Pedal cabs could roll into Columbus as early as mid-August after city council members voted Tuesday to approve an ordinance allowing the use of the large trolley-like bicycle on downtown streets.
A pedal cab is defined by the city as a registered vehicle, either motorized, motor-assisted or propelled solely by human muscular power, designed to travel on two or more wheels and be operated by one person to guide it in the right direction. One or more persons can ride on seats or a platform and assist in propelling the vehicle with pedals.
Ashton Wischmeier, co-owner of Pedal Pub Bloomington, approached the city in December 2018 about bringing his business to Columbus. Through Pedal Pub, up to 16 passengers can pedal a large trolley-like bicycle around to local bars and other areas of interest while a designated driver steers the vehicle and controls the brakes.
Wischmeier said the company will partner with Columbus Visitors Center to take riders on architectural tours throughout the city.
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“Columbus is my hometown, and we kept coming up with all our friends of what are we going to do on an evening or weekend,” Wischmeier said. “We always talked about doing the architecture tour, but we didn’t want to experience it in that way.”
He said the Pedal Pub fully connects the community, and that’s the approach he and the company wanted to take.
“Columbus seems liked a very natural fit,” Wischmeier said. “There’s wonderful architecture. We have beautiful parks. We get a lot of visitors. (Pedal Pub) is an alternative way for visitors to experience all we have to offer.”
While alcohol is not actually sold on the vehicle, each rider is permitted to bring up to 32 ounces of their own alcoholic beverages in a non-glass container. As long as only the passengers on the bike consume alcohol — not the operator — there would be no violations of the state’s open container laws.
Section 9-30-15-3 says that Indiana’s open container law does not apply to a container possessed by a person who is not the operator of the motor vehicle and is in the “passenger compartment of a motor vehicle designed, maintained or used primarily for the transportation of persons for compensation,” according to the Indiana Code.
“We are nothing like any of the other operations in the nation with our demographics,” Wischmeier said, referring to similar companies that do serve alcohol on their pedaled vehicles. “We are 99% focused on the architectural aspect. Columbus, I’m basing 80 percent of our budget off revenue from architectural tours.”
One bike is built and currently being finalized to fit Columbus’ needs. The company will bring another bike from Bloomington to use in its grand opening this fall.
No definitive routes, prices nor hours of operation for the Pedal Pubs have been disclosed yet. Wischmeier said the company is working with the city engineering department and the Columbus Police Department to determine routes. The routes must be approved by the Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety. Parking regulations will also later be determined, but the vehicle operator must comply with all parking rules and regulations set by the city.
In Bloomington, prices range from $20 to $30 for an individual seat on the trolley-like bike or $400 to reserve an entire bike for a private tour of 8 to 16 people. Columbus prices will similarly align with Bloomington, but Wischmeier said they are not yet fully determined.
Wischmeier he has been working with Columbus Visitors Center executive director Karen Niverson to create talking points about each architecture stop so each driver is knowledgeable about the architecture on the tour. Similar to a trolley, the bikes will have speakers so passengers can hear the driver.
The bikes are 16 feet long, approximately 9.5 feet tall and weigh just over 1 metric ton, Wischmeier said. Riders must be at least 18-years-old. Each bike has 10 pedaling seats, but fit up to 16 passengers. Eight are required for a tour.
All pedal cabs must be registered with the city and maintain a reasonably clean condition free of things like litter, dirt, rust, graffiti and deteriorating paint. Both the right and left sides of the pedal cab must also have a sign with the company’s full name and telephone number of the registrant.
Vehicle operators must have a valid ID and possess no felonies. They will go through a nearly two-month training process to learn how to operate the bike and deal with intoxicated passengers.
Wischmeier said the company is aiming for a soft opening in mid-August with a grand opening near Labor Day.
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Pedal Pub offers organized excursions in which up to 16 passengers can pedal a large trolley-like bicycle around to local bars and other areas of interest while a designated driver steers the vehicle and controls the brakes.
If Pedal Pub arrives in Columbus, it would partner with the Columbus Visitors Center to host guided architectural tours.
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