Is Spokane Ready for a Pedi?

[Image via trixicom on flickr]

A Pedicab service, that is.

Think about it: Downtown proper in the central business district is relatively flat, albeit with a slight west to east rise (more noticeable on a bike than in a motorized vehicle). We have the horse and carriage rides already during summer and the winter holidays; pedicabs would add to the ambience and the liveliness of our street scenes.

They’re found by the hundreds in cities across the globe from London to Rome to New York City. According to Wikipedia, the first commercial use in North America was in Seattle, at the 1962 World’s Fair. (And yes, they have them still—no chance to beat them to this particular bike-related punch.)

There’s plenty of stuff close enough together in downtown to make it worth someone’s while. Daytime runs could head from a law office in downtown up to the courthouse, or from the Spokane Regional Business Center to a meeting at the Riverpoint Campus.

Maybe you own a little independent coffee shop and are running low on milk--a pedicab (or bike messenger service) could run over to URM Cash & Carry or the Rosauer's in Browne's Addition and get a half-gallon or two to tide you over. (We're not suggesting a pedicab try to get people up Monroe to the Deaconess medical building for a doctor's appointment, thinking that everyone would arrive ready for medical attention, but that could just be us.)

At night, imagine picking up a few students at Gonzaga and running them over to the Knitting Factory for a concert, then picking up people who are barhopping and don’t feel like walking from there to the Blvd.

Or you’re hitting the Best of Broadway series at the INB Performing Arts Center and want to go to the Safari Room in the Davenport Tower for an after-event nibble—maybe one of those guilt-free miniature desserts—and you don’t want to walk all that way in your patent leather stilettos. (Could be you’re well past nibble and heading for one of those great big late-night/early-morning breakfasts at the Satellite Diner, but either way those stilettos are going to kill.)

How about it, strong cyclists looking for a little extra cash--ready to strap on your heart monitors and get some serious training runs hauling turistas, fashionistas, and baristas?

Comments

[dan/Spokane]

They had pedicabs at Expo '74. Guess the city could use them again, but more activity needs to take plwce downtown.

[Mariah]

At first when I read the post title I thought you were going to talk about a Pedestrian Engineer position over at city hall in transportation.

But this is also a fabulous idea!

I think MetroSpokane has outlined an excess of downtown activity that would justify developing this service, if only on a small scale at first. As a person without a car I know I sure would be using it!

I'm sure they can be purchased outright, but what would be even cooler is if we had some of our local metal artists team up with our bike people to make them locally. I will keep my eyes peeled for alternative transportation microenterprise grants to help get this going.

[Amy]

Spokane had a pedicab a few years back. Not sure what happened to the guy. He seemed to specialize in taking drunks home from the bars.

[Schrauf]

I've used one in Portland, and they are all over the place, in the downtown area at least. Most downtown streets have multiple lanes so they do not hold up traffic much.

Very fun, and flatter downtown Spokane be even more conducive.

My trip was rather expensive, but that's because the guy said he was just working for tips, and in my post-beer festival intoxicated state, decided $20 seemed fair for a five-minute 12-block ride up a slight hill...

[Walters]

Our current(ish) rickshaw was (is?) ran by a dude called Mojo. Could have sworn I saw one out and about recently....

[Barb]

Here's a new post on Planetizen about the growth in bike messenger svcs as compared with motorized:
http://www.planetizen.com/node/34817

Bicycle Couriers Up, Motorized Couriers Down
New York Bicycle Couriers Energy Environment Fuel Efficiency New York Times Transportation

In New York City, bicycle courier businesses are witnessing new growth, while motorized couriers struggle to turn profit in an age of rising full-costs.

--barb
www.biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com

[K]

Mojo (Joe) is now a pub proprietor... dealing with the clientele from the other end. I don't think he's been running the rickshaw for at least a couple of years (I could be wrong).