by Victor Ozols
I've never taken a pedicab in my life, but it seems I'm in the minority, as the number of the pedal-powered bicycle taxis has risen dramatically since their introduction to New York in 1995. Pedicabs have become so popular, in fact, that they're now regulated by the city, which requires vehicles to be insured, inspected, and fitted with seat belts, headlights, and hydraulic brakes. A story in The New York Times explains that the new regulations legitimize an industry that began as something of a fringe group, attracting actors, artists, and various downtown weirdos to a unique profession that could net them up to $1,000 a week and help them stay skinny and hot.
Back in 1995, I was living on East Third Street above a bar called The Edge when the first pedicabs began rolling out of a garage just down the block, next to the Hells Angels clubhouse. I honestly thought they'd never be more than a novelty in the city. After all, pedicabs go slower than taxis and cost more. But people must like the open-air ride, with good views and occasional moments of terror, because nowadays I see them everywhere, especially in midtown where I work. Their increasing popularity in the city is especially odd because cyclos and rickshaws are a dying breed in places like Vietnam, India, and China, rapidly being replaced by cars and smoke-belching scooters.
So I guess pedicabs are a good addition to New York's streets, because they emit no exhaust and are a nearly silent form of transport in a city with more than enough noise. I'm still unlikely to flag one down, though, because I automatically head for the subway whenever I need to travel fast. Have you ever taken a pedicab in New York or anywhere else? Share your experience in the comments.
Tuesday, January 19
Pedicab Owners Rush to Beat Deadline for City Licenses
Pedicab Owners Rush to Beat Deadline for City Licenses
By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
BATTERY PARK CITY — Pedicab owners filled the licensing office of the Department of Consumer Affairs Friday in order to beat the 5 p.m. deadline to apply for business licenses to stay on the road legally.
After a series of complaints, accidents, and injuries, Friday marked the culmination of the city's push to regulate the pedicab industry.
"Everybody used to like us. It used to be so much fun!," said Bernard Treanor, a self-declared pedicab veteran. "Now, it's just like all we do is run people over. But hopefully that's going to change now with the regulations."
In order to become licensed, pedicab owners had to submit a business application, provide proof of insurance, and pass every vehicle through an extensive safety inspection. Pedicab drivers also need to secure a special drivers license issued by the DCA.
Pedicab Owners Apply for City Licenses with a Few Hours to SparePedicab owners waited patiently at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs Friday to submit their business applications for pedicab licenses. (Jennifer Glickel/DNAinfo)
Pedicab owners applying for licenses on Friday agreed that the regulation will have a positive impact, particularly in terms of safety.
"I think it's really important that the DCA is regulating safety because some people used to drive without seat belts and they took more than three passengers," said Andrey Zhilnikov, 24, who applied for a license on Friday.
"It's dangerous, especially on the street."
Applications will not be accepted for 18 months following today's deadline, which has prompted an influx of applications in the last week and a half, according to the DCA.
"We have really been out there hitting the streets trying to get the word out to all the thousand plus pedicabs that everybody sees out on the roads to let them know if you want to stay in business, you need to come into DCA and submit your application," DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz told DNAinfo.
"Obviously people have gotten that message because as of the end of [Thursday], we had over 844 pedicabs that had been applied for," Mintz said.
"These licenses are all geared toward one thing, which is to make sure that pedicabs are safe and accountable to the public."
By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
BATTERY PARK CITY — Pedicab owners filled the licensing office of the Department of Consumer Affairs Friday in order to beat the 5 p.m. deadline to apply for business licenses to stay on the road legally.
After a series of complaints, accidents, and injuries, Friday marked the culmination of the city's push to regulate the pedicab industry.
"Everybody used to like us. It used to be so much fun!," said Bernard Treanor, a self-declared pedicab veteran. "Now, it's just like all we do is run people over. But hopefully that's going to change now with the regulations."
In order to become licensed, pedicab owners had to submit a business application, provide proof of insurance, and pass every vehicle through an extensive safety inspection. Pedicab drivers also need to secure a special drivers license issued by the DCA.
Pedicab Owners Apply for City Licenses with a Few Hours to SparePedicab owners waited patiently at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs Friday to submit their business applications for pedicab licenses. (Jennifer Glickel/DNAinfo)
Pedicab owners applying for licenses on Friday agreed that the regulation will have a positive impact, particularly in terms of safety.
"I think it's really important that the DCA is regulating safety because some people used to drive without seat belts and they took more than three passengers," said Andrey Zhilnikov, 24, who applied for a license on Friday.
"It's dangerous, especially on the street."
Applications will not be accepted for 18 months following today's deadline, which has prompted an influx of applications in the last week and a half, according to the DCA.
"We have really been out there hitting the streets trying to get the word out to all the thousand plus pedicabs that everybody sees out on the roads to let them know if you want to stay in business, you need to come into DCA and submit your application," DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz told DNAinfo.
"Obviously people have gotten that message because as of the end of [Thursday], we had over 844 pedicabs that had been applied for," Mintz said.
