Short link to this post: http://bit.ly/PedicabMRY 

[Update: For a report on the 3/6 meeting, see new post “City of Monterey Climate Action Steps: Exploring commercial pedicabs.” You may also be interested in the March 6, 2018 Twitter Chat at the end of this post (scroll below the other tweets); you’ll also find the meeting video linked here.]

Pedicabs are an environmentally friendly public transportation option—one that doesn’t exist yet in Monterey County. You may have seen the pedicab service from Santa Cruz County featured in a Bicycling Monterey 2012 post, “Pedicab Coolness.” Or perhaps you’ve seen @bikemonterey tweet about the benefits of pedicabs; scroll to the end of this post for examples.

People who’d like pedicab service in the city of Monterey will be interested in the Tuesday, March 6, 2018 meeting of the Monterey City Council. Meeting is scheduled for 4-6 p.m., but those unable to arrive by 4 o’clock are still welcome. Since pedicabs are agenda item #14, it’s unlikely they’ll be discussed until after 5 o’clock. If you must arrive late, please enter quietly. Turn off cell phones, as usual.

Agenda item #14: http://isearchmonterey.org/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=3889&doctype=AGENDA.

Related document: http://isearchmonterey.org/cache/2/gs5uao4b5hlvsjxku50nhh3j/41031803042018081433623.PDF

The public is welcome at city council meetings, and to express themselves. See “How to Participate in Council Meetings”: http://www.monterey.org/City-Hall/City-Council/How-to-Participate-in-Council-Meetings

Among those interested in seeing pedicab service allowed in the city of Monterey is Monterey native and local business owner Michael Baroni, owner and operator of Green Pedal Couriers, established in 2009. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County honored Baroni in 2017 with a Golden Helmet Award for his bicycling advocacy efforts. One of his most popular efforts: bicycle valet parking stations. Current or past valet stations Green Pedal Couriers and friends have provided include the following and more: a weekly one at the Old Monterey Farmers Market; valet parking for many special events, e.g., Monterey Jazz Festival (the county’s first valet parking station), City of Monterey’s 4th of July Big Little Backyard Bar-B-Que and Entertainment Extravaganza; California Roots Festival, Monterey Bay Reggae Fest, Monterey Beer Fest, First City Festival, and some other events at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center; Día de los Muertos at Closter Park; and Ciclovia Salinas. Baroni has also organized fun bike community events ranging from an Earth Day 2011 ride to Bike-In Movie Night for Bike Month 2017.

Will the next amenity that Michael Baroni offers to Monterey’s visitors and residents be pedicab service? If you’d like that, attend the City of Monterey Council meeting on 3/6/18 and speak up for pedicabs.

TAMC executive director Debra Hale, who bikes herself, has experienced the benefit of a pedicab-type service while on vacation.

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/962220699329822720

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/283313880741081088

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/442223909379653634

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/617218813663162368

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/792422494250553344

March 6, 2018 Twitter Chat

To hear the complete meeting discussion (tweets below offer only a few comments), watch the City of Monterey’s video. Agenda item 14 (pedicabs) begins at 1:38:40 and ends at 1:47:30: http://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/m_3HX6961GRMsvkqSCdwmGeJ8rwpRZrR/playlists/4629/media/332484?sequenceNumber=1&autostart=false&showtabssearch=true.

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/971199208542822400

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/971200013576544256

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/971200943026003968

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/971203411537375232

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/971204837609111552

http://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/971205892740866048

The Monterey City Council has agreed to ask staff to bring an item forward to consider allowing pedicabs to operate in the City.

— City of Monterey (@CityofMonterey) March 7, 2018