab business at all, so we're just trying to give a little spark to the city, when businesses come to the city, they'll see something different."
Pittman says his service would cater to tourists and those looking for a quick ride from the office to lunch.
And after taking a close look at the pedicab, there's some clear advantages to being in the pedicab business. First, it's a green industry, so you can feel good. And then anyone driving a pedicab is going to get a great workout.
But would Birmingham support the business?
Tillman Johnson isn't so sure, but he applauds the idea. "You have to do what you have to do to make a living these days. so more power to whoever wants to get in the business."
Veirdre Gaddis is more optimistic about pedicabs catching on. "To tell you the truth, any man that's going to pull me around would be a plus for me. But I think it's a wonderful opportunity since we're trying to get into more green ideas, and that's another idea for transportation, I think it would function great."
Thursday, January 22
Cracking Down on Central Park Pedicabs
From The New York Times
If there were a chase scene in this particular crime drama, it would not be too hair-raising. But the long arm of the law still drew plenty of stares from passers-by on a recent Sunday along the Central Park Mall, the long promenade leading to the Bethesda Terrace. At one moment, three pedicab drivers, some with passengers still ensconced, were pulled over almost simultaneously by enforcement officers and issued summonses.
“Pedicabs are not allowed to be on pedestrian pathways, and obviously the Mall is a major pedestrian pathway,” said Douglas Blonsky, the Central Park administrator and president of the Central Park Conservancy, the private, nonprofit organization that manages the park under contract with the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Of the 28 summonses issued to pedicabs in Central Park on Dec. 28, when this photo was taken, eight were on the Mall. In 2008, a total of 2,609 summonses were issued to pedicabs for various infractions.
“We like pedicabs,” Mr. Blonsky said. “They’re clean and a good way for tourists to see the city. But they clearly push the envelope of where they should be and what they can do. Many operators are very good, but there’s a handful. …” The sentence trailed off.
“Just like anything,” he concluded, leaving the impression that the phrase “bad apples” had been lurking in his thoughts.
With a maximum penalty of $200, it was unclear how much of a deterrent a summons represents. One driver at the Dec. 28 ticketfest seemed in a jaunty enough mood as he shouted over to an enforcement officer, “Remember, my name is spelled with one T, like the governor!”
If there were a chase scene in this particular crime drama, it would not be too hair-raising. But the long arm of the law still drew plenty of stares from passers-by on a recent Sunday along the Central Park Mall, the long promenade leading to the Bethesda Terrace. At one moment, three pedicab drivers, some with passengers still ensconced, were pulled over almost simultaneously by enforcement officers and issued summonses.
“Pedicabs are not allowed to be on pedestrian pathways, and obviously the Mall is a major pedestrian pathway,” said Douglas Blonsky, the Central Park administrator and president of the Central Park Conservancy, the private, nonprofit organization that manages the park under contract with the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Of the 28 summonses issued to pedicabs in Central Park on Dec. 28, when this photo was taken, eight were on the Mall. In 2008, a total of 2,609 summonses were issued to pedicabs for various infractions.
“We like pedicabs,” Mr. Blonsky said. “They’re clean and a good way for tourists to see the city. But they clearly push the envelope of where they should be and what they can do. Many operators are very good, but there’s a handful. …” The sentence trailed off.
“Just like anything,” he concluded, leaving the impression that the phrase “bad apples” had been lurking in his thoughts.
With a maximum penalty of $200, it was unclear how much of a deterrent a summons represents. One driver at the Dec. 28 ticketfest seemed in a jaunty enough mood as he shouted over to an enforcement officer, “Remember, my name is spelled with one T, like the governor!”
Jeffco entrepreneur to start pedicab service
From Al.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Willie Pittman, a former aircraft mechanic and self-described "hedge doctor," is hoping to start a third career as owner and operator of Birmingham's only rickshaw service.
If city officials give him a green light, Pittman plans to start Magicity Pedicabs, offering rides to residents and tourists on a three-wheeled vehicle also known as a pedicab.
Unlike a traditional rickshaw, in which operators transport passengers in carriages pulled by operators on foot, pedicab operators use bicycles to pull the carriages. Pittman already has purchased one pedicab and plans to add several more if his idea wins approval by the City Council.
Although they may be new for Birmingham, pedicab businesses are already operating in big cities such as New York, Chicago and Washington, and in smaller ones such as Oklahoma City, Fort Lauderdale and Salem, Mass.
Greg Duran, a Denver-based pedicab consultant, estimated there are hundreds of such businesses in the U.S. today, ranging in size from a single entrepreneur with one bike to large fleets of 20-100 vehicles.
Although pedicabs have been manufactured in the U.S. since the 1970s, pedicab businesses have become increasingly popular over the last decade because they are environmentally friendly and fun, Duran said.
As businesses have started, many cities have had to deal with issues such as safety, licensing and insurance.
Pittman, 51, said he and a friend got the idea for the business in the 1980s, when Pittman was working as an aircraft mechanic for Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga.
"The idea never left me, really."
Pittman, who now runs a seasonal hedge-trimming business from his home in Hoover, said he hopes to operate pedicabs in downtown Birmingham and Southside.
Pedicab operators would wear matching red and black uniforms but would work as independent contractors, leasing vehicles from him.
Pittman said he would also sell advertising space on the outside of the vehicles.
Pittman said pedicabs could be used to transport visitors and locals between the city's Civil Rights destinations, or from hotels or concert venues to their cars.
They could be used for City Stages, weddings and other special events, or just to take downtown workers to lunch.
He said pedicabs would be a novel addition to the Birmingham landscape.
They're so novel, however, that city ordinances contain no provisions for regulating them. The city's transportation and communication committee is working to craft rules for the business.
City Councilwoman Carol Duncan, who chairs the committee, said she is concerned about where pedicabs would operate, especially given Birmingham's hilly terrain and lack of bicycle lanes, and how much they would charge.
But she's optimistic the committee will have a recommendation ready for the full council within several weeks.
Duncan said pedicabs could add an interesting component to a downtown entertainment district.
She said she'd like to see the business up and running in time for the Davis Cup in March.
The committee is scheduled to take up the issue again at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
___
Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Willie Pittman, a former aircraft mechanic and self-described "hedge doctor," is hoping to start a third career as owner and operator of Birmingham's only rickshaw service.
If city officials give him a green light, Pittman plans to start Magicity Pedicabs, offering rides to residents and tourists on a three-wheeled vehicle also known as a pedicab.
Unlike a traditional rickshaw, in which operators transport passengers in carriages pulled by operators on foot, pedicab operators use bicycles to pull the carriages. Pittman already has purchased one pedicab and plans to add several more if his idea wins approval by the City Council.