"These licenses are all geared toward one thing, which is to make sure that pedicabs are safe and accountable to the public."
Pedicab Operators Face Steep Fines as Registration Deadline Looms Read more: http://dnainfo.com/20091118/manhattan/pedicab-operators-face-steep-fines
By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Pedicab owners who stay on the road without a business license from the city after today will face steep fines.
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which is administering the licenses, said 119 companies had applied for licenses as of Tuesday, accounting for 649 pedicabs.
However, it's difficult to determine how many of the city's pedicabs could be operating illegally beyond Friday because owners may be stocking up on licenses ahead of an 18-month freeze. Each owner can register up to 30 cabs.
The Department of Consumer Affairs reported an acceleration of applicants this week, though it could not predict how many pedicabs would ultimately be licensed. Two weeks ago, 70 pedicabs had been registered, compared to more than 600 this week. The licensing office was bustling with activity on Wednesday.
The city regulated the booming industry after a string of injuries and accidents. Legislation had been in the works for more than two years, and was kick-started last June after an accident that injured a pedicab driver and its two passengers on the Williamsburg Bridge.
The Department of Consumer Affairs will not comment on the specific strategies they will use to enforce the new law, but they said they will be aggressive in their tactics. Fines will range from $200 and up for a first violation to upwards of $4,000 for a third. In some cases, authorities could immediately seize unlicensed pedicabs.
In order to be licensed, pedicab companies must pass an inspection, provide proof of insurance and make sure that all of their drivers have obtained a special driver's license from the city.
The business license costs $110, with each additional cab registration adding $60. Though no other business licenses will be issued until the spring of 2011, drivers may register for a license at any time at a cost of $35.
A lack of regulation has made it difficult to determine the exact number of pedicabs in Manhattan. The number is estimated at around 700 to over 1,000 depending on the source.
Read more: http://dnainfo.com/20091118/manhattan/pedicab-operators-face-steep-fines-as-registration-deadline-looms#ixzz0d30R3cwP
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Pedicab owners who stay on the road without a business license from the city after today will face steep fines.
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which is administering the licenses, said 119 companies had applied for licenses as of Tuesday, accounting for 649 pedicabs.
However, it's difficult to determine how many of the city's pedicabs could be operating illegally beyond Friday because owners may be stocking up on licenses ahead of an 18-month freeze. Each owner can register up to 30 cabs.
The Department of Consumer Affairs reported an acceleration of applicants this week, though it could not predict how many pedicabs would ultimately be licensed. Two weeks ago, 70 pedicabs had been registered, compared to more than 600 this week. The licensing office was bustling with activity on Wednesday.
The city regulated the booming industry after a string of injuries and accidents. Legislation had been in the works for more than two years, and was kick-started last June after an accident that injured a pedicab driver and its two passengers on the Williamsburg Bridge.
The Department of Consumer Affairs will not comment on the specific strategies they will use to enforce the new law, but they said they will be aggressive in their tactics. Fines will range from $200 and up for a first violation to upwards of $4,000 for a third. In some cases, authorities could immediately seize unlicensed pedicabs.
In order to be licensed, pedicab companies must pass an inspection, provide proof of insurance and make sure that all of their drivers have obtained a special driver's license from the city.
The business license costs $110, with each additional cab registration adding $60. Though no other business licenses will be issued until the spring of 2011, drivers may register for a license at any time at a cost of $35.
A lack of regulation has made it difficult to determine the exact number of pedicabs in Manhattan. The number is estimated at around 700 to over 1,000 depending on the source.
Read more: http://dnainfo.com/20091118/manhattan/pedicab-operators-face-steep-fines-as-registration-deadline-looms#ixzz0d30R3cwP
Are Pedicabs Overcharging?
By Jen Carlson in News on November 17
As pedicab operators make the final stride in becoming legit under the city's new regulations, the NY Post takes a look at their rate cards. Unlike other modes of transportation in this city, pedicabs don't have a fixed fare. Operators can change their prices from minute-to-minute as long as they provide rate cards for their customers.
One driver, Patrick O'Donovan, told the paper he has five different rate cards, and he'll charge "$50 for a 20-minute ride during the holiday season. $10 from January to April." Another charges a $10 base fee, then $20 for every added 1.5 miles. Odometers, and even stopwatches, are all city-approved ways of keeping time and distance measured — meters were part of the inspection process many pedicab operators just went through to become licensed.
The number of totally legit pedicab operators was up to 519 by the end of yesterday — the rest have until Friday to get their licensing applications in.
As pedicab operators make the final stride in becoming legit under the city's new regulations, the NY Post takes a look at their rate cards. Unlike other modes of transportation in this city, pedicabs don't have a fixed fare. Operators can change their prices from minute-to-minute as long as they provide rate cards for their customers.
