From UPI.com
NAPERVILLE, Ill., April 3 (UPI) -- The Illinois town of Naperville is preparing to become the second Chicago suburb to permit the operation of bicycle-powered taxis.
The Naperville City Council will vote next week on a proposal to allow a pedicab firm to conduct a one-year trial, The Chicago Tribune reported this week.
Naperville resident Brett Dingeldein pitched the idea of allowing his GreenStreet Pedicabs to conduct a trial run in the suburb.
Dingeldein says his firm's focus will be on short trips such as downtown destinations from Naperville's train station, city parking garages and remote parking lots.
Each pedicab costs about $4,200 and can carry two passengers.
Dingledein plans to operate the service with his son, Matthew.
He told the city council he can have three vehicles on the street by mid-May.
Oak Park has had pedicabs operating since 2005 and a restaurant in Joliet, Ill. recently started offering the service.
Friday, April 3
Bicycle cabs could be rolling through Naperville next month
A father-son team hopes Naperville approves their plan to offer bicycle cab rides, a la Oak Park and other cities.
By Greg Canfield iSPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
April 3, 2009
Pedicabs — bicycle-powered taxis — could begin transporting people around downtown Naperville as early as next month.
The City Council has approved the concept and on Wednesday will vote on a proposal to permit a one-year trial for a pedicab business. Naperville resident Brett Dingeldein, owner of GreenStreet Pedicabs, pitched the idea to the city, citing how they are compatible with the city's goals of being energy efficient and reducing traffic congestion downtown.
He said the focus would be on short trips, such as to downtown destinations from the 5th Avenue train station, the city's parking garages and remote parking lots. Specific routes and rates have not been determined.
Once people know they can easily leave the train or parking garages, maybe they'll use them more frequently, "possibly making one small step in reducing the parking congestion in downtown Naperville," Dingeldein said.
Dingeldein, who would operate the service with his son, Matthew, said they could have three vehicles on the street by mid-May.
"It would only take about six weeks for the pedicabs to arrive," he said. "We've held off on buying them to find out how many pedicabs the city will allow."
Dingeldein said each pedicab costs about $4,200, carries up to two passengers and reaches speeds of 12 to 15 m.p.h.
They are used in many U.S. cities. Oak Park has allowed the service for several years, and a restaurant in Joliet recently started offering the service.
Rick Carter has run Rickshaw Rick's Tour and Taxis in Oak Park since 2005. Weather permitting, he starts pedaling on Earth Day in April and continues until Halloween.
"It seems to have been pretty well-received," Carter said. "I used to work with double-decker buses and like one of the guys there used to say, 'If it looks weird, funny or interesting, people want to ride it.' Of course, being eco-friendly is a popular thing so that helps, too."
Carter acknowledged last summer's soaring gas prices boosted interest in his business. He charges $5 per quarter-hour per adult passenger, with children on laps riding free.
"When everybody was taking such a beating at the pump, I had no worries. I think that resonated with a lot of folks," he said.
The bulk of Carter's service involves tourism, such as taking visitors to view the many Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park, but he also gets requests to make short customized trips.
Oak Park Village Clerk Sandra Sokol said the town has no ordinance governing pedicabs but requires the company to be insured and licensed as a solicitor. Routes are limited to Oak Park's downtown area and tourist sites, she said, adding that there have been no complaints about pedicabs.
In Joliet, Derek Brenczewski, owner of The Department restaurant, said he secured a license to operate pedicabs before he opened two months ago. He does not charge for the service and said he is the only operator in the city.
Naperville Councilmen Jim Boyajian and Richard Furstenau expressed concern at a recent council meeting that pedicabs could cause additional congestion or pose a safety risk. But Police Chief David Dial said he is unaware of any statistics that indicate pedicabs pose a safety hazard.
Their use also has the support of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. Executive Director Katie Wood said the group had initial worries that have been addressed.
"The key is that they are not being allowed on Washington Street and Chicago Avenue," the area's most congested streets, Wood said. "We were skeptical at first, but after hearing all the information, our management council concluded there was not strong enough reason to oppose the service and compelling reasons to try it.
"We think it might just be a good way to people to and from the parking decks."
By Greg Canfield iSPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
April 3, 2009
Pedicabs — bicycle-powered taxis — could begin transporting people around downtown Naperville as early as next month.