Although they may be new for Birmingham, pedicab businesses are already operating in big cities such as New York, Chicago and Washington, and in smaller ones such as Oklahoma City, Fort Lauderdale and Salem, Mass.
Greg Duran, a Denver-based pedicab consultant, estimated there are hundreds of such businesses in the U.S. today, ranging in size from a single entrepreneur with one bike to large fleets of 20-100 vehicles.
Although pedicabs have been manufactured in the U.S. since the 1970s, pedicab businesses have become increasingly popular over the last decade because they are environmentally friendly and fun, Duran said.
As businesses have started, many cities have had to deal with issues such as safety, licensing and insurance.
Pittman, 51, said he and a friend got the idea for the business in the 1980s, when Pittman was working as an aircraft mechanic for Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga.
"The idea never left me, really."
Pittman, who now runs a seasonal hedge-trimming business from his home in Hoover, said he hopes to operate pedicabs in downtown Birmingham and Southside.
Pedicab operators would wear matching red and black uniforms but would work as independent contractors, leasing vehicles from him.
Pittman said he would also sell advertising space on the outside of the vehicles.
Pittman said pedicabs could be used to transport visitors and locals between the city's Civil Rights destinations, or from hotels or concert venues to their cars.
They could be used for City Stages, weddings and other special events, or just to take downtown workers to lunch.
He said pedicabs would be a novel addition to the Birmingham landscape.
They're so novel, however, that city ordinances contain no provisions for regulating them. The city's transportation and communication committee is working to craft rules for the business.
City Councilwoman Carol Duncan, who chairs the committee, said she is concerned about where pedicabs would operate, especially given Birmingham's hilly terrain and lack of bicycle lanes, and how much they would charge.
But she's optimistic the committee will have a recommendation ready for the full council within several weeks.
Duncan said pedicabs could add an interesting component to a downtown entertainment district.
She said she'd like to see the business up and running in time for the Davis Cup in March.
The committee is scheduled to take up the issue again at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
___
Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews
Wednesday, January 21
Bicycle taxies for Obama's huddled inaugural masses
FROM Examiner.com
It’s more than likely that some portion of the millions planning to descend on the National Mall for the inauguration, particularly older or out-of-shape folks, will end up doing far more standing, walking, and waiting than they anticipated. With cars banned and key Metro stops—including Smithsonian, Navy Yard—closed for security purposes, it’s no wonder that DC officials have been warning anybody that will listen that inauguration-goers should expect to do miles of walking if they show up for the festivities.
Still, as the day wears on, you can be sure there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people who find themselves yearning to be free of the crushing crowds, the stench of more than 5,000 used porta-potties, and the surge of Obamania. Some advice for such people: consider calling a bicycle taxi. I stumbled across one this weekend in front of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and snapped this picture.
Though I haven’t ridden on one yet, they certainly look like sturdy vehicles capable of carrying three, if not more, people. The Associated Press reports that at least six will be on hand ferrying people about. Given the circumstances, however, I would encourage people to give precedence to people truly struggling to walk, particularly older folks dealing with disability.
The number to call to reach one company called DC Pedicab, which has been in the news and on blogs recently, is 202-345-8065. DC Pedicab keeps a useful page of photos on its website and a photostream on Flickr if you’re looking for shots of the taxies in action. Bicycle enthusiasts can also sign up as to be a driver. The pay is $15 to $20 per hour.
It’s more than likely that some portion of the millions planning to descend on the National Mall for the inauguration, particularly older or out-of-shape folks, will end up doing far more standing, walking, and waiting than they anticipated. With cars banned and key Metro stops—including Smithsonian, Navy Yard—closed for security purposes, it’s no wonder that DC officials have been warning anybody that will listen that inauguration-goers should expect to do miles of walking if they show up for the festivities.
Still, as the day wears on, you can be sure there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people who find themselves yearning to be free of the crushing crowds, the stench of more than 5,000 used porta-potties, and the surge of Obamania. Some advice for such people: consider calling a bicycle taxi. I stumbled across one this weekend in front of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and snapped this picture.
Though I haven’t ridden on one yet, they certainly look like sturdy vehicles capable of carrying three, if not more, people. The Associated Press reports that at least six will be on hand ferrying people about. Given the circumstances, however, I would encourage people to give precedence to people truly struggling to walk, particularly older folks dealing with disability.
The number to call to reach one company called DC Pedicab, which has been in the news and on blogs recently, is 202-345-8065. DC Pedicab keeps a useful page of photos on its website and a photostream on Flickr if you’re looking for shots of the taxies in action. Bicycle enthusiasts can also sign up as to be a driver. The pay is $15 to $20 per hour.
Midtown Police Refuse to Help Hit-and-Run Pedicab Victim
FROM StreetBlog
NYPD "Broken Windows" Strategy Does Not Apply to Traffic Crime
Last month a grand jury indicted officer Patrick Pogan for leveling cyclist Christopher Long during a Critical Mass ride and lying about it afterward. For all the satisfaction one may derive from seeing justice grind forward in that case, the Pogan assault is something of a rarity -- police aggression caught on tape, making the cover-up utterly transparent and leaving a media storm in its wake. The more common -- and pressing -- problem for pedestrians and cyclists is the routine NYPD response to traffic violations that cause them injury and harm.
Not long before the Pogan indictment, pedicab driver Ethan Haymes got a taste of this everyday injustice. On the night of November 25th, cruising for fares on Fifth Avenue near Rockefeller Center, Haymes was swiped from behind by an SUV as the driver made a reckless attempt to pass him on the left. The impact gashed Haymes' rear fender and bent one wheel into a potato chip, causing no physical harm. His cab rendered unrideable, Haymes watched as the driver accelerated and rounded the next corner.
The collision was unintentional, Haymes says, but the driver’s hit-and-run reaction was unmistakable. "He basically stepped on it and hightailed it out of there," says Haymes. Luckily, a family of tourists witnessed the collision and caught the driver’s license plate. Haymes recorded the number in his cell phone and prepared to notify the police. He figured multiple eyewitnesses and a unique identifier would give him firm footing to seek damages from the perpetrator -- nothing too hefty, just enough to cover damages to the pedicab.
The first officer Haymes approached said he could not help because he had no radio, and advised Haymes to call 911. The emergency operator took the complaint, entered it into the system, and told Haymes to stay at the scene until police arrived. So Haymes waited. And waited. After about 90 minutes, the owner of the pedicab showed up and helped replace the busted wheel. Haymes waited for the cops some more. Two hours after placing the 911 call -- well past midnight -- he rode away from the scene and headed for the Midtown North precinct building.