One driver, Patrick O'Donovan, told the paper he has five different rate cards, and he'll charge "$50 for a 20-minute ride during the holiday season. $10 from January to April." Another charges a $10 base fee, then $20 for every added 1.5 miles. Odometers, and even stopwatches, are all city-approved ways of keeping time and distance measured — meters were part of the inspection process many pedicab operators just went through to become licensed.
The number of totally legit pedicab operators was up to 519 by the end of yesterday — the rest have until Friday to get their licensing applications in.
Licensing Deadline Looms for Pedicab Owners
By SARAH MASLIN NIR
Get licensed or get out, is the message from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to the city’s pedicab professionals, who have until Friday to obtain business licenses and register their vehicles or else close up shop. The Nov. 20 deadline marks the end of a 60-day period in which the city invited pedicab operators to apply to become licensed, a process that entails submitting their rickshaws to a rigorous inspection, and retrofitting them with things like seat belts and turn signals to bring them up to new safety standards outlined in the law.
“Friday is an end and a beginning; it’s the end of a very, very long process in which the pedicab has been seeking regulation,” said Chad Marlow, a spokesman for the New York City Pedicab Owners’ Association, a group of about 70 rickshaw business owners who have pushed for the new rules. They include pedicab licenses for drivers who were unlicensed.
The city’s commissioner of consumer affairs, Jonathan B. Mintz, said in an interview that the move toward licensing would address concerns expressed over years about safety.
“There has been a significant concern, including from those in the industry, that an unregulated and rapidly growing industry posed some concerns to public safety,” he said. Though the city law setting the licensing requirements was adopted by the City Council two years ago, business owners sued because they were unsatisfied with certain points. A final compromise version went into effect two months ago.
After Friday, no business licenses will be issued for 18 months, after which point, the city will reassess its decision. There is no deadline for applying for a pedicab driver’s license — those will continue to be issued.
Although pedicabs entered the city’s streetscape around the mid-1990s, they became prevalent — some would say too prevalent — only about five years ago. At first, the human-powered carts had no oversight except by voluntary groups founded by those in the business, like the owners’ association.
In the industry’s early days, regulation wasn’t necessary because the small number of operators held one another accountable, said the association’s president Gregg Zukowski, who owns 22 pedicabs he rents out to drivers from his company, Revolution Rickshaws.
After Sept. 11, 2001, according to Mr. Zukowski, when pedicabs gained national attention and positive P.R. by ferrying people to cordoned-off areas downtown, the number of drivers and vehicles boomed. Industry estimates put the number now at more than 1,000. “The industry is taking its next steps into a more responsible era,” Mr. Zukowski said, “It got very big and unwieldy and it needed a little help from the city to get it into a more accountable sort of arena.”
One sticking point in the new licensing program is that it is heavily favored toward those who already own pedicabs. The licenses are limited to businesses with a fleet of no more than 30 cabs, and permit only the registration of existing cabs.
After the Friday deadline, owners may purchase registered cabs from one another, but there will be a cap on the total number of pedicabs. The pedicab businesses themselves can be sold, but only with the department’s permission.
As of Monday afternoon, 100 pedicab operations had applied for the necessary business licenses — which are awarded only if the company has insurance and its vehicles are deemed to be up-to-speed — with a total of 519 pedicabs.
But only 240 people have applied for the pedicab-driver licenses, despite what Mr. Mintz said was a rigorous long-term outreach program to make people aware of the deadline. (It is possible that some have not applied for the driver licenses because the Friday deadline is not as firm for them as it is for owners.)
Mr. Mintz speculated that some drivers were not prepared to meet the rigorous new requirements, because of financial and other reasons. “Our sense is that there are hundreds of operators out there right now who are not willing to make an investment, or not able to make an investment in insurance or retrofitting,” he said. “The process of professionalizing the industry will weed several out.”
One of those who may be weeded out is Nicholas Iacovino, 26, a pedicab driver for the past four years who says he makes $1,500 to $2,000 per week giving tourists rides through Central Park and other parts of the city. He said he had no plans to seek a license. “I think it is going fine the way it is now,” he said. “If I am doing something wrong, write me a ticket. Why do I need a license?”
The newly created pedicab licenses will be issued only to people who already have driver’s licenses. Because Mr. Iacovino, a native of the Lower East Side who has never had a driver’s license, owes $2,338 to the city in unpaid tickets from when he was a bicycle messenger (he says he didn’t believe traffic rules like pausing at red lights should have applied to those on bikes) he has been unable to get a driver’s license because he can’t afford to pay the fines.
“Strictly speaking, you don’t need a driver’s license to ride a bike,” said Mr. Zukowski, the president of the owners’ association, but “as a baseline, it’s a good way to make sure people are on the record, and insure that they know the rules of the road.”
Anecdotal evidence suggests that a large number of pedicab drivers are foreign, largely working illegally in the city, drawn to a job where it’s possible to make a living under the radar by paying just $20 to $50 to rent a rickshaw for the day. “We know that happens,” said Mr. Zukowski, who says he has rented his bikes to people from around the world. He says he pushed initially for drivers to be required to have a driver’s license issued in the United States.