The City Council has approved the concept and on Wednesday will vote on a proposal to permit a one-year trial for a pedicab business. Naperville resident Brett Dingeldein, owner of GreenStreet Pedicabs, pitched the idea to the city, citing how they are compatible with the city's goals of being energy efficient and reducing traffic congestion downtown.
He said the focus would be on short trips, such as to downtown destinations from the 5th Avenue train station, the city's parking garages and remote parking lots. Specific routes and rates have not been determined.
Once people know they can easily leave the train or parking garages, maybe they'll use them more frequently, "possibly making one small step in reducing the parking congestion in downtown Naperville," Dingeldein said.
Dingeldein, who would operate the service with his son, Matthew, said they could have three vehicles on the street by mid-May.
"It would only take about six weeks for the pedicabs to arrive," he said. "We've held off on buying them to find out how many pedicabs the city will allow."
Dingeldein said each pedicab costs about $4,200, carries up to two passengers and reaches speeds of 12 to 15 m.p.h.
They are used in many U.S. cities. Oak Park has allowed the service for several years, and a restaurant in Joliet recently started offering the service.
Rick Carter has run Rickshaw Rick's Tour and Taxis in Oak Park since 2005. Weather permitting, he starts pedaling on Earth Day in April and continues until Halloween.
"It seems to have been pretty well-received," Carter said. "I used to work with double-decker buses and like one of the guys there used to say, 'If it looks weird, funny or interesting, people want to ride it.' Of course, being eco-friendly is a popular thing so that helps, too."
Carter acknowledged last summer's soaring gas prices boosted interest in his business. He charges $5 per quarter-hour per adult passenger, with children on laps riding free.
"When everybody was taking such a beating at the pump, I had no worries. I think that resonated with a lot of folks," he said.
The bulk of Carter's service involves tourism, such as taking visitors to view the many Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park, but he also gets requests to make short customized trips.
Oak Park Village Clerk Sandra Sokol said the town has no ordinance governing pedicabs but requires the company to be insured and licensed as a solicitor. Routes are limited to Oak Park's downtown area and tourist sites, she said, adding that there have been no complaints about pedicabs.
In Joliet, Derek Brenczewski, owner of The Department restaurant, said he secured a license to operate pedicabs before he opened two months ago. He does not charge for the service and said he is the only operator in the city.
Naperville Councilmen Jim Boyajian and Richard Furstenau expressed concern at a recent council meeting that pedicabs could cause additional congestion or pose a safety risk. But Police Chief David Dial said he is unaware of any statistics that indicate pedicabs pose a safety hazard.
Their use also has the support of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. Executive Director Katie Wood said the group had initial worries that have been addressed.
"The key is that they are not being allowed on Washington Street and Chicago Avenue," the area's most congested streets, Wood said. "We were skeptical at first, but after hearing all the information, our management council concluded there was not strong enough reason to oppose the service and compelling reasons to try it.
"We think it might just be a good way to people to and from the parking decks."
Thursday, April 2
Pedicabs: the new taxis?
From Yale Daily News
Shahla Naimi
Contributing Reporter
Published Thursday, March 26, 2009
A mode of transportation characteristic of the Big Apple will find a home this summer in the Elm City: pedicabs.
Yale Cycling Team member Jongwook “Wookie” Kim ’09 plans to establish a pedicab business — tricycles fashioned into carriage-like cabs — in New Haven, an idea born from a class project last semester in which students were given a $50,000 hypothetical grant to establish a business within a mile of the Yale campus.
Tentatively named CaBike, Kim’s proposed business, established in partnership with a School of Management graduate and School of Medicine freshman, is still in its infancy. Kim, who entered the proposal in the 2009 Y50K Entrepreneurship Competition with its own $50,000 grand prize, is finalizing business plans and garnering city support.
“After a while,” Kim said, “I realized that [my business plan] could actually work as a social enterprise.”
Naturally, he said, he sought out Matthew Feiner, owner of The Devil’s Gear Bike Shop on Chapel Street.
“I’ve been encouraging people to take up the idea of pedicabs,” Feiner said. “We almost bought a pedicab last year and I’m glad we didn’t because that was just when the economy tipped and we had to close the downtown shop. But I’m always supportive of anyone who wants to do it.”
