Pedicabs in Denver's Westword

Wheels of Fortune (Excerpts)
Steve Meyer wants to sell pedicabs to the world — but is the world willing to go along for the ride?

By Joel Warner Published: April 24, 2008

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Some drivers, like Ed Martin, have been doing this for years; for others, this will be their first summer on the streets. Many are hard-core bike enthusiasts, thrilled by the chance to earn money doing what they love; others simply like the exercise. Experienced drivers willing to hustle can take home several hundred dollars for a long night of work. While most have day jobs, a few regulars drive pedicabs full-time, and they make so much cash they don't like to state their income, fearing the IRS may call.

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Dude, you're bad-ass, man!" exclaims the rider when Martin hits the brakes in front of the ballpark.

[Do we refer to you as "Bad-ass Beefsteak" now?]

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Inventor-entrepreneur Steve Meyer hopes to spread that gospel far and wide. The majority of the pedicabs in Denver were made by his company, Main Street Pedicabs in Broomfield, the largest pedicab manufacturer in North America, having supplied about 1,500 vehicles to cities around the world over the past fourteen years.

But the rolling revolution has experienced a few bumps along the way. Many cities have resisted the vehicles, citing safety concerns and traffic issues, while the pedicab industry itself has struggled with casting off its fly-by-night reputation.

But the industry could get a lift this summer when the Democratic National Convention comes to town. Meyer and others hope pedicabs will be seen as the perfect "green" mode of transportation for an event that bills itself as the "most environmentally sustainable Democratic Convention in history" — not to mention a key solution to possible citywide congestion that could make the Rockies' opener look easy.

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That could soon change, however. Greg Duran, the former manager of Mile High Pedicabs, recently split to start his own business, Colorado Rickshaw, with his wife, Teri Robnett. "It's going to be small, it's going to be elite, and it's going to provide optimum customer service," says Duran, who also runs a pedicab consulting company. The operation, which will include city tours and other novel pedicab uses, will be based at what will be called "City Cycle Lodging" — a bike-related garage and office on Arapahoe Street, a few blocks off the 16th Street Mall.

[Uh hem, that's supposed to be City Cycle Logic, but Lodging works too. "Stay at City Cycle Lodging: the place where pedal cabs and cruiser bikes rest in comfort." A little self-promotion, I know.]
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"It's been the pattern ever since the 1950s," Burden says. "There was a serious attempt to rid downtowns of people, to only allow the returning GIs homes in the 'burbs. And streets were built with various incentives, allowing us to build these massive arterials and giving people a huge amount of money to build in a suburban style." The impact has been tremendous: "Forty years of planning has been focused on taking funding away from bicycling and walking and giving roadways entirely to the automobile," he says.

But now, says Burden, communities are starting to rethink their automobile addictions. European and U.S. cities have set low speed limits in downtowns to make them more amenable to pedestrians. Planners are embracing the notion of "complete streets," where, thanks to features like wide shoulders, special lanes and traffic-calming measures, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders all get equal priority. And in their own small way, pedicabs are playing a role in the transformation.

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"The taxi organizations have spent a small fortune in trying to remove pedicabs," says Chris Smallwood, chairman of the London Pedicab Operators Association and founder of Bugbugs Ltd., a local pedicab company, via e-mail. "Authorities tend to shy away from unknowns and, as such, the pedicab issue goes into the 'too difficult' pile."

There's been similar upheaval in New York City, where pedicab drivers are duking it out with hansom cab drivers over rides around Central Park. The city tourist office has said the pedicabs make the Big Apple look like old-time Hong Kong. And in what the Village Voice dubbed "The Great Pedicab War," the city council voted to prohibit electric-assist pedicabs; to ban all pedicabs from bike lanes, bridges and, if they choose, the entirety of Midtown during high-traffic periods; and to restrict the total number of vehicles to 325 because they believed there were too many pedicabs in too many locations around the city. That decision threatened the jobs of at least 175 drivers and launched pedi-protests through the streets last September; a lawsuit by pedicab companies has so far kept the new rules from going into effect.

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But in other cities, pedicab drivers have complained that officials aren't cracking down hard enough. The freewheeling aura of the pedicabs, which appeals to many of its drivers and makes the rides so colorful, can also lead to chaos in cities where rules aren't regularly enforced.

"It's a clusterfuck right now," says Dan Smith, who sold his sixty-pedicab business in San Diego last summer after 400 or so pedicabs — many of them unlicensed, he says — flooded popular urban destinations like the waterfront, the Gaslamp Quarter and around the ballpark. The city, he says, has done little to stop them. "There was no stopping the number of pedicabs coming in, and there was no way to compete with those who were not legally within the country and did not have insurance," says Smith, who's also run operations in San Francisco and Houston. Earlier this month, city regulators in San Diego promised to address the problem, restricting the number of pedicabs in certain parts of the city, but Smith says the measures are too little, too late.