“Immigration status is not a factor in getting either a business or a driver’s license,” said Mr. Mintz. “When we look at whether somebody is fit to get a pedicab license, we don’t ask what their immigration status is.”
Yet, some attribute the low application turnout to fear of discovery by some drivers and rickshaw owners who are working illegally. Mr. Iacovino, the pedicab driver, said that many of his colleagues say, “Why would I put my immigration status at risk just to ride a bike?”
“There’s a lot of guys in my situation,” said Mr. Iacovino. “They just say, ‘Hey you know what? We can’t do anything.’”
Friday, he said, will be his last day as a pedicab driver.
Get licensed or get out, is the message from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to the city’s pedicab professionals, who have until Friday to obtain business licenses and register their vehicles or else close up shop. The Nov. 20 deadline marks the end of a 60-day period in which the city invited pedicab operators to apply to become licensed, a process that entails submitting their rickshaws to a rigorous inspection, and retrofitting them with things like seat belts and turn signals to bring them up to new safety standards outlined in the law.
“Friday is an end and a beginning; it’s the end of a very, very long process in which the pedicab has been seeking regulation,” said Chad Marlow, a spokesman for the New York City Pedicab Owners’ Association, a group of about 70 rickshaw business owners who have pushed for the new rules. They include pedicab licenses for drivers who were unlicensed.
The city’s commissioner of consumer affairs, Jonathan B. Mintz, said in an interview that the move toward licensing would address concerns expressed over years about safety.
“There has been a significant concern, including from those in the industry, that an unregulated and rapidly growing industry posed some concerns to public safety,” he said. Though the city law setting the licensing requirements was adopted by the City Council two years ago, business owners sued because they were unsatisfied with certain points. A final compromise version went into effect two months ago.
After Friday, no business licenses will be issued for 18 months, after which point, the city will reassess its decision. There is no deadline for applying for a pedicab driver’s license — those will continue to be issued.
Although pedicabs entered the city’s streetscape around the mid-1990s, they became prevalent — some would say too prevalent — only about five years ago. At first, the human-powered carts had no oversight except by voluntary groups founded by those in the business, like the owners’ association.
In the industry’s early days, regulation wasn’t necessary because the small number of operators held one another accountable, said the association’s president Gregg Zukowski, who owns 22 pedicabs he rents out to drivers from his company, Revolution Rickshaws.
After Sept. 11, 2001, according to Mr. Zukowski, when pedicabs gained national attention and positive P.R. by ferrying people to cordoned-off areas downtown, the number of drivers and vehicles boomed. Industry estimates put the number now at more than 1,000. “The industry is taking its next steps into a more responsible era,” Mr. Zukowski said, “It got very big and unwieldy and it needed a little help from the city to get it into a more accountable sort of arena.”
One sticking point in the new licensing program is that it is heavily favored toward those who already own pedicabs. The licenses are limited to businesses with a fleet of no more than 30 cabs, and permit only the registration of existing cabs.
After the Friday deadline, owners may purchase registered cabs from one another, but there will be a cap on the total number of pedicabs. The pedicab businesses themselves can be sold, but only with the department’s permission.
As of Monday afternoon, 100 pedicab operations had applied for the necessary business licenses — which are awarded only if the company has insurance and its vehicles are deemed to be up-to-speed — with a total of 519 pedicabs.
But only 240 people have applied for the pedicab-driver licenses, despite what Mr. Mintz said was a rigorous long-term outreach program to make people aware of the deadline. (It is possible that some have not applied for the driver licenses because the Friday deadline is not as firm for them as it is for owners.)
Mr. Mintz speculated that some drivers were not prepared to meet the rigorous new requirements, because of financial and other reasons. “Our sense is that there are hundreds of operators out there right now who are not willing to make an investment, or not able to make an investment in insurance or retrofitting,” he said. “The process of professionalizing the industry will weed several out.”
One of those who may be weeded out is Nicholas Iacovino, 26, a pedicab driver for the past four years who says he makes $1,500 to $2,000 per week giving tourists rides through Central Park and other parts of the city. He said he had no plans to seek a license. “I think it is going fine the way it is now,” he said. “If I am doing something wrong, write me a ticket. Why do I need a license?”
The newly created pedicab licenses will be issued only to people who already have driver’s licenses. Because Mr. Iacovino, a native of the Lower East Side who has never had a driver’s license, owes $2,338 to the city in unpaid tickets from when he was a bicycle messenger (he says he didn’t believe traffic rules like pausing at red lights should have applied to those on bikes) he has been unable to get a driver’s license because he can’t afford to pay the fines.
“Strictly speaking, you don’t need a driver’s license to ride a bike,” said Mr. Zukowski, the president of the owners’ association, but “as a baseline, it’s a good way to make sure people are on the record, and insure that they know the rules of the road.”