Hoping to avoid Metro Taxi’s $2.25 per mile charge in a faltering economy, Kim said he hoped New Haven residents may be looking for more affordable transportation. Pedicabs, Kim said, can be a good alternative. He added that he is considering a tip-based compensation model for CaBike.
“We aren’t trying to make lots of money,” Kim said. “We plan to use any profits towards the creation of a bicycle/health education program at Haven Free Clinic.”
But chances are they will not make a profit, said West Hartford resident and librarian Dave St. Germain, who established his own pedicab business, Tree Hugger Taxis, last year.
“It is funny to look at my business plan after a year has gone by,” Germain said in an e-mail. “My income projections were so far off base and what I expected to charge for a cab rental was also far from reality. It is very lucky that I did not quit my day job.”
But Kim said there are significant differences between his business model and Germain’s. CaBike, for instance, has established an agreement with Feiner giving them free storage and maintenance services.
In preparation for his business model, Kim said he did some anecdotal research in New York, taking pedicabs on several occasions.
“It seemed like it was being used as a sort of novelty,” he said. “So it’s a concern about whether or not people would take [one] on a regular basis.”
Kim said a preliminary survey he conducted of approximately 2,000 New Haven residents showed wide-reaching support for a pedicab business.
Less than a mile away, New Haven’s Union Station would be an ideal hub for such a business. And city officials agree.
“We should hopefully see the bike lane to and from union station by the end of this year,” said Jim Travers, deputy director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking for New Haven. “We are very interested in talking to [Kim].”
Kim, who will be meeting with Travers on April 7, said he hopes to jump-start his business before he graduates in May and leaves New Haven. Although he said he understands the difficulties of developing and maintaining a nascent business without his physical presence, he hopes his team and the wide community support will maintain the business.
According to the Washington State Energy Office, only 1.6 percent of Americans commute by bicycle.
Shahla Naimi
Contributing Reporter
Published Thursday, March 26, 2009
A mode of transportation characteristic of the Big Apple will find a home this summer in the Elm City: pedicabs.
Yale Cycling Team member Jongwook “Wookie” Kim ’09 plans to establish a pedicab business — tricycles fashioned into carriage-like cabs — in New Haven, an idea born from a class project last semester in which students were given a $50,000 hypothetical grant to establish a business within a mile of the Yale campus.
Tentatively named CaBike, Kim’s proposed business, established in partnership with a School of Management graduate and School of Medicine freshman, is still in its infancy. Kim, who entered the proposal in the 2009 Y50K Entrepreneurship Competition with its own $50,000 grand prize, is finalizing business plans and garnering city support.
“After a while,” Kim said, “I realized that [my business plan] could actually work as a social enterprise.”
Naturally, he said, he sought out Matthew Feiner, owner of The Devil’s Gear Bike Shop on Chapel Street.
“I’ve been encouraging people to take up the idea of pedicabs,” Feiner said. “We almost bought a pedicab last year and I’m glad we didn’t because that was just when the economy tipped and we had to close the downtown shop. But I’m always supportive of anyone who wants to do it.”
Hoping to avoid Metro Taxi’s $2.25 per mile charge in a faltering economy, Kim said he hoped New Haven residents may be looking for more affordable transportation. Pedicabs, Kim said, can be a good alternative. He added that he is considering a tip-based compensation model for CaBike.
“We aren’t trying to make lots of money,” Kim said. “We plan to use any profits towards the creation of a bicycle/health education program at Haven Free Clinic.”
But chances are they will not make a profit, said West Hartford resident and librarian Dave St. Germain, who established his own pedicab business, Tree Hugger Taxis, last year.
“It is funny to look at my business plan after a year has gone by,” Germain said in an e-mail. “My income projections were so far off base and what I expected to charge for a cab rental was also far from reality. It is very lucky that I did not quit my day job.”
But Kim said there are significant differences between his business model and Germain’s. CaBike, for instance, has established an agreement with Feiner giving them free storage and maintenance services.
In preparation for his business model, Kim said he did some anecdotal research in New York, taking pedicabs on several occasions.
“It seemed like it was being used as a sort of novelty,” he said. “So it’s a concern about whether or not people would take [one] on a regular basis.”
Kim said a preliminary survey he conducted of approximately 2,000 New Haven residents showed wide-reaching support for a pedicab business.
