Photo courtesy of Pedal Pub, which offers franchise opportunities through a partnership with bike manufacturer Fietscafe.
People in Fayetteville will soon have the option to get a drink while aboard a pedal pub, also known as a bar-on-wheels or a party bike.
City Council members on Tuesday approved a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Pedal Pub Fayetteville to operate its pedal carriages in certain areas in town.
The council last April approved an ordinance legalizing pedal carriages. Pedal Pub Fayetteville is the first business to seek a certificate to get started. Amber Sinclair, the local Pedal Pub franchisee, said her plan is to begin operating with two carriages, but the council approved a certificate to allow up to 10 carriages for the company.
Sinclair said she held off on applying for a certificate last year because of the pandemic, and wanted to wait until it was more safe for people to start riding on the carriages and vaccinations were underway before she requested the proper permits. She didn’t say exactly when the company would begin operating.
A pedal carriage is a non-motorized bicycle-type vehicle with four or more wheels that’s used to transport passengers. The passengers typically provide the power needed to move the vehicle by pedaling, but an electric-assisted motor is sometimes used to help generate speed, especially in hilly areas.
The local law states that pedal carriages must be operated by a driver at least 21 years of age who is an employee of a company that has obtained a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and a Pedal Carriage Drivers Permit from the police department. The ordinance also requires the permit holder to carry at least $1 million in general liability insurance for bodily injury and property damage. The rules also include numerous safety parameters, including required enhanced braking systems.
Because of their size, pedal carriages are not be allowed on sidewalks, trails or any closed streets.
The area of allowed operation extends north from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to North Street, and is bounded roughly from Mission Boulevard and College Avenue to the edges of the University of Arkansas campus. Two additional routes are also included to allow pedal carriage operators to access other areas of interest outside the downtown zone.
Pedal carriage operation area
Source: City of Fayetteville
