Trixi.com
18-02-2005, 20:01
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Pedicabs starting to gain toehold in New York city traffic
John O'Connor Yomiuri Shimbun New York Bureau
On a recent afternoon in Manhattan, which was gripped by an arctic freeze, Paula Murgia piloted her 3,800 dollars three-wheeled pedicab through the crush of midtown traffic, twisting fearlessly between taxis, delivery trucks and police cars, past the bewildered stares of pedestrians and street vendors.
With fellow pedicab driver Jonathan Beatrice riding alongside, Murgia responded good-naturedly to honks from an impatient motorist as the two headed toward Times Square, where they planned to spend the evening angling for customers--mainly tourists bound for restaurants and Broadway shows. By the end of the night, after hours of chauffeuring passengers through the icy darkness, they hoped to pocket at least 100 dollars apiece.
The pedicab--a rickshawlike oversized tricycle--is a relatively recent addition to New York city streets. It first appeared in the city about 10 years ago, according to Peter Meitzler, owner and operator of Manhattan Rickshaw, one of the city's original pedicab companies.
"When we first started out people thought we were crazy," said Meitzler, 44. "I think many thought we would fail."
But in the past couple of years the number of pedicabs has nearly doubled. Meitzler, who owns 13 pedicabs and employs about 25 drivers, estimates that there are now seven or eight companies in the city and 200-250 pedicabs. They are most popular in the tourist niches of midtown, such as Rockefeller Plaza and the southern rim of Central Park, where drivers often work alongside taxis and horse-drawn carriages. The surge in pedicabs has been so dramatic, in fact, that the city's Department of Consumer Affairs has met with owners to discuss possible regulation.
That would be a welcome development for many owners in the business, who hope to see pedicabs become a legitimate, pollution-free transportation alternative, not just for tourists, but for dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers as well.
Pedicabs in the United States originated in San Francisco in the early 1990s as part of an environmental movement to reduce automobile pollution and free up public space for bicycles and pedestrians. Imitators spread across the country from Phoenix, Ariz., to Lincoln, Neb., to New Orleans, to New York.
"I think with all the pollution, and the way we're eating away at our atmosphere, how can pedicabs not be an important part of our future?" said Matthew Sanda, 27, coowner of Mr. Rickshaw, one of the newer pedicab companies in New York.
The business can be profitable, though it may be too early to tell just how much. Manhattan Rickshaws, founded in 1995, made only a modest sum this year. "If the market supports it, then we'll know that we've done something right," Meitzler said.
New York pedicab drivers tend to be young men, though a few are women. Most are students, actors and artists or people just looking for a little extra work and exercise. They range in age from 16 to 62.
Some, like Murgia, drive pedicabs to fill in the gaps between day jobs. She has been pedaling them on and off for about three years, usually during slow periods in her marketing job. "Pedicabbing is like an antidote to the stress of New York, to the corporate lifestyle here," she said. "It's totally different. Its like an addiction for a certain type of person."
Being a pedicab passenger is a far cry from riding in a traditional taxi. As Sanda put it, "It's more for people who are looking for alternative forms of transportation."
Passengers are more or less out in the open, though to combat the elements each fiberglass cab is equipped with a fold-over windshield and blanket (but no heater).
Then there are the fares and travel time. Prices vary, but rides usually cost about 1 dollars per city block. A recent trip from Greenwich Village to 42nd Street took about 25 minutes, at a cost of 20 dollars--or about twice the money and time for a taxi ride covering the same distance. Some pedicabbers insist they can travel cross-town faster than cars during rush hour, since they are able to negotiate the narrow margins between traffic and sidewalks.
But for those interested in slowing down and seeing a different side to Manhattan, or simply avoiding the mash of bodies on subways and buses, pedicabs offer a feasible and pleasant means of transport. And there is usually some pretty good conversation too.
"About 80-90 percent of the job is interacting with your ride," Murgia explained. "There's no partition like in a taxicab."