Less than a mile away, New Haven’s Union Station would be an ideal hub for such a business. And city officials agree.
“We should hopefully see the bike lane to and from union station by the end of this year,” said Jim Travers, deputy director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking for New Haven. “We are very interested in talking to [Kim].”
Kim, who will be meeting with Travers on April 7, said he hopes to jump-start his business before he graduates in May and leaves New Haven. Although he said he understands the difficulties of developing and maintaining a nascent business without his physical presence, he hopes his team and the wide community support will maintain the business.
According to the Washington State Energy Office, only 1.6 percent of Americans commute by bicycle.
Business Is ' Blume-ing'
From flyernews.com
Student's Chicago-based Pedicab Now On Campus
Jennie Szink - News Editor
March 29, 2009
Like many students on St. Patrick's
Day, senior Brendan Blume was up all night splitting time between
Brown Street and the student
neighborhoods. But unlike anyone else, instead of walking it, he was flagging pedestrians down asking if they wanted to ride on the back of his bike.
As a co-owner of Blume Brothers
Pedicab, based in Chicago and less than a year old, Blume brought the pedicab to campus in March. He works Thursdays to Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., when he's not on duty as an RA in Stuart. It's just him and a 21-gear bicycle with a carriage-like seat attached.
"When (passengers) get on it they think they're kings of the world," Blume said. Entire parties
turn and cheer when they see his bike and passengers go by. "It's like chariots of fire."
Blume, 21, started the business
with his 24-year-old brother last summer because neither had a job. Instead of continuing their job search, they looked into buying
a pedicab bicycle, of which there are only about 50 in Chicago.
"It was a turning point in my life," Blume said. "We said, 'Let's do something new, something clean'."
They were attracted to the idea because it could fill transportation
needs in an environmentally friendly way. They also liked the idea of being their own boss.
"We started a snow shoveling business when we were young, we've always been entrepreneurs,"
Blume said. "We were both home schooled so we have the drive inside of us. We don't need to have a teacher telling us what to do."
On the suggestion of their father, also an entrepreneur, the brothers signed a notarized agreement about the business. They bought insurance and a bike with operating break lights and turn signals in the dark.
Their goal was to make the 81 home games for the Chicago Cubs and hit as many Chicago White Sox games as they could. Both being
water polo players and feeling fit, the Blumes weren't ready for what pulling around the weight of two or three people does to a person's body.
"The first week it was so hard because it is a strain on your body, no matter how in shape you are," Blume said. They decided not to stick to their original plan of riding every day.
The brothers did work enough to increase their business by three bikes and hired more riders
in Chicago. Their goal for this summer is to double their business.
Though they do not have set ride prices, it's usually never more than $10 for all riders combined.
They work when most students would be out with friends, like New Year's Eve, but Blume said as he pedals he forgets he's working.
"You won't look at it as a job. You're riding and you're having a conversation with the passengers."
While the partners do face some problems with the economy, like having difficulty obtaining loans, Blume said he brought the business to Dayton hoping to help students' economic troubles improve.
"With the state the economy is in, we want to create jobs," Blume said. "We can give students rides while creating jobs for them."
Blume will be riding around campus until next December, when he plans to graduate with an accounting degree. He's looking
for employees for the business so it can continue when he moves back to Chicago.
"I'm going to ride full-time until
I stop having fun, which won't happen."
Student's Chicago-based Pedicab Now On Campus
Jennie Szink - News Editor
March 29, 2009
Like many students on St. Patrick's
Day, senior Brendan Blume was up all night splitting time between
Brown Street and the student
neighborhoods. But unlike anyone else, instead of walking it, he was flagging pedestrians down asking if they wanted to ride on the back of his bike.
As a co-owner of Blume Brothers
Pedicab, based in Chicago and less than a year old, Blume brought the pedicab to campus in March. He works Thursdays to Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., when he's not on duty as an RA in Stuart. It's just him and a 21-gear bicycle with a carriage-like seat attached.
"When (passengers) get on it they think they're kings of the world," Blume said. Entire parties
turn and cheer when they see his bike and passengers go by. "It's like chariots of fire."
Blume, 21, started the business
with his 24-year-old brother last summer because neither had a job. Instead of continuing their job search, they looked into buying
a pedicab bicycle, of which there are only about 50 in Chicago.