Anecdotal evidence suggests that a large number of pedicab drivers are foreign, largely working illegally in the city, drawn to a job where it’s possible to make a living under the radar by paying just $20 to $50 to rent a rickshaw for the day. “We know that happens,” said Mr. Zukowski, who says he has rented his bikes to people from around the world. He says he pushed initially for drivers to be required to have a driver’s license issued in the United States.
“Immigration status is not a factor in getting either a business or a driver’s license,” said Mr. Mintz. “When we look at whether somebody is fit to get a pedicab license, we don’t ask what their immigration status is.”
Yet, some attribute the low application turnout to fear of discovery by some drivers and rickshaw owners who are working illegally. Mr. Iacovino, the pedicab driver, said that many of his colleagues say, “Why would I put my immigration status at risk just to ride a bike?”
“There’s a lot of guys in my situation,” said Mr. Iacovino. “They just say, ‘Hey you know what? We can’t do anything.’”
Friday, he said, will be his last day as a pedicab driver.
Ideas for Cities: Pedicab Infrastructure
Pedicab infrastructure
Some streets could be zoned for pedicabs (and bicycles) only. Themed pedicabs would make alternate transportation more fun, and would make this method of commuting a “destination” instead of simply a mode. It would also provide healthy work for the employees. Pedicab themes could be anything from music, to luxury, to branded experience, to learning lessons (TED Peds).
This is part 12 of a continuing brainstorm on the future of cities, inaugurated at the Velocity conference in September 2009. We’ll post a new idea each day until we run out, at which point we’re counting on you to come up with something smart. Do you have a good idea for improving your city? Add it in the comments below, or tweet it to @GOOD with hashtag #cityideas—we’ll publish the best ones. Tomorrow’s idea: Decentralized Design Hubs and Work Centers.
Some streets could be zoned for pedicabs (and bicycles) only. Themed pedicabs would make alternate transportation more fun, and would make this method of commuting a “destination” instead of simply a mode. It would also provide healthy work for the employees. Pedicab themes could be anything from music, to luxury, to branded experience, to learning lessons (TED Peds).
This is part 12 of a continuing brainstorm on the future of cities, inaugurated at the Velocity conference in September 2009. We’ll post a new idea each day until we run out, at which point we’re counting on you to come up with something smart. Do you have a good idea for improving your city? Add it in the comments below, or tweet it to @GOOD with hashtag #cityideas—we’ll publish the best ones. Tomorrow’s idea: Decentralized Design Hubs and Work Centers.
Pedicab Drivers Urged By City Officers To Register
By: NY1 News
The Department of Consumer Affairs is urging pedicab operators to license their businesses 10 days before the city's deadline for registration.
Pedicabs owners were originally given 60 days to register.
So far, only 32 businesses and 145 drivers have applied for licenses and 117 pedicabs have been registered.
Industry estimates say there are thousands of pedicabs on the road, creating concern that many won't be registered before the deadline.
Unlicensed pedicab businesses and drivers cannot legally operate after November 20.
The Department of Consumer Affairs is urging pedicab operators to license their businesses 10 days before the city's deadline for registration.
Pedicabs owners were originally given 60 days to register.
So far, only 32 businesses and 145 drivers have applied for licenses and 117 pedicabs have been registered.
Industry estimates say there are thousands of pedicabs on the road, creating concern that many won't be registered before the deadline.
Unlicensed pedicab businesses and drivers cannot legally operate after November 20.
Once a tourist attraction, pedicabs grow in everyday use
By Rachel Kipp, The News Journal
NEWARK, Del. — Downtowns, particularly college towns, make room — and rules — for new pedicabs.
Pedicabs, adult-size tricycles with room in the back for passengers, have gone from the occasional tourist attraction to a more prominent means of public transportation, prompting a race by cities to beef up safety ordinances amid backlash from automobile cab operators.
In New York City, a string of traffic accidents and brawls involving pedicab drivers prompted officials to impose new regulations. By Nov. 20, all pedicab businesses must be registered and licensed with the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
"The New York Police Department will enforce this law to the fullest extent," said Consumer Affairs spokeswoman Elizabeth Miller. Operators must agree to an annual safety inspection, too.
Since the licensing process began, 16 pedicab businesses have applied, with 77 affiliated pedicabs and 80 drivers, but the office hopes to see a rush just before the deadline, Miller said. "By the industry estimates, there are over 1,000 pedicab drivers on the street," she said.
It's not just a big-city issue. Dan Werner, director of sales and marketing for manufacturer Main Street Pedicabs, said he used to sell primarily to big cities but has seen an increase in orders from what he calls "small-town USA." Recently, he fielded pedicab business inquiries from Akron, Ohio; Sandpoint, Idaho; and Modesto, Calif. Some of the interest is generated by the public's thirst for environmentally friendly travel options and ways to avoid traffic during big events, he said.
"The downtown life is big for pedicabs," he said, particularly in college towns.
Speeding up safeguards
Once just a summertime sight in Delaware, pedicabs have moved from the beach to the streets of downtown Newark. This fall, two pedicab companies launched service in the college town of about 30,000 people to ferry University of Delaware students and others to and from the restaurants and bars that line Main Street.