At the precinct, Haymes recalls, police told him the collision could not be classified as a hit-and-run because he had left the scene. Frustrated, he filled out an accident report, a process that only heightened his sense that enforcement protocols were weighted against him. "It was all catered to drivers, as if the collision were two cars," he said of the form. "I just wrote in the margins what actually happened." He is still waiting for a response to the form from state police headquarters in Albany. The whole experience has proven disillusioning. "I expected them to be like, ‘Oh, you got hit-and-run? Well, give us the license plate and we'll prosecute this guy,’" Haymes said. "I feel like that’s the way it should have happened. That is their job."
Haymes's story is hardly exceptional. Police follow-up is nearly unheard of when a hit-and-run vehicle strikes a bike, says Adam White, an attorney based in New York who has represented cyclists for more than 10 years. "I've never had a situation where a cop has done what's necessary to go after the owner or operator of that vehicle... they just don't do it," he said. "Every now and then clients of mine have been livid and tried to pursue it, and I've encouraged them to do so, and I've never heard a client tell me that it's come to anything."
NYPD's treatment of traffic crime doesn't square with its much-touted adherence to the "broken windows" theory of policing. One of the tenets of broken windows is that eliminating petty offenses pays dividends by reducing more serious crimes down the line. Crack down on turnstile jumping, the thinking goes, and a decline in subway violence will follow. The analogy to cases like Ethan Haymes's collision is clear: Zero tolerance for drivers who act recklessly, regardless of the physical harm incurred, will yield lower rates of crashes that do injure and kill people.
With increased bike modeshare an essential component of the city's green agenda -- and ridership numbers starting to take off -- a tougher NYPD stance on traffic violations would also reinforce sustainability goals by helping to put cyclists on equal footing with drivers. The necessary training and protocols appear not to be in place, however.
"My general sense is, across the board, that the police take vehicle crashes more seriously because they are just more routine, they're used to them, and they generally seem a little out of sorts by cyclist incidents and they just want to get done with them," said Mark Taylor, the attorney who helped Haymes file an insurance claim with the state following the collision. "The paperwork is set up for vehicles hitting each other and that's what cops tend to be trained for -- they just don't know how to handle cyclists."
So what exactly is the NYPD's current protocol for car-on-bike collisions in which a hit-and-run vehicle can be positively identified? Streetsblog's queries have yet to yield a response from the agency. A phone call to Midtown North's community affairs office was re-routed to the "Highway Safety" desk, which refused to answer any questions from reporters. NYPD's central public relations office has not responded to multiple inquiries.
Law enforcement's ingrained anti-cyclist bias is certainly not limited to New York. But there are some success stories elsewhere in the country, where consistent public pressure has improved police protocols for handling car-on-bike crashes. Last year, for instance, Portland's police department lowered the threshold for generating a police report for crashes involving "vulnerable roadway users" -- a new legal category encompassing cyclists, rollerbladers, and skaters.
"There was a time when if you were hit on a bike, and you were knocked off, they wouldn't write up a report," said Bob Mionske, a Portland-based attorney and former Olympic cyclist who in 2007 published Cycling and the Law, a guide to cyclists' legal rights. The new standard, he explains, triggers more police investigations of car-on-bike crashes and leads to better insurance records of drivers' histories.
As a columnist with Velo News -- and, soon, Bicycling Magazine -- Mionske receives letters from cyclists and their families all over the country about their encounters with law enforcement. When you get down to it, he says, police treatment of crashes involving cyclists is really a matter of rights and equality. "We should have parity when it's a cyclist involved, and the fact is, that's not the case," he said. "Whatever the protocols are with respect to motor vehicle-on-motor vehicle are the same ones they should use for bike versus car."
NYPD "Broken Windows" Strategy Does Not Apply to Traffic Crime
Last month a grand jury indicted officer Patrick Pogan for leveling cyclist Christopher Long during a Critical Mass ride and lying about it afterward. For all the satisfaction one may derive from seeing justice grind forward in that case, the Pogan assault is something of a rarity -- police aggression caught on tape, making the cover-up utterly transparent and leaving a media storm in its wake. The more common -- and pressing -- problem for pedestrians and cyclists is the routine NYPD response to traffic violations that cause them injury and harm.
Not long before the Pogan indictment, pedicab driver Ethan Haymes got a taste of this everyday injustice. On the night of November 25th, cruising for fares on Fifth Avenue near Rockefeller Center, Haymes was swiped from behind by an SUV as the driver made a reckless attempt to pass him on the left. The impact gashed Haymes' rear fender and bent one wheel into a potato chip, causing no physical harm. His cab rendered unrideable, Haymes watched as the driver accelerated and rounded the next corner.
The collision was unintentional, Haymes says, but the driver’s hit-and-run reaction was unmistakable. "He basically stepped on it and hightailed it out of there," says Haymes. Luckily, a family of tourists witnessed the collision and caught the driver’s license plate. Haymes recorded the number in his cell phone and prepared to notify the police. He figured multiple eyewitnesses and a unique identifier would give him firm footing to seek damages from the perpetrator -- nothing too hefty, just enough to cover damages to the pedicab.
The first officer Haymes approached said he could not help because he had no radio, and advised Haymes to call 911. The emergency operator took the complaint, entered it into the system, and told Haymes to stay at the scene until police arrived. So Haymes waited. And waited. After about 90 minutes, the owner of the pedicab showed up and helped replace the busted wheel. Haymes waited for the cops some more. Two hours after placing the 911 call -- well past midnight -- he rode away from the scene and headed for the Midtown North precinct building.
At the precinct, Haymes recalls, police told him the collision could not be classified as a hit-and-run because he had left the scene. Frustrated, he filled out an accident report, a process that only heightened his sense that enforcement protocols were weighted against him. "It was all catered to drivers, as if the collision were two cars," he said of the form. "I just wrote in the margins what actually happened." He is still waiting for a response to the form from state police headquarters in Albany. The whole experience has proven disillusioning. "I expected them to be like, ‘Oh, you got hit-and-run? Well, give us the license plate and we'll prosecute this guy,’" Haymes said. "I feel like that’s the way it should have happened. That is their job."
Haymes's story is hardly exceptional. Police follow-up is nearly unheard of when a hit-and-run vehicle strikes a bike, says Adam White, an attorney based in New York who has represented cyclists for more than 10 years. "I've never had a situation where a cop has done what's necessary to go after the owner or operator of that vehicle... they just don't do it," he said. "Every now and then clients of mine have been livid and tried to pursue it, and I've encouraged them to do so, and I've never heard a client tell me that it's come to anything."
NYPD's treatment of traffic crime doesn't square with its much-touted adherence to the "broken windows" theory of policing. One of the tenets of broken windows is that eliminating petty offenses pays dividends by reducing more serious crimes down the line. Crack down on turnstile jumping, the thinking goes, and a decline in subway violence will follow. The analogy to cases like Ethan Haymes's collision is clear: Zero tolerance for drivers who act recklessly, regardless of the physical harm incurred, will yield lower rates of crashes that do injure and kill people.