"It was a turning point in my life," Blume said. "We said, 'Let's do something new, something clean'."
They were attracted to the idea because it could fill transportation
needs in an environmentally friendly way. They also liked the idea of being their own boss.
"We started a snow shoveling business when we were young, we've always been entrepreneurs,"
Blume said. "We were both home schooled so we have the drive inside of us. We don't need to have a teacher telling us what to do."
On the suggestion of their father, also an entrepreneur, the brothers signed a notarized agreement about the business. They bought insurance and a bike with operating break lights and turn signals in the dark.
Their goal was to make the 81 home games for the Chicago Cubs and hit as many Chicago White Sox games as they could. Both being
water polo players and feeling fit, the Blumes weren't ready for what pulling around the weight of two or three people does to a person's body.
"The first week it was so hard because it is a strain on your body, no matter how in shape you are," Blume said. They decided not to stick to their original plan of riding every day.
The brothers did work enough to increase their business by three bikes and hired more riders
in Chicago. Their goal for this summer is to double their business.
Though they do not have set ride prices, it's usually never more than $10 for all riders combined.
They work when most students would be out with friends, like New Year's Eve, but Blume said as he pedals he forgets he's working.
"You won't look at it as a job. You're riding and you're having a conversation with the passengers."
While the partners do face some problems with the economy, like having difficulty obtaining loans, Blume said he brought the business to Dayton hoping to help students' economic troubles improve.
"With the state the economy is in, we want to create jobs," Blume said. "We can give students rides while creating jobs for them."
Blume will be riding around campus until next December, when he plans to graduate with an accounting degree. He's looking
for employees for the business so it can continue when he moves back to Chicago.
"I'm going to ride full-time until
I stop having fun, which won't happen."
Pedicab business launches in Salt Lake City
From ABC 4 News
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – There’s a new cab service in town, but it’s probably not what you’d expect. Stick Dog Pedicab launched Friday afternoon and it offered free rides to anyone downtown.
The bicycle-cab service, started by Bret Cali, surprised many people, walking and driving alike, who stopped to take photos of the pedicabs with cameras and cell phones.
“It’s a lot of fun for a lot of people” said Tom Steed, one of the drivers.
Cali has hired eight drivers to run the free cabs in shifts so there are at least two running during the afternoon and evening. The rides are free, so the drivers work on tips alone. The pedicabs run around downtown mostly between restaurants and bars.
“I don’t expect to make a living out of it.” Steed said.
This isn’t the first time Salt Lake has seen pedicabs. There was a pedicab service in Salt Lake a few years ago but it stopped service after the owner cited insurance disputes with the city.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – There’s a new cab service in town, but it’s probably not what you’d expect. Stick Dog Pedicab launched Friday afternoon and it offered free rides to anyone downtown.
The bicycle-cab service, started by Bret Cali, surprised many people, walking and driving alike, who stopped to take photos of the pedicabs with cameras and cell phones.
“It’s a lot of fun for a lot of people” said Tom Steed, one of the drivers.
Cali has hired eight drivers to run the free cabs in shifts so there are at least two running during the afternoon and evening. The rides are free, so the drivers work on tips alone. The pedicabs run around downtown mostly between restaurants and bars.
“I don’t expect to make a living out of it.” Steed said.
This isn’t the first time Salt Lake has seen pedicabs. There was a pedicab service in Salt Lake a few years ago but it stopped service after the owner cited insurance disputes with the city.
Pedicabs a "matter of liberty" Mayor Johnson
From London Daily News
City Hall Desk
Mayor Johnson today faced the growing resentment and opposition of Assembly Members to pedicabs at City Hall questions session today, with calls to ban them from the roads of the capital. The Mayor in response to a question by Roger Evans and Brian Coleman responded by asking members to raise hands if they were for or against pedicabs in London; which was prevented to take place by Jenette Arnold the Chair of the London Assembly.
Mayor Johnson said on the issue of the pedicabs:
"I am a cyclist and believe in liberty that is why I am still undecided on the issue".
Brian Coleman then raised the concerns of his constituents in Covent Garden who find pedicabs a nuisance and annoyed at the unregulated nature in the way pedicabs operate.