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There's never been a major accident involving Meyer's cabs in Denver, he points out, and serious incidents in other cities are few and far between. "Cars are the killers," he says. "I could run over someone on a pedicab back and forth for ten minutes and hardly break a bone."

[Great line!!]

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So far, the official response has been less than enthusiastic. "Pedicabs will not be allowed within the perimeter," says agent Ron Perea, head of the Denver Secret Service office and of the Pepsi Center's security border, which has yet to be determined.

Nor will they be used by the Democratic National Convention Committee to transport delegates, media or VIPs to and fro, says DNCC press secretary Natalie Wyeth. Instead, the organization will rely primarily on shuttle buses and a motor pool.

The pedicabs' most willing champion may be the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, the local agency charged with preparing the city for the event.

"They are gonna be huge," says David Kennedy, the committee's disability-rights coordinator.

But nothing is set in stone, cautions Parry Burnap, the committee's "director of greening," considering that the security parameters around the Pepsi Center are still undetermined, and insurance issues involving the pedicabs and the committee's other pedal-powered transportation system, its bike program (see story, page 22), have proved tricky. "At one end, we have to deal with security, and at the other, we have to deal with liability," says Burnap. "That's just the nature of change in America."

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And if his pedicabs don't get big billing at the DNC, there's always the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the London Olympics in 2012. Lately, Meyer has turned his attention to non-American cities, many of which are less dependent on cars: "I think the prospects for survival are greater outside the U.S.," he explains.

Once production outgrows his Broomfield digs, he may even consider moving much of the manufacturing overseas to places like China, introducing the next generation of three-wheeled transportation to one of the rickshaw's native lands.

[China? Something you're not telling us, Steve?]

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Read the article in it's entirety...

Changes coming to San Diego

New rules may bring pedicabbies to heel

By Helen Gao
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 4, 2008

SAN DIEGO – Pedicabs have proliferated so much in downtown San Diego over the past decade, the city is planning tougher regulations to rein in the muscle-powered three-wheelers.

Overview
Background: More than 400 pedicabs operate in San Diego, mostly in the Gaslamp Quarter, at the waterfront and near Petco Park.

What's changing:
The city, working with pedicab owners and police, is trying to develop better regulations. A proposed ordinance calls for limiting the number of pedicabs in certain areas and requiring them to prominently post fares and other vital information.

The future: The ordinance is being presented to community groups for input. It's expected to reach the City Council in the fall.

Working with police and downtown businesses, city regulators are proposing to restrict the number of pedicabs in certain zones and require all to prominently post fares.

Zones would be carved out in downtown, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla. Only a certain number of pedicabs with special decals would be allowed in those zones, but how many has not been determined.

Pedicabbies with a city permit currently can roam pretty much anywhere in San Diego to pick up passengers. They are concentrated along the waterfront, Gaslamp Quarter and around Petco Park. If a limit on pedicabs is set, those without restricted-zone decals would have to find fares elsewhere.

The proposed ordinance also includes safety and consumer protection measures. For example, pedicabs would have to be marked with numbers assigned by the city and the company's name and phone number – requirements meant to give consumers information for calling in complaints.

The ordinance would reiterate that the California Vehicle Code applies to pedicabs; some drivers have been accused of being reckless. Pedicabbies would have to carry proof of insurance, and their vehicles could be impounded if the operators lack a valid California driver's license.

Pedicabs also would be prohibited from being parked in metered spaces. Downtown businesses have complained that pedicabs take up spaces meant for patrons. Zones where pedicabs can pick up and drop off passengers would be created instead.

Brad Jacobsen, a city associate traffic engineer, said pedicabs have reached a saturation point.

“There are some problems with sheer numbers. You do reach a threshold where it ceases to be a street ambience, where it starts to become a little bit of a nuisance,” Jacobsen said.

“We want to strike that balance. We think by putting a little bit more restriction on this and by bringing the numbers down a little bit, it will really benefit the businesses.”

Police estimate there are more than 400 pedicabs in the city. Some already post their fares. Drivers typically lease their vehicles from companies. How much they make depends on their ability to lure passengers.

At peak times, such as the summer or during major conventions, the ranks of pedicab drivers swell. Many come in from out of town and some arrive from out of the country.

“It gets really bad when everybody comes in from Russia, Poland, Turkey and Brazil,” said Holmes Walton, a local who has been driving a pedicab on and off for three years. “The market just gets flooded.”

Joao Ferreira of Brazil, who has been driving a pedicab for about three months, agrees that there are sometimes too many pedicabs, creating an environment that is “bad for business, bad for sidewalks and bad for traffic.”

Jacobsen said the city hasn't decided on a method to distribute the decals.

“We are trying to do this in an equitable manner so nobody corners the market,” he said.

The proposed ordinance is being floated around different communities for input and is expected to go before the City Council in the fall.

Jimmy Parker, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, which represents more than 400 businesses, welcomes better regulation.