With increased bike modeshare an essential component of the city's green agenda -- and ridership numbers starting to take off -- a tougher NYPD stance on traffic violations would also reinforce sustainability goals by helping to put cyclists on equal footing with drivers. The necessary training and protocols appear not to be in place, however.
"My general sense is, across the board, that the police take vehicle crashes more seriously because they are just more routine, they're used to them, and they generally seem a little out of sorts by cyclist incidents and they just want to get done with them," said Mark Taylor, the attorney who helped Haymes file an insurance claim with the state following the collision. "The paperwork is set up for vehicles hitting each other and that's what cops tend to be trained for -- they just don't know how to handle cyclists."
So what exactly is the NYPD's current protocol for car-on-bike collisions in which a hit-and-run vehicle can be positively identified? Streetsblog's queries have yet to yield a response from the agency. A phone call to Midtown North's community affairs office was re-routed to the "Highway Safety" desk, which refused to answer any questions from reporters. NYPD's central public relations office has not responded to multiple inquiries.
Law enforcement's ingrained anti-cyclist bias is certainly not limited to New York. But there are some success stories elsewhere in the country, where consistent public pressure has improved police protocols for handling car-on-bike crashes. Last year, for instance, Portland's police department lowered the threshold for generating a police report for crashes involving "vulnerable roadway users" -- a new legal category encompassing cyclists, rollerbladers, and skaters.
"There was a time when if you were hit on a bike, and you were knocked off, they wouldn't write up a report," said Bob Mionske, a Portland-based attorney and former Olympic cyclist who in 2007 published Cycling and the Law, a guide to cyclists' legal rights. The new standard, he explains, triggers more police investigations of car-on-bike crashes and leads to better insurance records of drivers' histories.
As a columnist with Velo News -- and, soon, Bicycling Magazine -- Mionske receives letters from cyclists and their families all over the country about their encounters with law enforcement. When you get down to it, he says, police treatment of crashes involving cyclists is really a matter of rights and equality. "We should have parity when it's a cyclist involved, and the fact is, that's not the case," he said. "Whatever the protocols are with respect to motor vehicle-on-motor vehicle are the same ones they should use for bike versus car."
Tuesday, January 20
PediCab The Inauguration
From The Huffington Post
My Fellow Americans. If you are in DC for the inauguration and are bracing yourselves for the logistical nightmares involved in getting around -- you are hearing stories about roads and bridges being shut down; you're hearing predictions about a metro system in meltdown, and you know that DC taxis who will rip you off on a regular day are going to have a field day with your vulnerability this time around. ("What else can you do lady, you're wearing stilettos, it's cold out there, I'm willing to drive you three blocks for three times the fare.") You do have an alternative: Pedicabs. Rickshaws. You know, the small little cabs, room enough for two, pulled by a bicycle, something that maybe, just maybe you associate with hot and exotic places like Vietnam or Thailand.
Well. They too have come to Washington to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama.
I know. I rode down from New York City with two of them.
Dennis and John. We met on CraigsList. They will give you a ride.
They gave me one. Just to see what it's like.
My observations, below:
It was cold, but you knew that already. This is January in DC, the temperature is 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest day. They do have blankets though which you can wrap around yourself. And if you're lucky, there will be two of you snuggled into that carriage in which case, well, you probably won't feel the cold all that much.
It was a little bumpy.
"Gotta love Washington DC roads," Dennis says. "Ka-doink, Ka-doink!"
There are plenty of potholes in Washington, DC.
"We're the best road state," Dennis says, nodding proudly, "North Carolina."
First in Flight and the best roads in the Union. Who knew?
It's not going to break the bank.
"Some people charge $30 a head," John says, "but I can't do that, frankly because I don't think it's worth it... I can go about $15 a head."
Usually these guys ride for tips. For longer journeys - something more than say, seven long DC blocks - they will agree on a fare with you before you take off.
They can get you there. John & Dennis took me past the White House, by the Jefferson Memorial and right underneath the Washington Monument. This city impresses me every time I come. The architecture, the monuments, the history breathing through every piece of it ... to get to see it on a pedicab adds that little bit of something. Not quite a horse-drawn carriage, but not a taxi either. Certainly not a taxi stuck in traffic. There isn't a lot that can stop these pedicabs, something that was evident last night in Downtown DC. Traffic, traffic everywhere, and the pedicabs sailing right on through.
These guys might look like gangsters ... but they aren't. They've got woolen caps on, the scarves wrapped around the face to minimize skin exposure. Maybe on a typical night you might say no to a guy dressed like this offering you a ride but this is Washington DC. Inauguration weekend. The whole world is here and there's not a cab in sight. Jump in.
Their ambition for the weekend?
"I just want to make enough money to buy food," Dennis says.
Methinks they'll make enough to dine at Washington's best restaurants ... but only if they can get a reservation.
My Fellow Americans. If you are in DC for the inauguration and are bracing yourselves for the logistical nightmares involved in getting around -- you are hearing stories about roads and bridges being shut down; you're hearing predictions about a metro system in meltdown, and you know that DC taxis who will rip you off on a regular day are going to have a field day with your vulnerability this time around. ("What else can you do lady, you're wearing stilettos, it's cold out there, I'm willing to drive you three blocks for three times the fare.") You do have an alternative: Pedicabs. Rickshaws. You know, the small little cabs, room enough for two, pulled by a bicycle, something that maybe, just maybe you associate with hot and exotic places like Vietnam or Thailand.
Well. They too have come to Washington to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama.
I know. I rode down from New York City with two of them.
Dennis and John. We met on CraigsList. They will give you a ride.
They gave me one. Just to see what it's like.
My observations, below:
It was cold, but you knew that already. This is January in DC, the temperature is 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest day. They do have blankets though which you can wrap around yourself. And if you're lucky, there will be two of you snuggled into that carriage in which case, well, you probably won't feel the cold all that much.
It was a little bumpy.
"Gotta love Washington DC roads," Dennis says. "Ka-doink, Ka-doink!"
There are plenty of potholes in Washington, DC.
"We're the best road state," Dennis says, nodding proudly, "North Carolina."
First in Flight and the best roads in the Union. Who knew?
It's not going to break the bank.
"Some people charge $30 a head," John says, "but I can't do that, frankly because I don't think it's worth it... I can go about $15 a head."
Usually these guys ride for tips. For longer journeys - something more than say, seven long DC blocks - they will agree on a fare with you before you take off.
