Amid complaints from theatergoers and residents about noise and congestion, New York City Councilmembers have put forward legislation seeking to ban pedicabs from the immediate vicinity of Broadway theaters. Councilmembers Keith Powers, Erik Bottcher, and Chris Banks are spearheading the move as a response to concerns over the disturbance caused by the noise from pedicabs that amplify songs, such as Alicia Keys’ "Empire State of Mind," while ferrying passengers around the famed entertainment district, NBC New York reported.
Under the proposed bill, pedicabs would be prohibited "from parking, stopping, or standing a pedicab, or picking up or dropping off passengers," within 50 feet of any Broadway theater. This action comes as an attempt to mitigate what Erik Bottcher described as "the chaos of the pedicab industry that plagues theatergoers". Notably, the bill would require the Department of Transportation to delineate and signpost areas as "pedicab restricted zones," according to Gothamist. Despite this initiative, Kenneth Winter of the New York Pedicab Alliance has criticised the legislation, stating "just doesn't make sense" and pointed out that the law would penalize legitimate operators rather than the unlicensed ones causing most of the issues.
The pedicab bill has garnered support from the Broadway League and the Times Square Alliance. Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, voiced his backing for better regulations to "ensure a safer, more accessible environment for all who work in and attend our theaters." Similarly, Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, acknowledged the bill as an important step in "holding those unscrupulous operators accountable" while also recognizing that the bill "is not a cure-all," as Gothamist reported.
Despite the proposed restrictions, pedicab operators in the city are currently mandated to possess a driver's license, a pedicab license, a registration plate issued by the Department of Worker and Consumer Protection, and to carry liability insurance. However, enforcement has often been described as lax. The bill seeks to address the lax enforcement, Powers has argued the legislation was inspired by an obligation to New Yorkers and theatergoers looking to have an "enjoyable" Broadway experience, free from the intrusion of loud pedicab music. Nonetheless, Winter criticized the enforcement strategy, stating that the city issues licenses without proper background checks and fails to prosecute unlicensed operators, leading to a "crazy mess", "the city actually doesn't really care about at all," as described in the Gothamist article. The process for the bill's approval is still underway as it remains in committee, with no hearing scheduled yet.
-5.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
