1 Vernice Hankins
From: Dan Kerrigan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2022 11:56 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Pedicabs on the Beach Bike Path
EXTERNAL
Hello,
My name is Daniel Kerrigan and I have been involved with pedicabs in Santa Monica since their regulation by city ordinance in 2013. Ever since the beginning of pedicabs, the prohibition of pedicabs from going places they can safely operate and help people has been confusing. The argument against pedicabs on the bike path has come down to a safety issue. It is hard to see this as a reasonable measure while surrey bikes are freely rented and operated, and have never been targeted and ticketed despite their significantly slower speeds and identical if not wider width, not to mention all the other electric bikes and vehicles for rent, as well as personal electric vehicles darting up and down the bike path, who likely don't carry a 1m/2m insurance policy like pedicabs do. It feels even more confusing to enforce code against pedicabs in specific, targeting working people for tickets for driving at a moderate speed, operating safely without incident, and helping people who have decided they or their children have walked enough but would like to remain by the beach. Pedicabs are easily and safely passed, are aware of their circumstances, and most importantly, do not travel at unsafe speeds‐they are faster than the casual cyclist renting a cruiser, and slower than you century rider who can't quite blaze through The Strand without understanding he'll run into pedestrians wandering into the bike path anyway at some point between Santa Monica and Venice. So it begs the question‐why are 20 pedicabs the target of all this unreasonable financial encumbrance for our businesses? A ticket can cost a driver their entire day's pay, and they are playing cat‐and‐mouse with code enforcement to provide service to what is clearly a market that wants this.
Holding city‐inspected bicycle‐powered pedicabs specifically accountable denies pedicabs viability as an operation by cutting them off to the place where most people are, and prevents the public from seeking an enjoyable solution to a popular request, and continuing to uphold this ordinance makes it clear that other businesses who offer similar solutions are being favored over pedicab business license holders. Allowing pedicabs on the bike path creates economy for the city, and allows code enforcement to focus on more egregious offenses than fining working people for operating a bicycle powered vehicle on a bike path.
I encourage the city to clearly state in an amended ordinance that pedicabs are allowed on the bike path and allow code enforcement to focus on more important efforts of safety.
Thank you,
Dan Kerrigan
Pedicab United
617.571.5452
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: brian dudley <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2022 5:09 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Motors help me keep my job- Brian Dudley
EXTERNAL
Brian Dudley‐ I have been working pedicab at major events and in Southern California for over 15 years. Ten years into my career I suffered a herniated disc from riding and managing a 15 pedicab operation at la coliseum. Since then I have only been able to do my job with a motor. I have served almost every company as fleet mechanic operating in Santa Monica for the last decade. There are several layers to this industry to state outright. To limit motors would create an entirely unsafe scenerio exclusively inviting mainly young inexperienced people to get on bikes who would be replacing older more experienced rider with younger, often times reckless operators. To be forced out and replace the older riders who can’t physically pedal seems like a bad scenario. It would create a monopoly of these llc companies operator information in Santa Monica and likely force me to leave the state. I would recommend monthly or even weekly safety checks. I saw a bike the other day from a company I no longer do maintenance for with a wheel about to fall off. I would highly recommend a speed limit and let that be inforced with common sense. I would go 5‐10 Miles an hour just as someone pedaling and no faster if I was aloud to use a motor inorder to keep my job. Responsible operators operating properly should be the goal and the priority. I don’t see why I should be forced out of an industry I have helped keep alive for the last decade because of sciatica, and back injuries prevents me from riding like I could when I was younger. the idea of no motors is the idea of one company trying to have a monopoly of the pedicabs on the Beach front inorder so they can have advertising monopoly simply and purely. It would create a scenario often times where companies compete and raise prices on their renters so that the average pedal powered rider is barely able to sqweek by making anything after he pays a rent. I think doing away with renter oriented companies and work with individual riders who provide their own insurance, you would create a environment of solidarity and safety with motors and much less companies profiting from a near slavery scenario. Furthermore, I cannot tell you how a slow pedal powered creates incredible traffic congestion compared to something that is a little more capable to keeping up with the flow of traffic and even able to adapt to the unique area that is Santa Monica by having the ablility to go up hills and away from the beach path when it makes logical sense to do so. If I was restricted from riding on the beach because of using a motor, I would not work in Santa Monica at all because I would go broke and skinny trying to work the downtown area. It would not work to make the distinction between motorized and non motorized and would not improve safety on the beach front. a speed limit is the answer. Everything else is a power grab from a single particular pedicab company. I’d be happy talk privately about more details regarding this industry, my concerns, solutions to problems, the numbers behind it from my understanding all of these different companies from the inside.