They can get you there. John & Dennis took me past the White House, by the Jefferson Memorial and right underneath the Washington Monument. This city impresses me every time I come. The architecture, the monuments, the history breathing through every piece of it ... to get to see it on a pedicab adds that little bit of something. Not quite a horse-drawn carriage, but not a taxi either. Certainly not a taxi stuck in traffic. There isn't a lot that can stop these pedicabs, something that was evident last night in Downtown DC. Traffic, traffic everywhere, and the pedicabs sailing right on through.
These guys might look like gangsters ... but they aren't. They've got woolen caps on, the scarves wrapped around the face to minimize skin exposure. Maybe on a typical night you might say no to a guy dressed like this offering you a ride but this is Washington DC. Inauguration weekend. The whole world is here and there's not a cab in sight. Jump in.
Their ambition for the weekend?
"I just want to make enough money to buy food," Dennis says.
Methinks they'll make enough to dine at Washington's best restaurants ... but only if they can get a reservation.
Caught On Tape: Pedicab Operator, Officer Struggle
From MSNBC.COM
By PEI-SZE CHENG and JOHN P. WISE
NBCNewYork.com
updated 5:15 a.m. PT, Thurs., Jan. 8, 2009
After a local pedicab driver's confrontation with police was caught on video, other drivers have come forward with allegations that they're being unfairly targeted.
Amadou Traore, 19, said he was trying to reason with a park ranger who was about to ticket Traoare's friend, but he ended up spending a week in jail.
"He said he's going to arrest me because my friend got away and I said, 'No, you can't arrest me because I didn't do nothing,'" Traore said.
Last year, the Parks Department said Traore, who stands 6-feet-5 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, fought with another ranger, but this time he said he was careful not to. Now, he's thinking of a career change.
"Before I started riding the pedicabs, I'd never been arrested," he said. "But since I started riding pedicabs, I've been arrested four times."
Ever since Traore's arrest last month, other pedicab operators have been saying they're being targeted in a ticketing blitz, alleging that some of their bikes have been taken away. Frankie Legarreta said he's one of them. He took his complaint to a judge after his bike was taken away on New Year's Eve.
"Twenty minutes later, he gave me the decision it was dismissed," Legarreta said. "What does that tell you? Tells me they took my bike for no reason. I've got a family to support. I'm trying to make a living."
Parks Department officials said they wrote 2,609 violations last year, and most are upheld.
"I don't think there's any targeting of pedicabs," Parks spokesman Mike Dockett said. "We've been upholding the rules for public safety in the park."
By PEI-SZE CHENG and JOHN P. WISE
NBCNewYork.com
updated 5:15 a.m. PT, Thurs., Jan. 8, 2009
After a local pedicab driver's confrontation with police was caught on video, other drivers have come forward with allegations that they're being unfairly targeted.
Amadou Traore, 19, said he was trying to reason with a park ranger who was about to ticket Traoare's friend, but he ended up spending a week in jail.
"He said he's going to arrest me because my friend got away and I said, 'No, you can't arrest me because I didn't do nothing,'" Traore said.
Last year, the Parks Department said Traore, who stands 6-feet-5 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, fought with another ranger, but this time he said he was careful not to. Now, he's thinking of a career change.
"Before I started riding the pedicabs, I'd never been arrested," he said. "But since I started riding pedicabs, I've been arrested four times."
Ever since Traore's arrest last month, other pedicab operators have been saying they're being targeted in a ticketing blitz, alleging that some of their bikes have been taken away. Frankie Legarreta said he's one of them. He took his complaint to a judge after his bike was taken away on New Year's Eve.
"Twenty minutes later, he gave me the decision it was dismissed," Legarreta said. "What does that tell you? Tells me they took my bike for no reason. I've got a family to support. I'm trying to make a living."
Parks Department officials said they wrote 2,609 violations last year, and most are upheld.
"I don't think there's any targeting of pedicabs," Parks spokesman Mike Dockett said. "We've been upholding the rules for public safety in the park."
Pedicab offers easy way around the downtown
From Modbee.com
By John Holland
jholland@modbee.com
last updated: January 07, 2009 07:51:44 AM
Matt and Natasha Elliott will do the legwork for your next night on the town.
The Modesto couple have started a pedicab business, pulling customers in a small, open-air coach attached to a bicycle.
The business, Downtown Peddlers, is believed to be the first of its type in the city. It started in November and could add a second vehicle next week.
"We always wanted to do something that would be environmentally good, and we also get to work out," Natasha Elliott said.
The pedicab mainly ferries people among nightspots in downtown Modesto. It also serves the neighborhoods near Graceada Park and the Modesto Junior College East Campus.
The 21-gear vehicle, made by a Colorado company, cost about $6,000 to buy and equip. It has a detachable top that can be used when it's wet. The pedicab holds three adult passengers or two adults and two small children.
The lowest fare is $5 per trip between any two destinations in the downtown core. For $20, passengers can ride from a restaurant to the Gallo Center for the Arts, then to their car after the show.
The most popular package is the four-hour "pub crawl," costing $155. The pedicab also can be hired for weddings in Stanislaus County — $420 for four hours of service — and for customized events.
The Elliotts run the business in addition to holding down their day jobs with AT&T. Matt, 34, is a lineman, and Natasha, 33, is an engineer who hires contractors for the company.
They have a son, 5-year-old Beau, and a daughter, 3-year-old Piper.
On a typical night, Natasha Elliott operates the pedicab from 6 to 10 p.m. Her husband, a former semipro bicyclist, takes over from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.
The pedicab weighs about 200 pounds without people on board, but the flat Modesto terrain makes the going fairly easy.
"You're very invigorated when you're done," said Natasha Elliott, who had bicycled for leisure before operating the pedicab.
Pedicabs are in use in many cities, including San Francisco and Sacramento. They provide pollution-free transportation while helping keep drinkers from driving.
The Elliotts did not need a special license for the pedicab because it is not a motor vehicle, but they did get safety advice from the Modesto Police Department.
Tresetti's World Caffe on 11th Street is among the restaurants that have spread the word about the service.
"It's kind of like the feel of riding the (horse-drawn) carriages in Central Park, on a much smaller scale," restaurant co-owner Mitch Maisetti said. "If they can make people happy and cruise them around in this weather, imagine what they can do when it's summer."
The service area could expand in the future if the business catches on, Natasha Elliott said.
"The downtown clientele, the evening crowd, has been amazing," she said. "They've been glad to see us out and about."
CATCH A RIDE
• Downtown Peddlers can be reached at 918-8918 or downtown-peddlers@pacbell.net. More information is at www.myspace.com/downtownpeddlers.
• The basic fare is $5 for a ride between two locations in the area bounded by H, K, Ninth and 16th streets in downtown Modesto; no reservations are needed.
• Special packages at higher rates can be booked in advance. They include multistop trips in and just north of downtown, as well as weddings anywhere in Stanislaus County.