Parker has heard anecdotal complaints about unfair charges for rides, so he is pleased with the proposed requirement to post fares. Most of the complaints he has heard are about pedicabs being on sidewalks, driving recklessly and taking up parking spots.

While the proposed regulations have drawn favorable reactions downtown, the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board has expressed skepticism.

Board member Joe LaCava is concerned that pedicabs would disperse from downtown to places like La Jolla, where they may not be wanted.

“If you've got a problem downtown, fix the problem downtown,” LaCava said. “Don't do anything that might push the problem elsewhere.”

Jacobsen said the reason why zones are being considered outside of downtown is to address the potential problem of pedicabs migrating outward.

Downtown motor Officer Scott Thompson believes once the stricter rules are in place, fly-by-night operations – and some of the problems – would disappear. Thompson stressed that pedicabs provide a valuable service for tourists and he wants to see them stay.

“We are just trying to make the industry more viable rather than tear the industry down,” he said.

[Thanks to my big brother for the heads up on this news.]

India Rickshaw Modernization

Unlike many transport initiatives that aim only at improving the environment, ITDP's Indian Cycle Rickshaw Modernization project also cleaned the air and increased employment and income among the poor.

In collaboration with local experts, ITDP developed a series of design innovations that made India’s traditional cycle rickshaw lighter, more comfortable, and easier to handle. ITDP’s modern rickshaw design reduced the weight of the vehicles by more than 30% and a multi-gear system made pedaling much easier.

Surveys among rickshaw operators showed that incomes increased by 20% to 50% because operators were able to work longer, attract new passengers, and because customer satisfaction rose in response to the improved comfort and safety. The project also demonstrated that the modernized cycle rickshaw could attract 19% of its riders from highly polluting, motorized rickshaws, making its impact on greenhouse gas emission reductions quantifiable.

Today, over 300,000 modernized cycle rickshaws are operating in nine of India’s major cities, including Delhi, Agra, Bharatpur, Brindavan, Mathura, Jaipur and Chandigarh. Watch the short video below highlighting the project’s impact:

Based on ITDP’s success in India, we’ve also worked with our partners in Yogyakarta to similarly revitalize the becak as a mode of transportation through improvements to its weight, maneuverability, and passenger and operator comfort. (The becak is a non-motorized, three-wheeled rickshaw, distinct from the Indian rickshaw because passengers sit in front of the driver.) The Yogyakarta Tourism Department directly ordered 50 of the modernized becaks to serve as special tourist vehicles.

During 2005, the modernized becak model was further refined and updated to address the suggestions of the drivers and passengers who used the 2004 model, the Bisma. ITDP provided modernized becaks to transport participants at the Better Air Quality conference held by the Clean Air Initiative for Asia in Yogyakarta in December, 2006. Efforts are currently focused on marketing the current model to reach a wider audience.

Slick pedicab for the humble rickshaw

A slick, pedicab avatar for the humble rickshaw

Annu Anand

New Delhi, July 8, 2002

For 35-year-old Lalu Singh — a migrant from Bihar— pulling a cycle rickshaw these days is not a drudgery. On the other hand, he is very happy riding his rickshaw in the small lanes and residential colonies of East Delhi. The reason for this change is the new-style rickshaw that he has acquired. He feels it is very light compared to his old rickshaw and he does not have to apply much force to pull it. Passengers do not hesitate to sit in it because it always protects them from heat and rain, unlike the old-design rickshaw.

Lalu says the new rickshaw has changed his life. From somebody who used to hire a rickshaw daily, he has become the proud owner of a new rickshaw. He has recently bought it for Rs 4,000 and is paying the money in instalments. When the going is good he is able to earn as much as Rs 3,000.

Lalu is not alone in this silent change taking place in parts of Delhi and a few other Indian cities. The number of these new-age rickshaw pullers is increasing everyday as the technology of the new-design rickshaw is spreading fast.

Rupesh Kumar is another youngster pulling a rickshaw in the East Delhi residential area of Mayur Vihar. He has been driving this new mode of transportation for close to six months now. In fact, it is difficult to find an old-design rickshaw these days in this locality. Rupesh did not have money to buy a rickshaw so he takes one on hire everyday.

He has to pay Rs 25 to the owner of the rickshaw as hiring charges. He earns daily around Rs 100. The business has been brisk in the past few weeks, in view of the CNG crisis on Delhi roads.

While cycle rickshaws are not a novelty on Delhi roads, but what attracted people’s attention was this new-design cycle rickshaw – more comfortable and stylish. A number of these new rickshaws have been plying on the streets of Delhi for almost two years now. And their number is growing.

It is not just the new design. Almost, a silent revolution is taking place. For the ubiquitous rickshaw and the fate of the rickshaw puller has not changed in the past half a century. Now, thanks to a project conceived by the New York-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Asian Institute of Transport Development, the rickshaw has got a new lease of life. The project was initially funded by the US Agency for International Development. The implementation is being done by a Delhi-based NGO called Trichakra.