Brian Dudley
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: JoWanda Dziesinski <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2022 12:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Pedicabs on Bike Path-focus on Illegal Motors
Hello,
I'm excited and thankful that pedicabs on the bike path are up for discussion on the Santa Monica City Council.
I own Green Goddess Pedicabs, and I am unique among pedicab owners in that I have also lived in Santa Monica over a decade and raised a family here, so I am also a community member and safety and benefit to the community is a priority in addition to having a pleasant, eco-friendly business here.
Pedicabs are a natural fit for Santa Monica's eco-friendly, alternative transportation values, as well as providing a valuable,welcome service for the many tourists who visit our town. There are locals who take pedicabs often as well, and appreciate this carless option for our city.
I have been involved with pedicabs since they were permitted about 10 years ago and am very familiar with how things work at the street level. Here are my concerns as it relates to moving forward with the very positive idea of allowing pedicabs on the bike path:
In the Staff Report, it says "Currently, there are approximately 25 pedicabs in operation (only two are electric)." This is completely incorrect. MOST pedicabs operating on the bike path are electric (Motorized) right now. Not only that, but many motors are so powerful, they are not even legal on the street per California law (the limit is 750 watts).
Specific Example: 100% of "Beach Buggy" pedicabs (Troy Dalmasso) come equipped from the factory with powerful motors that go upwards of 30 miles an hour. Jayson Gladstone's pedicab is the same. ( In my Santa Monica neighborhood there are signs that remind drivers of CARS to slow down because "only 50 percent of people survive at speeds of 30 miles an hour. !!! Why is this allowed on the bike path???)
However, these pedicabs received the city sticker. When I pointed this out before and during the inspection, I was told there was "nothing we can do" but then told that "safety for the public" is the main concern. The current focus of inspections is on things that are Rarely used in practicality (ex.
Seatbelts) but pedicabs that go upwards of 30 miles an hour are approved. Vehicles going that fast belong at the DMV, not on the bike path or classed as bicycles.? In comparison, a non-motorized pedicab is probably going about 6 miles an hour.
There is a serious disconnect between City Council, Code Enforcement, and the Inspection Process. In order for there to be a true, "Non-motorized" pedicab program, both inspections and code enforcement must become knowledgeable about motors and also able to take action.
For starters, if you see a pedicab go by at a very fast speed, and the driver isn't even pedaling! His legs are still as the pedicab moves forward at a fast speed.That is a big indicator. This currently is what happens all the time. Shouldn't code enforcement be watching for that, and ticket and remove that person from the bike path?
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2 IN the inspection process, inspectors should be knowledgeable and able to take action, not allowing pedicabs with powerful motors. In truth, they should not allow Any Motors, because I assure you that any pedicab is going to spend 95% of their time on the bike path. Currently, almost No one operates on "City Streets" .These are the kind of disconnects in the policymaking and how things are really working, that I am seeking to address.
"To exclude electric pedicabs, staff amended the ordinance to prohibit “motorized” pedicabs, including class 1 and class 2 electric pedicabs on the Beach Bike-Path. Staff will create a separate decal to assist enforcement staff in differentiating between the non-electric pedicabs allowed on the Beach Bike-Path and other pedicabs that are only allowed on City streets. Prohibiting electric pedicabs on the Beach Bike-Path is intended to provide safer conditions for all path users since pedicabs with passengers are larger and heavier than most bicycles on the path so keeping their speeds low will reduce the force during a collision. "
-That is exactly right, except that once again I reiterate, that both Inspection and Code Enforcement must become knowledgeable about motors in order for this to actually happen.