Bee staff writer John Holland can be reached at jholland@modbee.com or 578-2385.
By John Holland
jholland@modbee.com
last updated: January 07, 2009 07:51:44 AM
Matt and Natasha Elliott will do the legwork for your next night on the town.
The Modesto couple have started a pedicab business, pulling customers in a small, open-air coach attached to a bicycle.
The business, Downtown Peddlers, is believed to be the first of its type in the city. It started in November and could add a second vehicle next week.
"We always wanted to do something that would be environmentally good, and we also get to work out," Natasha Elliott said.
The pedicab mainly ferries people among nightspots in downtown Modesto. It also serves the neighborhoods near Graceada Park and the Modesto Junior College East Campus.
The 21-gear vehicle, made by a Colorado company, cost about $6,000 to buy and equip. It has a detachable top that can be used when it's wet. The pedicab holds three adult passengers or two adults and two small children.
The lowest fare is $5 per trip between any two destinations in the downtown core. For $20, passengers can ride from a restaurant to the Gallo Center for the Arts, then to their car after the show.
The most popular package is the four-hour "pub crawl," costing $155. The pedicab also can be hired for weddings in Stanislaus County — $420 for four hours of service — and for customized events.
The Elliotts run the business in addition to holding down their day jobs with AT&T. Matt, 34, is a lineman, and Natasha, 33, is an engineer who hires contractors for the company.
They have a son, 5-year-old Beau, and a daughter, 3-year-old Piper.
On a typical night, Natasha Elliott operates the pedicab from 6 to 10 p.m. Her husband, a former semipro bicyclist, takes over from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.
The pedicab weighs about 200 pounds without people on board, but the flat Modesto terrain makes the going fairly easy.
"You're very invigorated when you're done," said Natasha Elliott, who had bicycled for leisure before operating the pedicab.
Pedicabs are in use in many cities, including San Francisco and Sacramento. They provide pollution-free transportation while helping keep drinkers from driving.
The Elliotts did not need a special license for the pedicab because it is not a motor vehicle, but they did get safety advice from the Modesto Police Department.
Tresetti's World Caffe on 11th Street is among the restaurants that have spread the word about the service.
"It's kind of like the feel of riding the (horse-drawn) carriages in Central Park, on a much smaller scale," restaurant co-owner Mitch Maisetti said. "If they can make people happy and cruise them around in this weather, imagine what they can do when it's summer."
The service area could expand in the future if the business catches on, Natasha Elliott said.
"The downtown clientele, the evening crowd, has been amazing," she said. "They've been glad to see us out and about."
CATCH A RIDE
• Downtown Peddlers can be reached at 918-8918 or downtown-peddlers@pacbell.net. More information is at www.myspace.com/downtownpeddlers.
• The basic fare is $5 for a ride between two locations in the area bounded by H, K, Ninth and 16th streets in downtown Modesto; no reservations are needed.
• Special packages at higher rates can be booked in advance. They include multistop trips in and just north of downtown, as well as weddings anywhere in Stanislaus County.
Bee staff writer John Holland can be reached at jholland@modbee.com or 578-2385.
Joe Temp: Josh Sachs
From City Desk
Traffic deadlocks. Detoured buses. Jammed Metro. The city’s roads and railways are completely inundated and it’s gridlock-inducing. But if there’s one traffic channel that hasn’t experienced unendurable congestion (unless you’re trying to go from the swearing-in to the parade route), it’s the bike lanes. D.C. Pedicab recognized the inauguration for its unique chance to drum up business. And it needed more drivers.
Josh Sachs, part-time mechanic at Silver Bikes in Silver Spring, heard D.C. Pedicab was looking for people for inaugural week. As a bike enthusiast who is desperate for work, Sachs jumped on the opportunity to get paid for spinning. And he’s prepared for the forecast: “I got my leather motorcycle boots and this thick layered jacket that I bought just for this job. Yeah, it gets really cold.”
The only requirement to be a Pedicab driver is to have a driver’s license. Drivers make up their own schedule and rent the cabs for 40 bucks per day. They pocket all their profits and create their own rates. Sachs, who has been driving for a week, had his best day yesterday, raking in 200 bones for six hours of work.
Sachs said that most of the Pedicabbers he’s talked to are travelers. They work full-time as professional pedalers and follow large crowds around the nation. Tourists, as you might guess, make up the majority of his clientele. “I’ve been collecting states. So far I’ve got Kentucky, Georgia, Hawaii, Florida.…The guy from Hawaii was definitely the most memorable. He had me take him 30 blocks and he was yelling ‘Aloha!’ to every person we passed.
Some climbs are just too steep for these 3-wheeled, 21-speed wagons. Sachs found that out last week. “These people wanted to go to the Capitol to get their inauguration tickets. We got to Independence Street and Capitol Hill. I started up, but couldn’t make it. I had to drop them off at the bottom. But I ended up giving them a good rate in return.”
Sachs said he’ll be out in the wind chill till 2 this morning. “I think a lot of people are more into riding for the novelty of it. But there’s definitely a high level of practicality. I mean, it’s faster than walking.”
Traffic deadlocks. Detoured buses. Jammed Metro. The city’s roads and railways are completely inundated and it’s gridlock-inducing. But if there’s one traffic channel that hasn’t experienced unendurable congestion (unless you’re trying to go from the swearing-in to the parade route), it’s the bike lanes. D.C. Pedicab recognized the inauguration for its unique chance to drum up business. And it needed more drivers.
Josh Sachs, part-time mechanic at Silver Bikes in Silver Spring, heard D.C. Pedicab was looking for people for inaugural week. As a bike enthusiast who is desperate for work, Sachs jumped on the opportunity to get paid for spinning. And he’s prepared for the forecast: “I got my leather motorcycle boots and this thick layered jacket that I bought just for this job. Yeah, it gets really cold.”
The only requirement to be a Pedicab driver is to have a driver’s license. Drivers make up their own schedule and rent the cabs for 40 bucks per day. They pocket all their profits and create their own rates. Sachs, who has been driving for a week, had his best day yesterday, raking in 200 bones for six hours of work.
Sachs said that most of the Pedicabbers he’s talked to are travelers. They work full-time as professional pedalers and follow large crowds around the nation. Tourists, as you might guess, make up the majority of his clientele. “I’ve been collecting states. So far I’ve got Kentucky, Georgia, Hawaii, Florida.…The guy from Hawaii was definitely the most memorable. He had me take him 30 blocks and he was yelling ‘Aloha!’ to every person we passed.
Some climbs are just too steep for these 3-wheeled, 21-speed wagons. Sachs found that out last week. “These people wanted to go to the Capitol to get their inauguration tickets. We got to Independence Street and Capitol Hill. I started up, but couldn’t make it. I had to drop them off at the bottom. But I ended up giving them a good rate in return.”