The traditional rickshaw is an inefficient piece of machinery. It puts a lot of stress on the rickshaw puller and saps away his energy in vain. The geometry of the structure is not suited to the Indian build. Keeping these shortcomings in mind, the design team led by Mr G. Shyam, an industrial designer at the Indian Institute of Technology,

New Delhi, made an attempt to improve the cycle rickshaw, with the objective to reduce the strain on the rickshaw puller through a multiple gearing system. The carriage has also been made lightweight.

But its light body is also posing problems for some rickshaw pullers. Moti Lal - a rickshaw puller in Patparganj - feels that the old rickshaw was better as it could carry more weight and odd-shaped objects. “Moreover, we cannot carry coolers, fridge or any other heavy things.

This design is comfortable only for passengers. Actually, we are in a loss”, he says.

With basic improvements in design, the project came up with several designs - Rani ki Palki, Udan Khatola, Raja ki Baggi, Vigyan ka Samadhan and 2001. Based on field experience and further research, two basic models have been commercialised - the Agra model and the Delhi model.

The former was first introduced in Agra where it has been a great success with tourists visiting the Taj Mahal. Today, about 800 of them are running in Agra, while another 400 are on the roads in the holy towns of Mathura and Vrindavan. Some 30 of the new rickshaws have been introduced in Bharatpur, where rickshaws are the only mode of transportation to take a tour of the famous bird sanctuary. In Delhi alone about 2,000 of these new rickshaws have been introduced. The process initially was slow because manufacturers have to be convinced first and then rickshaw pullers have to be educated. “Some of them did not want the gear system as they are not comfortable with it. So, we have supplied rickshaws without gears as well. We are also working with government agencies to help the rickshaw pullers to become owners of their vehicles”, says Mr Nalin Sinha, Project Manager of the cycle rickshaw project at Trichakra. The cost of the new rickshaw has come down to Rs 4,000, from the initial Rs 5,000. It will go down further as volumes pick up. Even at the present level,it compares well with the traditional rickshaw, which ranges between Rs 3,300 and Rs 3,800.

Mr Sinha says the new rickshaws are being introduced in Jaipur, Varanasi, Patna, Lucknow and Ranchi. More and more local manufacturers are showing interest. To avoid problems in transportation, a ready-to-assemble model is also being developed which can be easily transported. A school “bus” is also on the anvil. It will be capable of carrying at least 10 children comfortably.

The ITDP says the project has demonstrated that the superior vehicle could attract 19 per cent of its clients from highly polluting two-stroke engine vehicles.

Surveys with the new operators have demonstrated that the income of the cycle rickshaw pullers has increased by 20 per cent to 50 per cent because they are able to attract new passengers.

Unlike many transport sector interventions aimed only at improving the environment, this project did not pollute and also increased employment and income among the poor, while keeping the cost of the vehicle roughly constant. Close cooperation with the Indian bicycle industry, the tourism industry, and marketing and public relations experts were critical to the project’s success.

While the Indian project has now moved to commercialisation stage with the help of the private sector, designer G. Shyam is helping improve the rickshaw in Indonesia. The project at Jogjakarta, Indonesia, will try to replicate its success in partnership with Gadjah Mada University. The Indonesian designs, in order to respect cultural norms, will have to continue to seat passengers in the front. In many parts of Indonesia the cycle rickshaw, or becak, is tightly restricted by local government decrees and police harassment. In Jogjakarta the cultural traditions and tourism trade have led to a much more supportive environment for becak modernisation.

Rickshaw Run

From the Rickshaw Run web site...

The mighty Winter Rickshaw Run 09 is waiting with baited breath to find out who will be stupid enough to take part. With a shiny new finish point up in the Far far east it will be completely ridiculous.

What's this all about then?
The Rickshaw Run is pretty simple. With no preparation and less luggage one flies to the Indian Subcontinent and does one's damndest to force 150cc of Indian engineering over thousands of miles of questionable terrain in around two weeks.

Upon arrival we pause briefly for a game of cricket followed by tea and cakes before revving our engines and setting off. We stop only to wet our whistles on the occasional gin and tonic at specially selected refreshment points.

When does it take place?
The Rickshaw Run happens but twice a year. Once in the Summer and once in the Winter just after Christmas. The Summer event launches on the 1st June 2008. The Winter event will launch on 1st January 2009.

The Route
The route of the mighty Rickshaw Run changes every time to make sure it remains a challenge. Once we get the odd team surviving one route we'll move it to somewhere harder. Huge mountains, dirt tracks, tropical jungle, monsoons are just some of the things we seek out to make sure you get some real adventure.

We vaguely plan the routes to take two weeks but don't blame us if it takes you two years and half a limb. We don't have specific route plans because it's an adventure. You want to get stuck in with the maps and figure out where you want to go, not let us take you on a guided tour.

