Pedicab Rally in the News

AMNY reports:

The City Council is poised to put the brakes on New York’s freewheeling pedicabs, prompting hundreds of their drivers to say the regulations would devastate a pollution-free way to get around town.

"They say we are causing traffic congestion," said pedicab driver Mega Martinez, 43, at a protest Tuesday. "How can that be? We are the only ones who can get around the traffic."

pedicabs3.jpg

In addition to capping the number of pedicabs at 300, the City Council bill would completely ban those pedicabs that use electric-assist motors. While most of these motors use less power than a hair dryer, Comrie said the council considers them motor vehicles, subject to state laws.

A vote on the pedicab regulations is scheduled for Feb. 28.

 

Photos: Bill DiPaolo 

 

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Do Pedicabs Belong in Bike Lanes?

By Brad Aaron |
A pedicab (sort of) makes use of the Broadway bike lane. Photo: Brad Aaron Last week’s collision between a pedicab and a yellow taxi in Brooklyn was followed by a renewed, or at least better publicized, interest from Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council in enforcing long-awaited pedicab industry standards. The rules, initiated by pedicab […]

Pedicabs Protest New Regulations

By Jason Varone |
Pedicabs took to the streets yesterday to protest the City’s new regulations on New York’s greenest for-hire transportation industry. In a press release, The Green Transport Association says that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn "dealt pedicabs a crushing blow capping our number at 325 city-wide" — a reported 35 percent reduction in the pedicab workforce: Pedicabs are […]

Cyclists Ride with Pedicabs to Rally at City Hall

By Jason Varone |
The City Council Consumer Affairs Committee is set to vote on regulations that would put a very low cap on the total number of pedicabs in the City and ban certain types of pedicabs from City streets. Time’s Up! joins the Pedicab Owners’ Association against these unreasonable regulations to say: NO CAPS! NO BANS! SAVE THE […]

Political Deal Results in Bad Pedicab Regulations

By Aaron Naparstek |
More on tomorrow’s rally and press conference on the city’s proposed pedicab regulations: Chad Marlow of the Public Advocacy Group, the pedicab industry’s lobbyist, sends along this press release arguing that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Speaker Christine Quinn’s proposal to put a cap on the number of pedicabs and ban electric-assist technology harms the industry […]

Pedicab Ride, Rally and Press Conference in Opposition to Proposed City Council Regulations Limiting Non-Polluting Transportation

By Aaron Donovan |
The City Council Consumer Affairs Committee is set to vote on regulations that would put a very low cap on the total number of pedicabs in the City and ban certain types of pedicabs from City streets. Time’s Up! joins the Pedicab Owner’s Association against these unreasonable regulations to say: NO CAPS – NO BANS […]

Bloomberg Says He’ll Veto Pedicab Bill

By Sarah Goodyear |
Speaking on his weekly radio show on WABC, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced he would veto the City Council’s legislation capping the number of pedicabs in the city at 325: However, the mayor also said he may be amenable to a revised version that simply raised the cap on the vehicles, known as pedicabs. He suggested […]