Sachs said he’ll be out in the wind chill till 2 this morning. “I think a lot of people are more into riding for the novelty of it. But there’s definitely a high level of practicality. I mean, it’s faster than walking.”
Mayor Fenty Declares Pedicab Official Sweet Ride of Inauguration
From DCist.com
Hizzoner stopped in at CycleLife for a special event to inaugurate the pedicab, apparently the official vehicle for the inauguration. The District Of is going to be chock full of them next week. DCist associates say they've sighted pedicabs from time to time over by Fight Club in Shaw and in Southwest, but they're hardly a regular feature on the city's streets in the way that taxis, buses, or bicycles are.
One natural limitation to the pedicab is that you need poor hippie college students drivers willing to pedal people around D.C.'s notoriously bike-unfriendly streets. Of course, when you're the President, you can commission pedicab drivers by executive signing statement. So be sure to tip your RNC representative driver well!
As you'll see in the video, Mayor Fenty manned a pedicab and beat out some resident bike snobs. By a landslide, even! But sources on the ground say he totally shouted one-two-three-go! and got the turbo boost.
Hizzoner stopped in at CycleLife for a special event to inaugurate the pedicab, apparently the official vehicle for the inauguration. The District Of is going to be chock full of them next week. DCist associates say they've sighted pedicabs from time to time over by Fight Club in Shaw and in Southwest, but they're hardly a regular feature on the city's streets in the way that taxis, buses, or bicycles are.
One natural limitation to the pedicab is that you need poor hippie college students drivers willing to pedal people around D.C.'s notoriously bike-unfriendly streets. Of course, when you're the President, you can commission pedicab drivers by executive signing statement. So be sure to tip your RNC representative driver well!
As you'll see in the video, Mayor Fenty manned a pedicab and beat out some resident bike snobs. By a landslide, even! But sources on the ground say he totally shouted one-two-three-go! and got the turbo boost.
Inaugural Subculture Alert! Pedicabs Descending On D.C.
From Housing Complex
Last Tuesday night, I saw a very odd sight while walking down 18th Street south of Adams Morgan. About ten of those modern day/all-weather rickshaws descended past me, all in a row, pedaling off into the night.
My god, I thought, they’ll never find riders if they hang together! What dumbies!
There was more to it, of course. These vehicles are called pedicabs. I learned this, as well as other details about this strange inaugural subculture on Saturday night. In search of Chicagoans, I heads out to the Billy Goat Tavern on Capitol Hill. There, I encountered Bobby Lewtell and Colette Valery, two independent pedicab drivers from Chicago and Denver, respectively. They had both arrived in Washington D.C. in the last couple of days, and there were others like them coming from Austin, Chicago, New York, and other cities.
Valery said the line of pedicabs that zipped by me the other day were probably riders from a visiting company training to get used to the weather and hills in D.C. (Washington is pretty hilly compared to other locales, according to Valery. ) For Valery, who is independent, this is the first destination in a grand journey through the American south to Tampa for the Superbowl, then onto Mobile for Mardi Gras, South Padre Island for spring break, and Houston for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
In D.C., the local pedicab culture is still simmering gently. But, according to Lewtell, it’s “on the up and up.”
Last Tuesday night, I saw a very odd sight while walking down 18th Street south of Adams Morgan. About ten of those modern day/all-weather rickshaws descended past me, all in a row, pedaling off into the night.
My god, I thought, they’ll never find riders if they hang together! What dumbies!
There was more to it, of course. These vehicles are called pedicabs. I learned this, as well as other details about this strange inaugural subculture on Saturday night. In search of Chicagoans, I heads out to the Billy Goat Tavern on Capitol Hill. There, I encountered Bobby Lewtell and Colette Valery, two independent pedicab drivers from Chicago and Denver, respectively. They had both arrived in Washington D.C. in the last couple of days, and there were others like them coming from Austin, Chicago, New York, and other cities.
Valery said the line of pedicabs that zipped by me the other day were probably riders from a visiting company training to get used to the weather and hills in D.C. (Washington is pretty hilly compared to other locales, according to Valery. ) For Valery, who is independent, this is the first destination in a grand journey through the American south to Tampa for the Superbowl, then onto Mobile for Mardi Gras, South Padre Island for spring break, and Houston for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
In D.C., the local pedicab culture is still simmering gently. But, according to Lewtell, it’s “on the up and up.”
Capital's blitz on 'dangerous' pedicabs a success
From 24dash.com
Published by Hannah Wooderson for 24dash.com in Communities , Local Government
Tuesday 20th January 2009 - 9:45am
A high profile blitz on dangerous battery-powered pedicabs which put lives at risk has been so successful an estimated 800 of them have vanished from the streets of central London.
Six car – or even lorry – battery powered pedicabs, which frequently flout traffic laws by dangerously mounting pavements were hauled off the streets of central London within the first 40 minutes of an operation by Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police Service.
Within days of the first operation, the remainder of the 800 electric-powered pedicabs on streets in the West End had disappeared.
The pedicabs had been souped-up by installing powerful car or lorry batteries to make them run faster. Once batteries have been connected and hidden under the passenger seats, they can travel up to 20mph but often without any safety features and poor brakes.
Since the blitz was carried out further operations have failed to find a single illegal battery powered Pedicab and the council and the council now believes the practice, which means the pedicabs can reach speeds of up to 20mph - even with several passengers inside – is all but over.
When the council first visited a garage where pedicabs are parked overnight, officers found it strewn with batteries, wiring and other charging paraphernalia. A subsequent visit found it cleared of all the equipment - further evidence the operators are cleaning up their act. Officers had previously discovered the garage, which was used to store the bikes, converted into a covert charging point for the batteries wired up with gaffer tape.
Now the council says operators will appear in court in April in a test case which, if successful, could see the vehicles legally defined as motor vehicles and subjected to the same laws as cars over insurance and safety.
Councillor Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "These rogue operators have put lives at risk by wiring up powerful industrial sized batteries and hiding them under the seat. I'm relieved they have been cleared off the streets.
“We are now working with the police and the operators themselves to ensure they stop flouting traffic regulations, and we are lobbying for legislation to regulate the industry. We have absolutely no intention of allowing the West End - the most important shopping and entertainment district in the country - to be turned into the Wild West."
The operations to rid the capital's streets of unsafe pedicabs saw council staff and City of Westminster Police and Traffic Unit officers set up checkpoints in the West End to seize electrically assisted pedicabs and others flouting traffic legislation.
The council will continue to take robust action to control unsafe pedicabs, and has the support of responsible operators.