Newark had no pedicab-specific regulations when Matt Greenberg and Sean Hague, owners of Green Rides, tried to apply for a business license. Pedicab companies are now required to get business licenses and show proof of insurance for their vehicles. Green Rides and the other pedicab company, College Taxi, talked with Newark police about installing lights and other safeguards.
The city of Bloomington, Ind., had no regulations for pedicabs when a business started there in 2008, targeting Indiana University students seeking transportation to downtown nightlife. Legislation is in the works, but it comes with controversy.
"We were contacted by the yellow cab companies saying, 'Hey, this isn't fair, and how can they cherry-pick the downtown and do what they want to do when we have to serve the entire city limits, we have to operate 365 days a year, and we have to have a physical building?' " said Adam Wason, the city's assistant economic development director.
In Arlington, Texas, City Council members are mulling a pedicab ordinance, Councilman Jimmy Bennett said.
"What we're looking at is ... do we need to become involved in regulating it with regard to public safety?" Bennett said.
Pedicab regulations that recently passed in Marietta, Ga., require that drivers post the company's business license and rates inside each vehicle, similar to the procedures followed by taxi cab drivers, said Brian Binzer, director of development services.
This past year, the City Council in Salem, Mass., passed a host of regulations to deal with the rising pedicab industry, member Steven Pinto said.
"Pedicabs started popping up (for the tourists), and we didn't have anything on the books to deal with them," he said. The new ordinances deal with certification, liability and traffic safety, he said.
Hailed for filling a void
As baseball fans watched the Yankees take on the Angels inside a Newark pizzeria last month, pedicab drivers from College Taxi and Green Rides were parked at the curb. The safety lights on the pedicabs created a blinking red glare on the sidewalk as the drivers waited for passengers and traded stories about customizing their rides.
The two new Newark pedicab services were started to fill a void created when public safety officials at the University of Delaware said they would stop providing safety escort rides to students.
Pedicab passenger
"I think it's decent, especially for college people ... and it's good for very tired people like us, who are standing on our feet all day," Timmon said.
Their trip to the bus stop was powered by Ross Sylvester, co-owner of College Taxi. "They (pedicabs) turn heads when we're riding down the street. We immediately got a great response. I think the student body really embraced it because on campus there's no real form of transportation other than the buses," Sylvester, 20, said.
Pedicab drivers began pedaling at the University of Oregon and Washington State University this fall.
Contributing: Jessica Leving of USA TODAY in McLean, Va.
NEWARK, Del. — Downtowns, particularly college towns, make room — and rules — for new pedicabs.
Pedicabs, adult-size tricycles with room in the back for passengers, have gone from the occasional tourist attraction to a more prominent means of public transportation, prompting a race by cities to beef up safety ordinances amid backlash from automobile cab operators.
In New York City, a string of traffic accidents and brawls involving pedicab drivers prompted officials to impose new regulations. By Nov. 20, all pedicab businesses must be registered and licensed with the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.
"The New York Police Department will enforce this law to the fullest extent," said Consumer Affairs spokeswoman Elizabeth Miller. Operators must agree to an annual safety inspection, too.
Since the licensing process began, 16 pedicab businesses have applied, with 77 affiliated pedicabs and 80 drivers, but the office hopes to see a rush just before the deadline, Miller said. "By the industry estimates, there are over 1,000 pedicab drivers on the street," she said.
It's not just a big-city issue. Dan Werner, director of sales and marketing for manufacturer Main Street Pedicabs, said he used to sell primarily to big cities but has seen an increase in orders from what he calls "small-town USA." Recently, he fielded pedicab business inquiries from Akron, Ohio; Sandpoint, Idaho; and Modesto, Calif. Some of the interest is generated by the public's thirst for environmentally friendly travel options and ways to avoid traffic during big events, he said.
"The downtown life is big for pedicabs," he said, particularly in college towns.
Speeding up safeguards
Once just a summertime sight in Delaware, pedicabs have moved from the beach to the streets of downtown Newark. This fall, two pedicab companies launched service in the college town of about 30,000 people to ferry University of Delaware students and others to and from the restaurants and bars that line Main Street.
Newark had no pedicab-specific regulations when Matt Greenberg and Sean Hague, owners of Green Rides, tried to apply for a business license. Pedicab companies are now required to get business licenses and show proof of insurance for their vehicles. Green Rides and the other pedicab company, College Taxi, talked with Newark police about installing lights and other safeguards.
The city of Bloomington, Ind., had no regulations for pedicabs when a business started there in 2008, targeting Indiana University students seeking transportation to downtown nightlife. Legislation is in the works, but it comes with controversy.
"We were contacted by the yellow cab companies saying, 'Hey, this isn't fair, and how can they cherry-pick the downtown and do what they want to do when we have to serve the entire city limits, we have to operate 365 days a year, and we have to have a physical building?' " said Adam Wason, the city's assistant economic development director.
