A new type of pedal-powered vehicle may be coming soon to Lawrence, Kansas — a trolley-sized pedicab that will carry up to 16 passengers. According to the Lawrence Journal-World:
The idea of a 16-passenger, pedal-powered vehicle in downtown Lawrence sounds OK to city commissioners, as long as it stays off Massachusetts Street.
Commissioners on Tuesday evening unanimously approved an ordinance allowing oversized pedicabs to operate in Lawrence, but added a provision prohibiting them on Massachusetts Street because the vehicles are expected to have a top speed of 5 miles per hour. [read more]
The “oversized pedicab” is described as a “unique trolley-looking device that features a bar-like table in its center, where patrons sit on stools and do the pedaling themselves while a professional does the steering and braking.”
Searching the web for pictures, I came across this video of a “beer bike” in Amsterdam:
And here’s a photo where you can see a few more details:
In Germany, this is known as a Bier Bike, and in the Netherlands as a Fietscafe. There’s also a company in Minneapolis that rents these contraptions, which they call a Pedal Pub.
Luke Stone, a Lawrence entrepreneur who hopes to start an oversized pedicab business by this fall, says that he originally wanted to allow people to bring their own alcohol onto the pedicab, but city attorneys determined that would violate state laws.
So, no beer on the “beer bike”. But it’ll sure be a fun way to travel between pubs!
Post tags: Lawrence
