Hail a pedicab downtown

INcrowd columnist Leslie Bailey (Credit: Provided photo)

You may have noticed something new on the streets of Downtown Indianapolis. It’s not the never-ending construction of the Cultural Trail, and it’s not another installation of street corner art — it’s pedicabs.

The bicycle-driven taxis provide a fun way to tour the city’s sights and attractions and are one more piece of the puzzle in the plan to make Indy a more progressive city. There are currently two popular pedicab companies serving Downtown: Circle City Pedicabs and Indy Pedicabs Indy’s Original Pedicab Co.

Indy Pedicabs charges $1 per block per passenger, while Circle City Pedicabs charges a $5 flat fee for anything within a one-mile square around Monument Circle and $1 for each additional block after that.

“Bicycle taxis,” as they are commonly known, reduce the amount of air and noise pollution generated by cars and buses. In addition to helping make Indy more “green,” they also offer a solution to obstacles that Downtown event-goers often experience.

The next time you’re faced with paying an absurd event parking rate, consider parking at a more reasonably priced or free location and then taking a pedicab to your final destination. It’s a relief for your wallet as well as your feet. My barking dogs and I quickly learned this after a long night of dancing at the Lady Gaga concert July 15.

These companies are putting a fresh and unique spin on door-to-door service that is desperately lacking in Indianapolis. While the city’s transportation options for transportation may not be ideal at times, pedicabs are surely one pedal in the right direction.