The London Daily News is aware of legal action by black cab organisations that are being brought to courts to enforce the Hackney Carriage which in effect prohibits any vehicle plying for hire in London that is not a regulated black cab.
Indeed Westminster Council in 2008 attempted to rid motor operated pedicabs from the streets of the borough which were fixed with motors from the West End.
Westminster in a statement said:
"Many of the riders of the 'souped-up' pedicabs are also uninsured and frequently flout traffic laws by mounting kerbs and jumping traffic lights - as well as carrying more passengers than the pedicabs are designed for."
Cllr Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "The sheer number of these deathtraps has left us with little choice other than to take firm action. At the moment what should be a fun visit to the West End could all too easily turn into a tragedy for innocent passengers, and I'm not prepared to stand by and wait for that to happen."
In a bid to rid the capital's streets of the unsafe pedicabs officials from the council, along with officers from City of Westminster Police and Traffic Unit, will set up a series of checkpoints in the heart of the West End and seize electrically assisted pedicabs and pedicabs flouting traffic legislation.
It is believed that up to 80 per cent of the 1,000 pedicabs in Westminster have been adapted to run on car batteries, often hidden under the passenger seat.
What has also angered black cab organisations is the proposal to have a designated pedicab bay which in effect will be a rank, and will mean pedicabs plying for hire.
City Hall Desk
Mayor Johnson today faced the growing resentment and opposition of Assembly Members to pedicabs at City Hall questions session today, with calls to ban them from the roads of the capital. The Mayor in response to a question by Roger Evans and Brian Coleman responded by asking members to raise hands if they were for or against pedicabs in London; which was prevented to take place by Jenette Arnold the Chair of the London Assembly.
Mayor Johnson said on the issue of the pedicabs:
"I am a cyclist and believe in liberty that is why I am still undecided on the issue".
Brian Coleman then raised the concerns of his constituents in Covent Garden who find pedicabs a nuisance and annoyed at the unregulated nature in the way pedicabs operate.
The London Daily News is aware of legal action by black cab organisations that are being brought to courts to enforce the Hackney Carriage which in effect prohibits any vehicle plying for hire in London that is not a regulated black cab.
Indeed Westminster Council in 2008 attempted to rid motor operated pedicabs from the streets of the borough which were fixed with motors from the West End.
Westminster in a statement said:
"Many of the riders of the 'souped-up' pedicabs are also uninsured and frequently flout traffic laws by mounting kerbs and jumping traffic lights - as well as carrying more passengers than the pedicabs are designed for."
Cllr Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "The sheer number of these deathtraps has left us with little choice other than to take firm action. At the moment what should be a fun visit to the West End could all too easily turn into a tragedy for innocent passengers, and I'm not prepared to stand by and wait for that to happen."
In a bid to rid the capital's streets of the unsafe pedicabs officials from the council, along with officers from City of Westminster Police and Traffic Unit, will set up a series of checkpoints in the heart of the West End and seize electrically assisted pedicabs and pedicabs flouting traffic legislation.
It is believed that up to 80 per cent of the 1,000 pedicabs in Westminster have been adapted to run on car batteries, often hidden under the passenger seat.
What has also angered black cab organisations is the proposal to have a designated pedicab bay which in effect will be a rank, and will mean pedicabs plying for hire.
Counting the driver, a pedicab is a bicycle built for three
From Naperville Sun
March 11, 2009
People think of different things when they ponder Naperville.
Some form a mental image of the Riverwalk. Others the Carillon. Still others of the bustling downtown.
The mental image I've been carrying around with me for the last couple of days is of a police officer commandeering a pedicab to chase a bank robber who is fleeing in a pedicab.
"Pedicab driver, follow that pedicab," the cop might yell.
I have to admit I'm sorry I missed whatever discussion the City Council had about pedicabs for the downtown.
I'd never even heard of a pedicab until we got a letter to the editor from residents Abbie Jane and Tom Williams complaining that "pedicabs that hold all of two passengers that will clog the downtown streets."
When I ran the term "pedicab" through The Sun's computerized library system, I came up with an episode of "The Apprentice" from 2004 in which they featured a typical "Apprentice" assignment -- the contestants were supposed to run a rickshaw stand in Manhattan and find innovative ways to get people of ride the pedicabs.
For that is what a pedicab is, a modernized version of the Chinese rickshaw.