It may take New Yorkers a while to get used to the idea of pedicabs, however, if for no other reason than their own skepticism. As Meitzler said recently, "I've had passengers who are so shy about it that they've said, 'I want to go to this restaurant, but please don't leave me at the front
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/gif4/int_hd.gif (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050219woc4.htm)
Pedicabs starting to gain toehold in New York city traffic
John O'Connor Yomiuri Shimbun New York Bureau
On a recent afternoon in Manhattan, which was gripped by an arctic freeze, Paula Murgia piloted her 3,800 dollars three-wheeled pedicab through the crush of midtown traffic, twisting fearlessly between taxis, delivery trucks and police cars, past the bewildered stares of pedestrians and street vendors.
With fellow pedicab driver Jonathan Beatrice riding alongside, Murgia responded good-naturedly to honks from an impatient motorist as the two headed toward Times Square, where they planned to spend the evening angling for customers--mainly tourists bound for restaurants and Broadway shows. By the end of the night, after hours of chauffeuring passengers through the icy darkness, they hoped to pocket at least 100 dollars apiece.
The pedicab--a rickshawlike oversized tricycle--is a relatively recent addition to New York city streets. It first appeared in the city about 10 years ago, according to Peter Meitzler, owner and operator of Manhattan Rickshaw, one of the city's original pedicab companies.
"When we first started out people thought we were crazy," said Meitzler, 44. "I think many thought we would fail."
But in the past couple of years the number of pedicabs has nearly doubled. Meitzler, who owns 13 pedicabs and employs about 25 drivers, estimates that there are now seven or eight companies in the city and 200-250 pedicabs. They are most popular in the tourist niches of midtown, such as Rockefeller Plaza and the southern rim of Central Park, where drivers often work alongside taxis and horse-drawn carriages. The surge in pedicabs has been so dramatic, in fact, that the city's Department of Consumer Affairs has met with owners to discuss possible regulation.
That would be a welcome development for many owners in the business, who hope to see pedicabs become a legitimate, pollution-free transportation alternative, not just for tourists, but for dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers as well.
Pedicabs in the United States originated in San Francisco in the early 1990s as part of an environmental movement to reduce automobile pollution and free up public space for bicycles and pedestrians. Imitators spread across the country from Phoenix, Ariz., to Lincoln, Neb., to New Orleans, to New York.
"I think with all the pollution, and the way we're eating away at our atmosphere, how can pedicabs not be an important part of our future?" said Matthew Sanda, 27, coowner of Mr. Rickshaw, one of the newer pedicab companies in New York.
The business can be profitable, though it may be too early to tell just how much. Manhattan Rickshaws, founded in 1995, made only a modest sum this year. "If the market supports it, then we'll know that we've done something right," Meitzler said.
New York pedicab drivers tend to be young men, though a few are women. Most are students, actors and artists or people just looking for a little extra work and exercise. They range in age from 16 to 62.
Some, like Murgia, drive pedicabs to fill in the gaps between day jobs. She has been pedaling them on and off for about three years, usually during slow periods in her marketing job. "Pedicabbing is like an antidote to the stress of New York, to the corporate lifestyle here," she said. "It's totally different. Its like an addiction for a certain type of person."
Being a pedicab passenger is a far cry from riding in a traditional taxi. As Sanda put it, "It's more for people who are looking for alternative forms of transportation."
Passengers are more or less out in the open, though to combat the elements each fiberglass cab is equipped with a fold-over windshield and blanket (but no heater).
Then there are the fares and travel time. Prices vary, but rides usually cost about 1 dollars per city block. A recent trip from Greenwich Village to 42nd Street took about 25 minutes, at a cost of 20 dollars--or about twice the money and time for a taxi ride covering the same distance. Some pedicabbers insist they can travel cross-town faster than cars during rush hour, since they are able to negotiate the narrow margins between traffic and sidewalks.
But for those interested in slowing down and seeing a different side to Manhattan, or simply avoiding the mash of bodies on subways and buses, pedicabs offer a feasible and pleasant means of transport. And there is usually some pretty good conversation too.
"About 80-90 percent of the job is interacting with your ride," Murgia explained. "There's no partition like in a taxicab."
It may take New Yorkers a while to get used to the idea of pedicabs, however, if for no other reason than their own skepticism. As Meitzler said recently, "I've had passengers who are so shy about it that they've said, 'I want to go to this restaurant, but please don't leave me at the front
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/gif4/int_hd.gif (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050219woc4.htm)