Winston-Salem will finalize new rules about pedicab operation in the city soon. The new ordinance was set to be passed on Monday, but has been moved to the Feb. 19 city council meeting in order to give city staff some more time to develop the rules.

Pedicabs are modified bicycles with one or more seats on the back to transport passengers.

In September 2023, Transportation Director Jeff Fansler said that the pedicabs would introduce a “new economic opportunity for the downtown area.” Other North Carolina cities such as Charlotte and Greensboro allow pedicabs, and city staff feel that Winston-Salem needs an ordinance that will allow for the safe operation and enforcement of these vehicles.

The current proposed rules state that pedicabs have to be equipped with brake lights and a headlight, as well as turn signals. 

The operators are required to hold a valid driver’s license and insurance. Inspection fees are $10 for inspection and $5 for reinspection. Vehicles will be inspected by the city.

Currently, the proposed areas where pedicabs will be allowed to operate will cover most of downtown and parts of Old Salem. The area is bordered by Broad and Church Streets and Highway 52, beginning in the north around Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and stopping in the south around Old Salem Museum and Gardens.

On Dec. 11, the city’s Transportation Operations Manager Reid Hutchins said that pedicabs will have to adhere to all traffic rules and will not be allowed to ride on sidewalks, greenways or places meant for pedestrians or cyclists. They can’t drive against the flow of traffic or stop in the middle of the street — passengers getting on or off must do so in an on-street parking space or a loading zone.

How many pedicabs are currently operating in the city? 

Hutchins said that right now there are “supposed to be none operating.” And yet, there is one that operates, Hutchins said, but at certain times. Hutchins added that two pedicab companies have expressed interest so far, so “right off the jump” there will be about three pedicabs circulating city streets once the ordinance is adopted.

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