Have a gander at the route page for details of this Run's route.

The Machines
Three wheels, half a horse power and more fun than any other vehicle on planet earth the humble Rickshaw is undoubtedly the ultimate long distance, off road machine, despite being designed for short distances on road. Marvel at our rickshaw page for more details.

The Charity
The Rickshaw Run is all about raising huge amounts of wedge for a great cause or two, so each team has to raise a measly £1000 for charity. Have a peak at the charity page for more details.

The Backup!?
Support? Of course we don't provide any support. The Rickshaw Run is supposed to be an adventure. What sort of adventure would you have if we were following you in a truck with spare parts and a comfy bed. No, no we must get out there into the world and get stuck in. When you're stuck, lost, and up a certain creek without a rowing implement is when you start to have fun - and the last thing we want to do is stop you having fun! If you want a full support crew there's a very nice place called Butlins based in Bognor Regis.

The Finish Line
Once the finish is reached by all, a winner will be decided by arbitrary means and much pomp and hand shaking will commence. After this wondrous occasion, the closing game of cricket will be played followed by tea and cakes. We then all wend our merry ways back from whence we have come.

Granted, they aren't what we would call rickshaws; more like tuk-tuks. Are you brave, crazy or adventurous enough to do it? Visit the web site and find out more about it.

Look Ma! No pedals!

Along for the ride
Edinburg man makes his rickshaw a business venture

February 1, 2008

By James Osborne

Late at night, outside your neighborhood bar or eatery, Frank Moses is waiting to give you a ride.

“All over Sierra Leone, people ride in rickshaws,” said the 52-year-old Sierra Leone native.

“Here it’s mostly for fun. Maybe a couple wants a ride around the block. I entertain them, tell them about Africa.”

Better known as “The Frank Man,” Moses is trying to initiate car-loving Valleyites to the joys of the rickshaw, a traditional man-pulled taxi popular across Asia and Africa.

So far business has been sporadic — earlier this week Moses said he’d just come back from a night outside the McAllen Convention Center where he earned about $30 — but it’s done nothing to diminish Moses’s enthusiasm.

A non-stop, philosophizing, entrepreneurial mass of energy, Moses left Sierra Leone in 1980 for Canada. He studied at the University of Winnipeg, where he met his wife, Kathy, and out walking one day saw another man running a rickshaw.

Inspired, Moses borrowed a neighbor’s welding equipment, collected the necessary scrap metal and before long was running his own rickshaw — or rick-e-shaw, as he calls it.

“I even did it in the snow,” he said.

“I designed a gliding rickshaw with runners so I could make more money in the winter.”

Moses moved to Edinburg with his wife and three children in 1998 and now studies at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Whether he’s rummaging through boxes that appear not to have been opened in a decade, looking for a traditional African musical instrument, or dusting off his dancing shoes, Moses is the sort of person who sees a potential business opportunity wherever he turns. Recently he rented a vacant space in Falfurrias with the intentions of putting on a musical and comedy one-man show.

The rickshaw business is but one of Moses’s countless passions, which extend from soccer to drama to preaching against violence.

Moses left Sierra Leone before civil war broke in 1991, a bloody, 11-year conflict that left tens of thousands dead. But he says a number of his relatives were killed, including an aunt who he was told was massacred by soldiers.

“Had I been in Sierra Leone I probably would have died five times already,” Moses said.

James Osborne covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at
(956) 683-4428.

If you’re in the mood for a ride: Call “The Frank Man” at (956) 342-2491

Raleigh Rickshaw crew

Check out this great photo of the Raleigh Rickshaw crew!

Thanks for sending the photo, Donald. We're looking forward to seeing you in Raleigh at the 4-day Pedicab Training at the end of March.

Sheldon Brown has ridden into the sunset

There has been a loss of one of the greatest known wrenches. We all lost Sheldon Brown recently after he suffered a massive heart attack.


Sheldon Brown's website is know as one of the best, and in my opinion is THE BEST, single cycling web resource. Years ago, in the early days of my wrenching when I needed information I would always go to Sheldon's website and almost always find what I needed. His website was one of my first web surfing experiences.

His humor is something that always makes me giggle like a little kid when I read it. I spent hours and hours at his website reading everything I could and still go there when I need more. His writing was always in a style that made it easily understood and approachable for anyone who want to give it a go.

I want to thank Sheldon for all his help for me and the shop I worked in.

May Sheldon always be riding his bike where ever he is with every gear shift smooth, brakes working perfectly and every bearing running smooth as silk. I know every bike he will touch will match what he expects in his own. I for one will miss him as will the entire cycling community. RIP Sheldon Brown

Taxi company wants to be the greenest

We celebrate Metro Taxi for going green!