In Arlington, Texas, City Council members are mulling a pedicab ordinance, Councilman Jimmy Bennett said.
"What we're looking at is ... do we need to become involved in regulating it with regard to public safety?" Bennett said.
Pedicab regulations that recently passed in Marietta, Ga., require that drivers post the company's business license and rates inside each vehicle, similar to the procedures followed by taxi cab drivers, said Brian Binzer, director of development services.
This past year, the City Council in Salem, Mass., passed a host of regulations to deal with the rising pedicab industry, member Steven Pinto said.
"Pedicabs started popping up (for the tourists), and we didn't have anything on the books to deal with them," he said. The new ordinances deal with certification, liability and traffic safety, he said.
Hailed for filling a void
As baseball fans watched the Yankees take on the Angels inside a Newark pizzeria last month, pedicab drivers from College Taxi and Green Rides were parked at the curb. The safety lights on the pedicabs created a blinking red glare on the sidewalk as the drivers waited for passengers and traded stories about customizing their rides.
The two new Newark pedicab services were started to fill a void created when public safety officials at the University of Delaware said they would stop providing safety escort rides to students.
Pedicab passenger
"I think it's decent, especially for college people ... and it's good for very tired people like us, who are standing on our feet all day," Timmon said.
Their trip to the bus stop was powered by Ross Sylvester, co-owner of College Taxi. "They (pedicabs) turn heads when we're riding down the street. We immediately got a great response. I think the student body really embraced it because on campus there's no real form of transportation other than the buses," Sylvester, 20, said.
Pedicab drivers began pedaling at the University of Oregon and Washington State University this fall.
Contributing: Jessica Leving of USA TODAY in McLean, Va.
Pedicabs may soon be rolling through Elm City
By Mary E. O’Leary, Register Topics Editor
NEW HAVEN — Outgoing Fair Haven Alderwoman Erin Sturgis-Pascale, D-14, Thursday saw one more pedestrian-friendly city transportation option added to her legacy as a lawmaker concerned with safe streets and clean air.
The Board of Aldermen approved her proposed ordinance that outlines the rules for any entrepreneur who wants to run a pedicab service here.
After a public hearing, the original proposal was amended with some safety caveats that require seat belts for the occupants of the three-person vehicle and training for the drivers.
There can be a total of 20 pedicabs in operation, although the city’s traffic authority can increase that for special events.
Sturgis-Pascale, who has been a leader on safe streets and traffic calming measures that are being emphasized in neighborhoods and development projects, said she is looking forward to her first ride in a pedicab.
The ordinance will put New Haven in the same league as New York, Portland, Ore., Boston, San Diego, Austin, Texas, and Chicago, which allow pedicabs.
The only area municipality with pedicab service is Milford, where four cabs are in operation. In New Haven, Paul Hammer and John Binford, a Yale University medical student, are interested in starting a similar operation.
When Sturgis-Pascale recently came back to New Haven on the train from New York, she said she had to take a taxi downtown to the State Street station, but would have preferred to just jump in a pedicab as a “novel, sustainable, slower option.”
Operators of pedicabs will need to be licensed and carry liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. They also will need to take the Smart Cycling course offered by the League of American Bicyclists, to demonstrate they know how to correctly navigate through traffic.
It was felt that New Haven’s flat geography was conducive to nonmotorized transportation. The City Plan Commission found that the pedicabs would be a positive addition to the transportation options, although it recommended the ordinance be assessed within one year to look at any safety issues.
Sturgis-Pascale decided not to seek re-election to her aldermanic seat after her term ends this year because the considerable time demands of the office kept her from young family. Still, she said she wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving without the strong coalition of concerned lawmakers and citizens that has been established around safe streets in New Haven.
“I feel there has been a groundswell of interest in these topics,” she said, and felt her legacy will be carried on by Alderman Roland Leman, D-9, and freshman Democrat Aldermen Justin Elicker in East Rock’s 10th Ward and Michael Jones in the 1st Ward.
Mary E. O’Leary can be reached at 789-5731 or moleary@nhregister.com.
NEW HAVEN — Outgoing Fair Haven Alderwoman Erin Sturgis-Pascale, D-14, Thursday saw one more pedestrian-friendly city transportation option added to her legacy as a lawmaker concerned with safe streets and clean air.
The Board of Aldermen approved her proposed ordinance that outlines the rules for any entrepreneur who wants to run a pedicab service here.
After a public hearing, the original proposal was amended with some safety caveats that require seat belts for the occupants of the three-person vehicle and training for the drivers.
There can be a total of 20 pedicabs in operation, although the city’s traffic authority can increase that for special events.
Sturgis-Pascale, who has been a leader on safe streets and traffic calming measures that are being emphasized in neighborhoods and development projects, said she is looking forward to her first ride in a pedicab.
The ordinance will put New Haven in the same league as New York, Portland, Ore., Boston, San Diego, Austin, Texas, and Chicago, which allow pedicabs.