The modern-day ones have the front part of a bicycle pulling a small carriage that holds a couple of passengers.
Think of the times you've seen a dad on a bicycle pulling a carriage with a little kid in it, then double the passenger capacity, and you've pretty much got the concept.
Apparently they use them in Chicago, Joliet and Oak Park, among other cities.
As the Williamses put it, "Transportation is not needed downtown. The farthest anyone would ever have to work to cover the downtown is four blocks in any direction."
The point is well taken, but one can see a certainly utility for pedicabs for people who are unable to walk several blocks. That, after all, is the best reason to have valet parking at the restaurants.
Both valet parking and pedicabs are a convenience for those who don't want to walk a few blocks, but much more than that for people who physically can't walk a few blocks.
The council, which usually can be counted on to disagree over almost anything, unanimously approved the drafting of an ordinance to allow these last week, and since the impetus for pedicabs comes from the company that would run them, you can bet you should be seeing them on Naperville streets pretty soon.
Incidentally, these will only run spring through fall.
The city staff has done its usual thorough job of vetting these things, so I guess we can assume Naperville will have safe, comfortable pedicabs. World-class pedicabs friendly to children and all that.
Maybe the Last Fling can have pedicab races.
Still, when the inevitable happens, we'll get to read in The Sun "Two pedicabs collided yesterday at the intersection of ..."
March 11, 2009
People think of different things when they ponder Naperville.
Some form a mental image of the Riverwalk. Others the Carillon. Still others of the bustling downtown.
The mental image I've been carrying around with me for the last couple of days is of a police officer commandeering a pedicab to chase a bank robber who is fleeing in a pedicab.
"Pedicab driver, follow that pedicab," the cop might yell.
I have to admit I'm sorry I missed whatever discussion the City Council had about pedicabs for the downtown.
I'd never even heard of a pedicab until we got a letter to the editor from residents Abbie Jane and Tom Williams complaining that "pedicabs that hold all of two passengers that will clog the downtown streets."
When I ran the term "pedicab" through The Sun's computerized library system, I came up with an episode of "The Apprentice" from 2004 in which they featured a typical "Apprentice" assignment -- the contestants were supposed to run a rickshaw stand in Manhattan and find innovative ways to get people of ride the pedicabs.
For that is what a pedicab is, a modernized version of the Chinese rickshaw.
The modern-day ones have the front part of a bicycle pulling a small carriage that holds a couple of passengers.
Think of the times you've seen a dad on a bicycle pulling a carriage with a little kid in it, then double the passenger capacity, and you've pretty much got the concept.
Apparently they use them in Chicago, Joliet and Oak Park, among other cities.
As the Williamses put it, "Transportation is not needed downtown. The farthest anyone would ever have to work to cover the downtown is four blocks in any direction."
The point is well taken, but one can see a certainly utility for pedicabs for people who are unable to walk several blocks. That, after all, is the best reason to have valet parking at the restaurants.
Both valet parking and pedicabs are a convenience for those who don't want to walk a few blocks, but much more than that for people who physically can't walk a few blocks.
The council, which usually can be counted on to disagree over almost anything, unanimously approved the drafting of an ordinance to allow these last week, and since the impetus for pedicabs comes from the company that would run them, you can bet you should be seeing them on Naperville streets pretty soon.
Incidentally, these will only run spring through fall.
The city staff has done its usual thorough job of vetting these things, so I guess we can assume Naperville will have safe, comfortable pedicabs. World-class pedicabs friendly to children and all that.
Maybe the Last Fling can have pedicab races.
Still, when the inevitable happens, we'll get to read in The Sun "Two pedicabs collided yesterday at the intersection of ..."
Stamping out good business?
By Brian X. McCrone
PHILADELPHIA. Unlike Philadelphia’s first and possibly last pedicab business, Chariots of Philly — which was shut down because of a lack of a city law governing the vehicles— pedicab drivers in New York City like Stan O’Connor are thriving.
And that’s without any currently enforced laws on the Big Apple's books allowing them to drive tourists and other commuters in their bicycle-drawn “rickshaws.”
“It’s a shame that Philly demands that businesses without regulation must not be opened,” O’Connor said. “It would seem that new technologies would be stymied by that.”