We met Katie from Metro Taxi the other night and she was nice enough to send me this article. Fortunately in Denver, taxis and pedicabs get along well and we promote and refer each other. We understand the different markets we each serve. In fact, when someone calls directory assistance for a taxi, our number comes up; so we get lots of calls for taxi rides that we can't fulfill. After explaining that we're the bike taxis, we give them the phone number for one or two taxi companies in town.

One evening we were at a local business networking event talking with a rep from Yellow Cab when Greg's cell phone rang. The woman on the other end was looking for a taxi to take her to the airport. Greg politely asked her to hold on for a moment, then turned to the rep and said, "I think you'll want to take this one," as he handed him his phone.

Metro Taxi is Proving Eco-Friendly Investments Pay for Themselves
Contributed by: Katie Facchinello

On Feb. 14, Metro Taxi, Denver's largest taxi service, announced the addition of 10 hybrid taxis to its fleet, bringing the total number of hybrids on the road to 20. Metro Taxi launched Denver's First hybrid taxi in May 2007 and since then has quietly added hybrid taxis, implemented other environmentally friendly practices and nowproclaims to be the greenest taxi company in the country.

Chris Cotter, the Director of Sustainable Initiatives for Metro Taxi explains "no other taxi company in America has made as large of a capital investment in eco-friendly services or implemented such a holistic approach to reducing their overall carbon footprint. We are footing the bill 100% for our eco-friendly investments and happy to report that it's an investment that has benefited our bottom line".

Metro Taxi is eliminating the Culture of Waste at it corporate facility in Denver, Colorado and implementing environmental projects that will pay for themselves in the long-term. Hoping to be a shining example of a small business making environmental investments for a sound economic future.

"Green is hot right now. There's no question consumers are increasingly using environmental factors in making seemingly everyday decisions," said Denver Greening Director Parry Burnap. " Companies like Metro who step out ahead of their pack now, will stand out in the crowd when the Democratic convention comes to town. While they will be showing off their own company, they will be contributing to our efforts to convey Denver's collective aspirations and hard work to be a truly sustainable city.We applaud Metro's practical commitment to sustainability throughout their operations from the maintenance floor to the vehicles they buy. We hope they are setting a standard that others will follow."

Metro Taxi has invested in a waste oil furnace which burns used oil from preventative maintenance on its taxis to heat its vehicle maintenance facility. Prior to the installation of the waste oil furnace, Metro Taxi paid approximately $2,600 monthly to heat the building and now pays nothing!

Metro Taxi has replaced all of the windows at its 29,000 sq. ft. facility with double paned, low energy windowsin an effort to reduce the amount of energy used for heating and cooling by Metro Taxi's corporate offices.In November '06 Metro Taxi paid $1,200 to heat the 3-story building, as opposed to just $100 in November '07.In December '06, Metro Taxi paid in excess of $2,000 in heating costs as opposed to $764 in December '07.

Metro Taxi is also set to retrofit all of the lighting fixtures with energy efficient lighting, which will reduce the energy needs of the corporate facility by 50-60%.

-This project will result in 14.3 kW removed from the energy grid and 53,539 kWhr saved per year, preventing 367.81 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Emissions.

-The affect of this project is the same as saving 306 Acres of Pine or Fir Forest or 9,563 seedlings grown for 10 years or saving 41,931 Gallons of Gasoline.

Metro Taxi's goal is to replace the entire fleet with hybrid taxis and continue projects like these along the way to "green" the company on and off the road. The hope is that the people of Denver will continue to use Metro Taxi (303) 333-3333 and support the environmental effort the company is making in the Denver Metro Area.

Cycle Rickshaws in Inda

An exciting Cycle Rickshaw Ride ...

You can see them standing in colorful rows outside the Railway station. Most of the cities and towns in India are highly polluted. The main reason is the air and noise pollution caused by transport vehicles, specially petrol and diesel-powered two and three-wheelers. Among all big and small vehicles Pedicab Rickshaw is a famous vehicle in India. This vehicle looks like a blend between a rickshaw and a bicycle. The driver pedals a pedicab instead of pulling the vehicle. It has three wheels with one wheel in front under the driver and two wheels supporting the passengers. We see that Pedicabs have different names depending on where they're situated.

There are presently close to 18 million petrol-powered two wheelers and about 1.5 million petrol and diesel-powered three-wheelers in India. It is estimated that close to 2 million cycle rickshaws ply on the Indian roads carrying about 6-8 billion passenger-kms/year. They provide employment to more than 2 million rickshaw pullers.

Some Solar Something on Valencia

Greener Than Thou: Some Solar Something on Valencia
Monday, February 11, 2008, by Sarah Hromack

Just when I thought those Missionites couldn't get any more out of hand with the D.I.Y. bikes made of copper pipe and melted Vans, I spotted this puppy outside of Community Thrift on Valencia on Saturday. The hipster aboard knew he'd fallen between the crosshairs, and sat there like a deer in headlights as I snapped away from across the street. It looks like a rickshaw had an orgy with a fleet of construction equipment and the PG & E solar installation team. Somebody? Anybody?

