Turlock party bike business wants to offer downtown tours. City to draft pedicab ordinance
The Turlock City Council on Monday took a step toward allowing a party bike business to offer group tours and draw customers to spend hours at downtown restaurants.
Voting 3-2 after repeated requests from the Central Valley Party Bikes owner, the council directed staff to research and prepare a pedicab ordinance detailing safety rules.
Once Turlock adopts an ordinance, owner Noel Dickey said she plans to open online bookings for three custom-made bicycles that each seat 15 people. Customers could choose stops at several restaurants, and Dickey said in a phone interview that she can set up requested games and decorations at the destinations. A tour guide would drive each party bike and control groups.
After beginning research in February, Dickey in July began contacting the city for permission to operate, she said.
“I look forward to working with the city, police department and local downtown establishments to create a fun and safe new way to tour downtown Turlock,” said Dickey, who hopes to expand to Modesto. “A pedicab ordinance offers a fresh new idea to help our local businesses attract much-needed revenue still hurting from the impacts of the pandemic.”
Operating a party bike business without an ordinance or resolution violates the California Vehicle Code and would be an infraction, Interim Police Chief Gary Hampton said during the meeting. But private use of pedicabs without payment is currently allowed, said Katie Quintero, deputy director of development services.
Whether the ordinance will permit party bike riders to drink alcohol is to be determined. Dickey told the council she proposed requiring customers to finish drinks at restaurants before getting on the bike again. While the Police Department supports bringing more activities downtown, Hampton said the pub crawl idea concerns him.
“Putting an intoxicated individual on a human-propelled device in the lane of traffic, our big concern is people jumping off the bicycle in a lane of traffic, engaging passing motorists, those types of things,” Hampton said. “But it all goes down to the management of the business and the close relationship between the business owner and public safety.”
The Police Department previously heard a presentation on Central Valley Party Bikes at a Turlock Downtown Property Owners Association meeting, Hampton added. The department also will need to educate the public about the attraction and review the routes. State vehicle codes allow pedicabs to travel only on roads with up to a 25 mph speed limit, Hampton said.
Council Members Pam Franco and Rebecka Monez voted against directing staff to draft a pedicab ordinance. Franco expressed concern over the lack of a bike lane on Olive Avenue, where cars travel at 45 mph, and asked how long it would take the city to recoup the estimated $25,000 cost for staff to develop, publish and give notice of the ordinance. Quintero did not give an estimate, but said the money would come from the general fund.
What are next steps for Turlock party bikes?
Departments preparing a pedicab ordinance will include planning, police, city attorney and city clerk, Quintero said. City Attorney George Petrulakis indicated he will need to look over the party bike business’s insurance policy.
The planning commission also will likely review a draft ordinance, Quintero said. Then the council would vote on the ordinance.
Other cities with pedicab ordinances include Fresno and Sacramento. Fresno approved an ordinance allowing party bikes to serve alcohol to passengers in 2017, The Fresno Bee reported. Sacramento in 2016 began allowing beer bike passengers to bring their own beer to drink while riding, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Council Member Nicole Larson said she has ridden a pedicab in Sacramento and supported allowing the service in Turlock.
“Maybe having something like this would encourage more businesses to come,” Larson said. “Maybe it could expand down to where Jura’s (Pizza Parlor on the 700 block of North Golden State Boulevard) is and those areas if we can have a route there, too. I love the idea; I want to make sure we do this right.”
Dickey also plans to expand her business to Modesto should she receive approval to operate there.
For updates and future bookings, visit CentralValleyPartyBikes.com and the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages. The business plans to offer free rides in downtown Turlock starting this weekend, Dickey said.
This story was originally published October 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