Graeme Rivett, managing director of London Pedicabs, said: "I think the less scrupulous operators know it is time for the industry to clean itself up, and that can't come soon enough for responsible operators like me who have always had properly built and maintained pedicabs. People should remember pedicabs should be a fun and safe way of seeing our city, and there is no excuse for putting passengers at risk."
The danger of battery powered pedicabs was brought home to people in Soho in November when bystanders narrowly avoided injury after a pedicab mounted the pavement and smashed into a restaurant window.
Published by Hannah Wooderson for 24dash.com in Communities , Local Government
Tuesday 20th January 2009 - 9:45am
A high profile blitz on dangerous battery-powered pedicabs which put lives at risk has been so successful an estimated 800 of them have vanished from the streets of central London.
Six car – or even lorry – battery powered pedicabs, which frequently flout traffic laws by dangerously mounting pavements were hauled off the streets of central London within the first 40 minutes of an operation by Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police Service.
Within days of the first operation, the remainder of the 800 electric-powered pedicabs on streets in the West End had disappeared.
The pedicabs had been souped-up by installing powerful car or lorry batteries to make them run faster. Once batteries have been connected and hidden under the passenger seats, they can travel up to 20mph but often without any safety features and poor brakes.
Since the blitz was carried out further operations have failed to find a single illegal battery powered Pedicab and the council and the council now believes the practice, which means the pedicabs can reach speeds of up to 20mph - even with several passengers inside – is all but over.
When the council first visited a garage where pedicabs are parked overnight, officers found it strewn with batteries, wiring and other charging paraphernalia. A subsequent visit found it cleared of all the equipment - further evidence the operators are cleaning up their act. Officers had previously discovered the garage, which was used to store the bikes, converted into a covert charging point for the batteries wired up with gaffer tape.
Now the council says operators will appear in court in April in a test case which, if successful, could see the vehicles legally defined as motor vehicles and subjected to the same laws as cars over insurance and safety.
Councillor Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "These rogue operators have put lives at risk by wiring up powerful industrial sized batteries and hiding them under the seat. I'm relieved they have been cleared off the streets.
“We are now working with the police and the operators themselves to ensure they stop flouting traffic regulations, and we are lobbying for legislation to regulate the industry. We have absolutely no intention of allowing the West End - the most important shopping and entertainment district in the country - to be turned into the Wild West."
The operations to rid the capital's streets of unsafe pedicabs saw council staff and City of Westminster Police and Traffic Unit officers set up checkpoints in the West End to seize electrically assisted pedicabs and others flouting traffic legislation.
The council will continue to take robust action to control unsafe pedicabs, and has the support of responsible operators.
Graeme Rivett, managing director of London Pedicabs, said: "I think the less scrupulous operators know it is time for the industry to clean itself up, and that can't come soon enough for responsible operators like me who have always had properly built and maintained pedicabs. People should remember pedicabs should be a fun and safe way of seeing our city, and there is no excuse for putting passengers at risk."
The danger of battery powered pedicabs was brought home to people in Soho in November when bystanders narrowly avoided injury after a pedicab mounted the pavement and smashed into a restaurant window.
Pedicabs Beat D.C. Gridlock
From CBS NEWS
As Street Closures And Subway Crowds Swell, 4-Wheeled Rickshaws Emerge As Alternative Transportation
(CBS) As inauguration festivities have ramped up, Washington, D.C., has clamped down. Roads are shut down, the subway is chaos and crowds are swelling throughout the city.
That's why some inauguration goers are circumventing the gridlock and opting for an old-fashioned mode of transport: pedicabs. The four-wheeled rickshaws could be seen whizzing down Constitution Ave. Sunday, speeding past the throngs who were making their way to the "We Are One" concert.
To prepare for the crush of people this week, the nation's capital multiplied its force of rickshaw drivers -- recruiting them from Boston, New York, Newport, R.I., and Denver.
After taking a test drive himself, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty even declared the pedicab the "official vehicle of the 2009 Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration." (Watch a video of the mayor participating in a pedicab race down K Street here.)
Sean Bailey, who works for National Pedicabs and has come down from Boston for some presidential pedaling, says that as the inauguration draws closer, business has picked up.
"It's growing exponentially," he says, "especially as the temperatures rise."
Bailey says his company is employing 30 drivers this week. They work on tips so the fare depends on the trip's distance and the rider's generosity -- anywhere from $15-40, he says.
While pedicabs are not immune to all road closures, they do get more leeway than cars and that means a quicker commute amid the masses on the Mall.
That perk, however, may change come tomorrow.
"Every day there are more restrictions," says Bailey. "As the inauguration approaches, things will be more ironclad."
As Street Closures And Subway Crowds Swell, 4-Wheeled Rickshaws Emerge As Alternative Transportation
(CBS) As inauguration festivities have ramped up, Washington, D.C., has clamped down. Roads are shut down, the subway is chaos and crowds are swelling throughout the city.
That's why some inauguration goers are circumventing the gridlock and opting for an old-fashioned mode of transport: pedicabs. The four-wheeled rickshaws could be seen whizzing down Constitution Ave. Sunday, speeding past the throngs who were making their way to the "We Are One" concert.
To prepare for the crush of people this week, the nation's capital multiplied its force of rickshaw drivers -- recruiting them from Boston, New York, Newport, R.I., and Denver.
After taking a test drive himself, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty even declared the pedicab the "official vehicle of the 2009 Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration." (Watch a video of the mayor participating in a pedicab race down K Street here.)
Sean Bailey, who works for National Pedicabs and has come down from Boston for some presidential pedaling, says that as the inauguration draws closer, business has picked up.
"It's growing exponentially," he says, "especially as the temperatures rise."
Bailey says his company is employing 30 drivers this week. They work on tips so the fare depends on the trip's distance and the rider's generosity -- anywhere from $15-40, he says.
While pedicabs are not immune to all road closures, they do get more leeway than cars and that means a quicker commute amid the masses on the Mall.
That perk, however, may change come tomorrow.
"Every day there are more restrictions," says Bailey. "As the inauguration approaches, things will be more ironclad."
Friday, January 2
LOCAL PEDICAB BUSINESS MOVES MESSAGES AROUND DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO
– Moving your message in front of a large downtown San Diego San Diego
“During the past ComicCon convention, a
VIP Pedicab has been reaching out to businesses that plan to visit
“Using VIP Pedicab was a great way to advertise our Internet business during a large industry event in
For more information about advertising your business on a pedicab or securing pedicab transportation for your upcoming event, please contact VIP Pedicab at http://www.vippedicab.com or call (619) 228-3632.
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About VIP Pedicab
VIP Pedicab is an ecologically friendly company that offers outdoor advertising and transportation services. VIP Pedicab has been providing locals and tourists in
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