Politics & Government
Licensed Pedicabs Coming to Geneva
The city is experimenting with a license for pedicabs, paving the way for people power.
It's a little bit like a rickshaw with peddles. It's called a pedicab, and now that the City Council has said yes, it will be a licensed mode of transportation in Geneva, at least from May to December this year.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting a few weeks ago, the city heard a presentation by David Bus of Prairie State Pedicab in Batavia on the merits of allowing pedicab service in the city.
Back in 2010, the city was approached by Green Street Pedicabs of Naperville with inquiries about operating a pedicab (bicycle) business in downtown Geneva.
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Green Street apparently received "very positive feedback from residents and from businesses who say it adds a sense of elegance to the downtown," a city report said.
"Naperville allows the cabs to be stationed at several locations throughout the downtown, mostly in loading zones and these 'safety zones' provide adequate space for the cabs to wait for fares."
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The city did not go forward with the Green Street proposal in 2010 but the information was valuable in creating the temporary license for Bus.
"City staff believe this would bring a fun amenity to downtown Geneva and bring forth the attached documents for City Council consideration," the report said.
The temporary license will be evaluated in February. If there are no problems to be addressed, an ordinance would be passed in 2012, allowing the licensing of pedicabs companies in the city.
According to ordinance, a pedicab is ..
A bicycle that has three or more wheels that transports, or is capable of transporting, passengers on seats attached to the bicycle that is operated by an individual, and that is used for transporting passengers for receipt of any form of consideration; or a bicycle with a singular unarticulated frame, that pulls a device that transports, or is capable of transporting, passengers on seats attached to a passenger cab or similar device, that is operated by an individual, and that is used for transporting passengers for receipt of any form of consideration.