The only area municipality with pedicab service is Milford, where four cabs are in operation. In New Haven, Paul Hammer and John Binford, a Yale University medical student, are interested in starting a similar operation.
When Sturgis-Pascale recently came back to New Haven on the train from New York, she said she had to take a taxi downtown to the State Street station, but would have preferred to just jump in a pedicab as a “novel, sustainable, slower option.”
Operators of pedicabs will need to be licensed and carry liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. They also will need to take the Smart Cycling course offered by the League of American Bicyclists, to demonstrate they know how to correctly navigate through traffic.
It was felt that New Haven’s flat geography was conducive to nonmotorized transportation. The City Plan Commission found that the pedicabs would be a positive addition to the transportation options, although it recommended the ordinance be assessed within one year to look at any safety issues.
Sturgis-Pascale decided not to seek re-election to her aldermanic seat after her term ends this year because the considerable time demands of the office kept her from young family. Still, she said she wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving without the strong coalition of concerned lawmakers and citizens that has been established around safe streets in New Haven.
“I feel there has been a groundswell of interest in these topics,” she said, and felt her legacy will be carried on by Alderman Roland Leman, D-9, and freshman Democrat Aldermen Justin Elicker in East Rock’s 10th Ward and Michael Jones in the 1st Ward.
Mary E. O’Leary can be reached at 789-5731 or moleary@nhregister.com.
The pedicab pole dancers of NYC
By Jeffrey Davis
Wed, Oct 28 2009 at 3:26 PM EST
What's better than going on a bike ride? A ride in a pedicab. What's better than a pedicab? A pedicab with pole dancers on the back.
Bikers are taking back the streets of NYC, but one of them is doing it with a platform and a pole dancer in tow. Andrew Katzander is the brainchild of PoleRiders, New York’s hottest show on two wheels.
The description on their website pretty much explains it all: “PoleRiders is a new invention that unites two great things that are even better together: bicycles and pole dancers!”
Time Out New York says, “Though it started merely as a fun idea, PoleRiders has become a second job for Katzander, who's an industrial designer by day. In addition to catching regular joy rides, you can book them for special events.”
How is this public stripping even close to legal? Because it’s not stripping.
Via the New York Post: "It's all legal. The cops can't really stop us — I'm riding my bike and she's exercising," said Katzander of flash dancer Marlo Fisken, 25, who is a pole-dancing teacher. "I'm not a stripper. Because you have high heels and you're on a pole, it doesn't mean you're doing anything raunchy," she said. "It's fun, and it's a little bit exhibitionist."
What does that mean? Mommy and daddy can rest at ease. These PoleRiders are just scantily clad dancers; they don’t even get partially nude. Sure, they’re in lingerie and fishnet stockings, but you’re going to see more than that at the pool or the beach, aren’t you?
The PoleRiders are liable to pop up anywhere around NYC, day or night, so keep your eyes peeled. If you see a crowd of people rushing out of a bar or gathering on the sidewalk and staring in bewilderment, there's a good chance that the PoleRiders are cruising by.
Check the PoleRiders’ blog for up-to-date pictures and commentary. You can catch their next scheduled ride in the NYC Village Halloween Parade.
See, and you thought biking wasn’t sexy…
Wed, Oct 28 2009 at 3:26 PM EST
What's better than going on a bike ride? A ride in a pedicab. What's better than a pedicab? A pedicab with pole dancers on the back.
Bikers are taking back the streets of NYC, but one of them is doing it with a platform and a pole dancer in tow. Andrew Katzander is the brainchild of PoleRiders, New York’s hottest show on two wheels.
The description on their website pretty much explains it all: “PoleRiders is a new invention that unites two great things that are even better together: bicycles and pole dancers!”
Time Out New York says, “Though it started merely as a fun idea, PoleRiders has become a second job for Katzander, who's an industrial designer by day. In addition to catching regular joy rides, you can book them for special events.”
How is this public stripping even close to legal? Because it’s not stripping.
Via the New York Post: "It's all legal. The cops can't really stop us — I'm riding my bike and she's exercising," said Katzander of flash dancer Marlo Fisken, 25, who is a pole-dancing teacher. "I'm not a stripper. Because you have high heels and you're on a pole, it doesn't mean you're doing anything raunchy," she said. "It's fun, and it's a little bit exhibitionist."
What does that mean? Mommy and daddy can rest at ease. These PoleRiders are just scantily clad dancers; they don’t even get partially nude. Sure, they’re in lingerie and fishnet stockings, but you’re going to see more than that at the pool or the beach, aren’t you?
The PoleRiders are liable to pop up anywhere around NYC, day or night, so keep your eyes peeled. If you see a crowd of people rushing out of a bar or gathering on the sidewalk and staring in bewilderment, there's a good chance that the PoleRiders are cruising by.
Check the PoleRiders’ blog for up-to-date pictures and commentary. You can catch their next scheduled ride in the NYC Village Halloween Parade.
See, and you thought biking wasn’t sexy…
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