Pedicabs May Offer Short In-Town Trips

Next summer, that trip from the train station to the North Bridge may be behind a person riding an enlarged bicycle with back seats. The are considering ways to permit or license and enforce a pilot program to bring pedicabs to town.

Board Chairman Jeff Wieand said he knows of other towns that have pedicabs, but there are hurdles to the plan. Selectman Carmin Reiss wondered whether the town manager can issue a permit for the manpowered vehicle, or whether the board issues a license.

The possibility of a Town Meeting warrant article to bring the vehicles to town was considered but not pursued. The warrant closes on Jan. 3, hours before the next selectmen's meeting.

Selectman Stanly Black said, "Town Meeting seems a clumsy way" to allow pedicabs. The selectmen said fees, penalties and enforcement are all topics that need to be thought through before a tire hits the streets.

Reiss said she may be interested in them "within a limited radius," say, from the railroad depot to the North Bridge, or the North Bridge to the Alcott House.

The pedicabs could be in operation for tourists in the summer. The board said it would consult with the police department over regulations and safety.

Selectmen's Assistant Ruth Lauer, herself a former board member, said she researched jitney cabs and found that Town Meeting approved the concept in 1905.

Selectman Greg Howes said he would be interested in having one company operate a service "for a test."

"I'm concerned over opening it up," said Howes. "We could try it this summer." Colleaague Elise Woodward said the town could "learn from other communities."