What is this? Do you know?

Wouldn't it be nice...

This is a great blog post at "Adastra per Aspera", with lots of photos, about changing from driving to walking (and pedicabs) in our towns and cities.

Walk about the future of Paso Robles, California

I went on a walk through downtown Paso Robles today. It was led by a fellow whose job is to point out to the people in towns and villages across the country that we are entering a new era and they must look at the infrastructure development in a new way. He’s earned his stripes as he has done that walk 2,448 times so far.

The villages hire him to show what they’ve done right and wrong over the years and how to plan for future development. We walked about 20 blocks around the center of town. He noted that the towns must now think about how to handle more WALKING PEOPLE.

In the past, the villages had lots of land and money so when they did something wrong in design/development it did not matter much. They could err without disaster.

The change that needs to come, he says, is for villages to be much more aware about how people can walk around or ride their bikes to visit downtown to shop or entertain themselves rather than always driving to accomplish those tasks. In fact, many businesses now have drive-through capabilities. This makes it difficult for people on foot to do business.

I think he is talking about the future price of gasoline, but he did not say that. “Profound changes” he said about American villages of the future.

For example, we need to think about how to do a better job with parking cars in the downtown area. The safest way is to back into a diagonal spot. The most accommodating type of parking is at a 90 degree angle that leaves space for more cars to park and which is also safer than diagonal excluding the backing in method.

He pointed at a 30 mph sign in the middle of our town and said, “The safest speed is at 20 mpg for pedestrians and drivers. A pedestrian had a 90% chance of surviving being hit at 20 mph but only a50% chance at 30 mph.” I never even thought of that before. I believe there will be a lot of things that come up in the next 20 years that we never thought much about before.

Like the idea that pedestrians, not automobiles, need to be at the forefront of future planning.

Wouldn't it be nice if municipalities thought more about pedestrians, bicycles and pedicabs than they do about cars? Sometimes I think that if urban planners had it their way, everyone would travel only in cars, never by foot or pedal. And even when they plan these new "urban communities," around "alternative transportation" (really meaning mass transit), they don't plan for the trip from the bus stop or subway station to home or office. They just build more parking structures.

But things are changing... aren't they? At least that's what I hear. But some cities still use the same excuses to keep pedicabs out:

• They're dangerous, a hazard (No, the cars, trucks and buses are dangerous.)
• They'll interfere with or block traffic (When was the last time you saw a traffic jam exclusively caused by a pedicab?)
• There's no place for them on the streets or sidewalks (There might be if cities actually planned for them!)
• We have too many people on foot in that area (Pedicabs help move pedestrians out of and around crowded area.)
  

Wouldn't it be nice... if cities, planners and developers actually came to a pedicab company and said, "We're planning this new community where people won't need to drive their cars so much, and we think pedicabs would be a great transportation option there. Your input would be valuable, so we'd like you to join us in the planning."

Is that time coming? Are things really changing?

Pedal Pusher: Amesbury teen runs Newburyport Pedicab for charity

I meant to post this a long time ago. Blake Harris and Kevin Murphy consulted with us at length by phone and email before they got their operation up and running in Newburyport, MA. We were happy to see this great article online.

Pedal Pusher: Amesbury teen runs Newburyport Pedicab for charity - Amesbury, MA - Amesbury News

Harris is at the desk, fielding calls and talking via radio to the company’s drivers out in the field — he is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the fledgling business. Blake Harris is a 17-year-old prep school student. Read more...

Just goes to show you that age and maturity have little, if anything, to do with one another.

Worth1000: Rickshaws

At Worth1000.com, visitors are allowed to photoshop an image anyway they like, as creatively as they like. The original photo was of 2 velotaxis. Below is one of 38 entries. Check out the rest and choose your favorite!

Pedicab Celeb (?) at 2007 Bike to Work Day

Posted back in June on the Denver Westword blog: the latest 'word.

Hey! We know Kayla! Didn't know she was a celebrity. Funny the stuff you find when you're not looking. Guess this means pedicabs are now part of the Denver landscape.

Another Successful Student Adds Tours

Check out the blog post (at Bike Portland) about one of our students operating in Portland, OR.

Pedicab company now offers city tours

Pedicab entrepreneur Jonathan Magnus has expanded his offerings. In addition to regular service downtown, his company, PDX Pedicab, now offers special tours.

Here’s the menu:

Portland City Tour (1 hour $55)
Tour Portland as Portland should be seen, from the seat of a pedal powered pedicab.

Portland Pub Pedal (Includes drink specials $195)
Visit some of the countrys best brewerys and hippest bars, on a Portland Pub Pedal 2 1/2 hour Tour to three of Portland’s finest.

Gallery Tour (2 hours $95)
Art is the only way to run away without leaving home, view Portland’s best galleries on a two hour tour.

Sounds like the perfect plan for Valentine’s Day….