Chariots of Philly, originally owned and operated in Manayunk by brothers Ben and Tom Dambman, was shut down in 2007 after four years of business by the Department of Licenses and Inspections. L&I’s business compliance unit said in a letter that anyone seeking “to operate on the streets of the City of Philadelphia as a passenger carrier must first obtain authorization from City Council.”
The department even went a step further in determining that Ben Dambman's Pechin Street garage, where he housed his two pedicabs, was in violation of city code.
“There is an absence of authorization for this type of business,” city spokeswoman Maura Kennedy said recently. “The city controls right-of-way which is streets and sidewalks.”
That is also true in New York City, according to Manhattan Rickshaw Co. owner Peter Meitzler, but added that pedicabs have flourished through a lack of any specific regulation.
He said insured pedicab companies are trying to get a law passed to prohibit
uninsured, dangerous pedicabs. Until then, anybody with a pedicab can operate in the five boroughs.
“I think the foundation of our republic is that: If a thing isn’t explicitly illegal, shouldn’t it be legal?” Meitzler said.
Owners closer to driving here
PHILADELPHIA. As some ambitious entrepreneurs have done in other cities during the past decade, Ben Dambman crafted his own legislation and personally handed it to every Philadelphia City Council member over the past two years.
One industry expert said pedicabs don't usually spur an incredible amount of interest at City Halls around the country.
"You have to bring a comprehensive plan to City Council so they don’t have to do anything," Greg Duran of Colorado-based Big Treet Pedicab Management said in a recent interview, adding that San Diego and Phoenix are also contemplating pedicab legislation.
Dambman has apparently done enough work on his proposed bill. Councilman Curtis Jones, who represents Manayunk, said he is very interested in pedicabs.
"They could fit well since they wouldn't affect the carbon footprint and would create jobs," Jones said in a recent interview.
Legislation may be introduced next month that could create a law allowing pedicabs by summer, according to one official involved with the proposal.
PHILADELPHIA. Unlike Philadelphia’s first and possibly last pedicab business, Chariots of Philly — which was shut down because of a lack of a city law governing the vehicles— pedicab drivers in New York City like Stan O’Connor are thriving.
And that’s without any currently enforced laws on the Big Apple's books allowing them to drive tourists and other commuters in their bicycle-drawn “rickshaws.”
“It’s a shame that Philly demands that businesses without regulation must not be opened,” O’Connor said. “It would seem that new technologies would be stymied by that.”
Chariots of Philly, originally owned and operated in Manayunk by brothers Ben and Tom Dambman, was shut down in 2007 after four years of business by the Department of Licenses and Inspections. L&I’s business compliance unit said in a letter that anyone seeking “to operate on the streets of the City of Philadelphia as a passenger carrier must first obtain authorization from City Council.”
The department even went a step further in determining that Ben Dambman's Pechin Street garage, where he housed his two pedicabs, was in violation of city code.
“There is an absence of authorization for this type of business,” city spokeswoman Maura Kennedy said recently. “The city controls right-of-way which is streets and sidewalks.”
That is also true in New York City, according to Manhattan Rickshaw Co. owner Peter Meitzler, but added that pedicabs have flourished through a lack of any specific regulation.
He said insured pedicab companies are trying to get a law passed to prohibit
uninsured, dangerous pedicabs. Until then, anybody with a pedicab can operate in the five boroughs.
“I think the foundation of our republic is that: If a thing isn’t explicitly illegal, shouldn’t it be legal?” Meitzler said.
Owners closer to driving here
PHILADELPHIA. As some ambitious entrepreneurs have done in other cities during the past decade, Ben Dambman crafted his own legislation and personally handed it to every Philadelphia City Council member over the past two years.
One industry expert said pedicabs don't usually spur an incredible amount of interest at City Halls around the country.
"You have to bring a comprehensive plan to City Council so they don’t have to do anything," Greg Duran of Colorado-based Big Treet Pedicab Management said in a recent interview, adding that San Diego and Phoenix are also contemplating pedicab legislation.
Dambman has apparently done enough work on his proposed bill. Councilman Curtis Jones, who represents Manayunk, said he is very interested in pedicabs.
"They could fit well since they wouldn't affect the carbon footprint and would create jobs," Jones said in a recent interview.
Legislation may be introduced next month that could create a law allowing pedicabs by summer, according to one official involved with the proposal.
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