Trixi.com
16-05-2005, 19:52
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Buffalo Bike Taxi Co. takes riders around downtown just for tips
http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/05/16/0516biketaxibw.jpg
By LISA HAARLANDER
News Business Reporter
5/16/2005
Elizabeth A. Mundschenk/Buffalo News
Thomas Woods gives his friend Paul Daggett a ride downtown in his bicycle taxi.
It may be more of a curiosity at this point, but Thomas Woods hopes his bicycle taxi service catches on in downtown Buffalo.
Woods' Buffalo Bike Taxi Co. has not had many customers, but the bright yellow pedal-powered rickshaw has drawn plenty of curious stares.
"My plan is to capitalize on our local tourism," said Woods, whose real job is in academic computing at D'Youville College. "I'm convinced that there are enough fun seekers downtown on the weekend who will want rides."
Woods is offering the service Thursday and Friday nights and Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. He does not charge a specific fee. The cost is whatever the rider wants to tip. Customers can either flag him down or visit his Web site, BuffaloBikeTaxi.com for tips on finding him.
Woods bought the bike from Main Street Pedicabs in Broomfield, Colo., which also operates a fleet of 20 bicycle taxis in Denver. The bikes cost between $2,900 and $4,100, depending on whether they have a canopy to protect passengers from the elements.
Steve Meyer, owner of Main Street Pedicabs, said sales of pedicabs, or bicycle taxis, are increasing.
"We think our sales are up mostly because of the revitalization of downtown areas," he said. "Even if they're driving into downtown, they can't park very conveniently. The biggest thing that drives the sales of pedicabs is bad parking. That's the case in downtown Denver."
Manhattan is another place where bicycle taxis are popular because of the scarcity and cost of parking, Meyer said.
In downtown Buffalo, parking lots may account for as much as 50 percent of the surface area, according to a parking survey by the New Millennium Group. That figures includes buildings with underground parking.
In Denver, people usually take a bicycle taxi to go a few block and pay about $2 a block. "We take all the rides that regular taxis don't want. They don't want those short trips," Meyer said. "And it's more fun to use a pedicab. It's like going for a bike ride without having to pedal."
In Buffalo, Woods' first customer last week gave him $1 for taking him to the Main Place Mall.
Woods often bikes 7 miles from his home in West Seneca to his job at D'Youville.
"I'm pretty conditioned from that," he said.
Because the bike taxi doesn't have a meter, Woods doesn't need a license from the city to operate the cab. He said he does have insurance for the 4-foot wide cab, which has brake lights and turn signals and weighs 160 pounds.
http://www.buffalonews.com/images/newslogo_2004.gif (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050516/1061950.asp)
Buffalo Bike Taxi Co. takes riders around downtown just for tips
http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/05/16/0516biketaxibw.jpg
By LISA HAARLANDER
News Business Reporter
5/16/2005
Elizabeth A. Mundschenk/Buffalo News
Thomas Woods gives his friend Paul Daggett a ride downtown in his bicycle taxi.
It may be more of a curiosity at this point, but Thomas Woods hopes his bicycle taxi service catches on in downtown Buffalo.
Woods' Buffalo Bike Taxi Co. has not had many customers, but the bright yellow pedal-powered rickshaw has drawn plenty of curious stares.
"My plan is to capitalize on our local tourism," said Woods, whose real job is in academic computing at D'Youville College. "I'm convinced that there are enough fun seekers downtown on the weekend who will want rides."
Woods is offering the service Thursday and Friday nights and Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. He does not charge a specific fee. The cost is whatever the rider wants to tip. Customers can either flag him down or visit his Web site, BuffaloBikeTaxi.com for tips on finding him.
Woods bought the bike from Main Street Pedicabs in Broomfield, Colo., which also operates a fleet of 20 bicycle taxis in Denver. The bikes cost between $2,900 and $4,100, depending on whether they have a canopy to protect passengers from the elements.
Steve Meyer, owner of Main Street Pedicabs, said sales of pedicabs, or bicycle taxis, are increasing.
"We think our sales are up mostly because of the revitalization of downtown areas," he said. "Even if they're driving into downtown, they can't park very conveniently. The biggest thing that drives the sales of pedicabs is bad parking. That's the case in downtown Denver."
Manhattan is another place where bicycle taxis are popular because of the scarcity and cost of parking, Meyer said.
In downtown Buffalo, parking lots may account for as much as 50 percent of the surface area, according to a parking survey by the New Millennium Group. That figures includes buildings with underground parking.
In Denver, people usually take a bicycle taxi to go a few block and pay about $2 a block. "We take all the rides that regular taxis don't want. They don't want those short trips," Meyer said. "And it's more fun to use a pedicab. It's like going for a bike ride without having to pedal."
In Buffalo, Woods' first customer last week gave him $1 for taking him to the Main Place Mall.
Woods often bikes 7 miles from his home in West Seneca to his job at D'Youville.
"I'm pretty conditioned from that," he said.
Because the bike taxi doesn't have a meter, Woods doesn't need a license from the city to operate the cab. He said he does have insurance for the 4-foot wide cab, which has brake lights and turn signals and weighs 160 pounds.
http://www.buffalonews.com/images/newslogo_2004.gif (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050516/1061950.asp)