Be sure to read the post about their start-up operation from June 2007: New pedicab business hopes to offer taxi alternative.

Way to go Jonathan!

Bicycles change lives

The tagline for World Bicycle Relief is "The Power of Bicycles" which is truly illustrated in this article posted at MSNBC about their work delivering bicycles to needy people in Zambia. In developed nations, we take so much for granted - like the bicycles most of us ride for fun or exercise.

World Bicycle Relief, the vision of F.K. Day of Chicago, is a stunningly simple idea.

It delivers tens of thousands of bicycles to the poorest people in the world. Why? Because simple transportation improves people’s lives more than you can imagine.

All of a sudden, a child can get to school, a parent can find work, and a rural medical worker can reach eight families with AIDS. Farmers can transport extra corn. A father can walk one hour a day instead of seven. Emergencies can be dealt with. Neighbors can get a message. Income increases. Nutrition improves. All because people have wheels, and they can move. Think what your life would be without your car, and you get the idea.

Read the complete article at MSNBC's Worldblog.

Find out more about World Bicycle Relief at their web site. While you're there, check out the page on the impact of bicycles. Did you know that over equal units of time, one can ride a bicycle 4 times the distance as one walking? Cool, huh?

Happy Independence Day from Cayman

I wanted to pass on these well wishes from our pedicab brother Brian in Cayman.

Hi to my fellow Pedicabbers.
Hope you all have a safe Holiday and hope you are all riding your butts off on a pedicab.
I just had two more bikes shipped to Cayman.
I had no one to ride for a while, so I brought in workers from the Philippines.
My web site will be fully up shortly and will have links to you all.
Take care and god bless the Pedicab world.

Brian

Brian A Barnes & Co. Ltd.
Wheels PediCab Service
Cayman Cayman Islands

Pedicabs a California polution solution

While New York City is limiting pedicab services, Fresno, California, is embracing them as part of a solution to air polution. Go figure. (Great job, Joe et al!)

Pedicab partnership aims to help clear air

Summer is undoubtedly the worst season for air quality in the Valley.

But the bright yellow pedicabs found at Fresno's most popular spots are doing something about it.

Shuttlebugz pedicabs, which are already carting people around River Park, the Tower District, Fulton Mall and at special events, have expanded to provide regular weekday service in downtown Fresno.

The new service will include food deliveries and rides in the area from Divisadero to Ventura streets and from R to G streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The service, a pilot program running until Nov. 5, results from a partnership with the Shuttlebugz company, the city of Fresno's Department of Transportation and Fresno Area Express.

Through the partnership, the pedicab drivers will get a small stipend for working during the lunchtime hours, said Shuttlebugz owner Joseph Burke. The rest of the time, the drivers work only for tips.

The city of Fresno was interested in the program because "it provides a point A to point B service, and it's a method of green transportation with no kind of fuel or energy necessary," Burke said.

The three-wheeled pedicabs may not use gas or electricity, but they certainly require energy -- hauling around 600 pounds-worth of passengers and a 185-pound bike taxi reinvents the definition of "manpower."

Each driver logs 30 to 40 miles per day in the downtown area, taking people to and from workplaces and nearby eateries.

Former loan officer Robert Kurtz, 32, said he logged more than 60,000 miles on his regular bike in a year and thought he was in good shape for the job.

"But those first three shifts break your body down," he said. "I guess after two weeks you get used to it."

On workdays Kurtz drinks 22 glasses of water a day, stretches whenever he is stopped, and sleeps as much as possible, he said.

Three drivers work Fresno's downtown area every day. They do not follow a set route but roam areas where they are more likely to find more pedestrians, such as the courthouse, The Galleria and Fulton Mall, Kurtz said.

Drivers usually pick up random pedestrians but can be called at (559) 433-7373 to schedule a door-to-door ride.

It takes five minutes or less to respond to a call, Kurtz said. "We've never had someone call and then call back wondering where their ride is," he said.

Time-crunched downtown employees also can order and pay for their food by phone and then call a Shuttlebugz driver to have the food delivered to their workplace.

Pedicab operators mostly rely on tips for their services.

"The average tip is a couple of bucks a block," Kurtz said. "We give some free rides to people who really need to get somewhere fast but can't afford it. Good deeds like that come back to us anyway."

But big tippers are much appreciated, Kurtz said.

"If they tip well we can take them for a nice ride all the way to the top of the parking garages," Kurtz said.

Shuttlebugz will continue to serve the Tower District on Friday and Saturday nights, River Park on Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., special events at the Fresno Convention Center, Fresno State football games and Grizzlies games one hour before they start and about half an hour after they end, Kurtz said.

Pedicabs in the Denver Business Journal

Pedicab business is on an up cycle
Denver Business Journal June 29, 2007

The content of this article has been removed at the request of American City Business Journals, Inc. and bizjournals.com. To read it, you can follow the link above.