Otherwise, the public will continue to be endangered by vehicles that are more akin to Motorized Golf Carts or motorcycles (perhaps they should go to the DMV?), operating with no problem at all zooming along the bike path. Currently, Inspection and Code Enforcement is completely and totally "out of touch", as they say. ( In my Santa Monica Neighborhood, there are signs reminding CAR DRIVERS to slow down, as "only 50% of people survive at speeds of 30mph." This is being allowed on the Bike Path? Every day)
I would go further to say that pedicab operators who have with full knowledge willingly deceived the City. put the public in danger, and created unfair business practice (they can go so much faster than lawful, non-motorized pedicabs, get more customers, and create an environment where everyone feels they must get a motor to compete) and had illegal motors IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, not just the bike path, should not be invited to this future program. They do not show good faith of being good members of the community with the community benefit in mind, only their own, immediate (and unfair and unsafe practice) of making money.
Also here is an article that talks about the different types of motors. The title says it all. https://electricbike-blog.com/2016/01/12/cyclone-3000w-mid-drive-if-youre-gonna-buildsomething-this-illegal-then-it-better-be-able-to-outrun-the-cops/ Illegal motors on pedicabs (or motors at all on the bike path) "Middrive".motors are all over the legal limit and also some front hub motors Currently there are Approved, Registered Pedicabs operating, ironically, on the bike path. (they have the city registration sticker). What this means is that although in the registration process pedicabs are being checked for lights, seat belts, etc. those checking the pedicabs are not aware of, and do not know how to check for ILLEGAL MOTORS. California law prohibits ANY motors over 750w and quite a few City-Approved Pedicabs are operating with 1000w or even up to 3000w motors. THIS is an actual safety concern and should be the top priority now of both those who inspect pedicabs as well as code enforcement, to completely eliminate this. To put it as an example, instead of a non-motorized pedicab going about six miles an hour, these motors can go over 30 miles an hour, and people do that on the bicycle path. This could actually seriously hurt or even kill someone. Considering the reality that 99% of pedicabs operate Exclusively on the bike path (whether it's currently allowed or not) that means that Motorized vehicles closer in nature to a Golf Cart that you can drive, are on the bike path with pedestrians and children riding bicycles. All the focus of safety with pedicabs and code enforcement must be redirected to this truly legitimate concern. No motorized pedicabs should be allowed on the bike path and both Pedicab Inspection CIty Officials which issue city stickers and Code Item 10.A
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3 Enforcement should know how to recognize motors on pedicabs (there is a throttle on the handlebar, how to check for a middrive motor which is almost guaranteed to be illegal, even on the street, by California law). They should NOT pass inspection and get the right to operate in Santa Monica and should be immediately ticketed and evicted from the bike path.
Another separate issue is consistency of Fares for the Public. The Fare Cards required by Inspection are another thing that goes in the trash once Inspection is over. Just informing. However, I would like to point out that for the public, is it fair that one person charges $30 and another person charges $70, for the same distance? Not surprisingly, the ones "price gouging" the public, are also absolutely, the ones with the illegal motors, once again demonstrating that they are not interested in working to create a fair and pleasant (business) community for all. I propose city-mandated fares, for all pedicabs, such as what they have in San Francisco, in order to create a fair and pleasant environment for the public.
2. Pedicab Driver Requirements-While cost-prohibitive and impractical in the early years, (the bicycle skills course was very unrelated to pedicabbing ) its intent served a function of public safety. I'm not sure why this was done away with, and at first I liked it that there was less paperwork, but I think pedicab driver licenses should be brought back, in a more practical form. This eliminates the concern that someone with DUIs or a criminal record is operating a pedicab, and that is a real safety concern. A. Require a police background check. B. Consider a PEDICAB safety course, taught by someone who actually pedicabs. C. Consider drug testing those operating a pedicab.
By requiring reasonable background check for drivers and creating realistic, knowledgeable measures for eliminating Motors from the bike path, it opens up for a safe, pleasant addition to the beach scene in Santa Monica: Non-motorized pedicabs.
Thank you
JoWanda Dziesinski
310-528-4397
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I would like to add that Code Enforcement could consider drug testing drivers while they are operating vehicles to ensure they are not under any influence (alcohol or marijuana) while driving.
Also here is an article that talks about the different types of motors. The title says it all. https://electricbike-blog.com/2016/01/12/cyclone-3000w-mid-drive-if-youre-gonna-buildsomething-this-illegal-then-it-better-be-able-to-outrun-the-cops/ Item 10.A
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4 To help protect your
privacy, Micro so ft Office
prevented automatic
download of this picture
from the Internet.
Item 10.A
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