pedicabs / rickshaws: what could be done to encourage more of these in our city?? for Questionland Seattle

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pedicabs / rickshaws: what could be done to encourage more of these in our city??

Is there some legal / fee / zoning deterrant, (or are the hills just too much for 'taxi - bikers' to handle?)

I like them, and would love to see the city proactively get more on the streets. Gas guzzling "police interceptor'" cabs are such a damn waste...

Rev.Enant asked in Other Transportation about 1 year ago | Report

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It's probably a question of liability for pedicab company owners. A guy driving/biking for a new pedicab company wiped out on Cedar St in 2008, and one of the passengers was killed. Apparently, the cause was a mechanical problem in the pedicab itself. And a steep hill. There are some interesting comments on this thread: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/145457.asp.

rickibot answered in Other Transportation about 1 year ago | Report

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Totally forgot about that tragedy. So, yeah, that's a very good reason for not having pedi-cabs. Also, cars downtown seem to fly in Seattle. Sometimes 4th Ave, for instance, is like the Daytona 500 through town, and I've seen near freeway speeds on 2nd, 6th and 7th just a couple of blocks north of downtown. Not an optimal setting for slow-moving, non-automotive traffic wishing to survive.

Bauhaus commented about 1 year ago | Report

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Biking uphill on a 2-wheel bike is a lot easier than biking uphill on a pedicab.

There are a fair amount of pedicabs along the waterfront during warmer months. It's flat and full of tourists who will happily pay for the experience. (And also has decent sidewalk space.)

Back and forth on broadway. Limited parts of downtown. Where else do you think they could be used well in the city?

stinkbug commented about 1 year ago | Report

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Bauhaus: FYI - 2nd and 4th are fast because the DOT has timed the lights that way. You can start on 2nd in Belltown and land in Pioneer Sq without a single red light if there's no traffic and you go about 30-35 mph. Likewise, 4th is timed the same way for northbound traffic.

Banning horse buggies and pedicabs from those roads would be wise.

Rev.Enant commented about 1 year ago | Report

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Stinkbug: of course, pedicabs take a different class of biker, just as bike messengers are a whole other breed. ;)

I'd imagine any urban village where short cab trips are the usual thing (read: any of the seattle urban villages with pubs), the pedicabs could step in and replace the gas-burning cabs. U dist, belltown, uptown, admiral/california avenue, ballard, fremont,... hell, even lake city could use it.
(I think downtown's actually the most challenging... I think many fellow bikers would agree.)

Rev.Enant commented about 1 year ago | Report

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- Regrade the hills
- Get more struggling immigrants (for some reason the Central Park pedicabs in NYC are predominantly Turkish - I've often wondered why since turks aren't exactly famous bikers)
- It wouldn't catch on anyway, in my opinion

Bion Satir answered in Other Transportation about 1 year ago | Report

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If someone wishes to earn a living by rickshaw-ing, please don't let me be the one to prevent him or her from doing so, but I have to say that I'd be real uncomfortable letting someone manually haul my fat ass around - even in 3rd World countries where it is quite commonplace and even if it helps them earn a living. I guess I would feel too - I dunno - colonial letting someone transport me that way.

Regardless of what I feel about the matter, that may be why you don't see much of it in Seattle. There may be other people who look at it the way I do, and therefore the market for such a service is too small.

And by the way, a lot of city taxis - including the ones in my beloved Vancouver - are Priuses now - very quiet and very fuel efficient. The ones in Vancouver aren't terribly expensive, either, although in some cities you are quite right. They'll eat you alive.

Bauhaus answered in Other Transportation about 1 year ago | Report

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