Scottsdale To Vote On Pedal Bus Ordinance

By Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez
Published: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 6:29am
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It looks like a combination trolley and bicycle on steroids. The city of Scottsdale has been testing pedal buses on city streets, and it is now poised to legalize the human-powered vehicles.

 It looks like a trolley with six bicycle seats on each side. Each seat has its own pedals to help move it along. For a year the pedal bus has been used as a form of bar-hopping in downtown Scottsdale. The city wanted to gauge how well it worked in the area. It only operates for pre-arranged tours.

Walt Brodzinski is with the Scottsdale Traffic Engineering office. He says an ordinance has been created to make the service permanent and with guidelines to help maintain safety.  

“The ordinance permits them to operate on streets that are posted 25 miles an hour or less. It clarifies some safety items, like headlights, taillights, horn. It also specifies the time of operation," Brodzinski said.

Brodzinski says there are dozens of cities in the country that allow pedal buses in their downtown areas.