KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He also focuses on stories of consumer interest. Share your story idea with Grant.
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A proposed change to Kansas City's vehicle-for-hire laws could soon open the Country Club Plaza to pedicabs.
Just a week ago, an ordinance was introduced to change the current rules, which do not allow pedicabs in the plaza area. The proposal gets its first look from KC's Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee Tuesday morning.
The one pedicab company this would affect, EZ Pedicabs, explained how much has changed about the industry, specifically the vehicles, since that ban was put in place.
Mark Manning, co-owner of EZ Pedicabs says they've grown in popularity over the last few years of operation.
"The growth is coming from the demand," Manning said.
People frequently ask to go down to the Plaza.
"With the E-bike component. We can get all to all different parts of the city. We don't have to just be operating in one so if somebody wants to go to the plaza, we can take them there," Manning said.
But right now, they are not allowed. Many years ago, pedicabs were banned in several cities like Kansas City. They used to be slow, hard to see, and had human-limited range.
"Pedicabs, when the ordinance were written, look completely different from the way they do now. They looked similar, but ... different vehicles entirely," Manning said.
Many of those old limitations simply don't apply anymore to modern pedicabs equipped with lights, speakers, seatbelts, and electric motors that can easily keep up with the flow of traffic.
"They weren't as bright and visible. They didn't have electric motor assist," Manning said.
The ban has been somewhat forgotten about - Manning said they met with people on the plaza and representatives who expressed interest in eliminating it.
“They had a feeling that there maybe wasn't a lot anybody out there that really wanted to update that or keep that, keep that going," he said about ending the ban.
Alongside the changes in pedicab regulation, safety, and design, there's been a growing push for more alternative transport options to create a more walkable city.
Manning says Kansas City has been pushing for less reliance on cars, creating an incentive to peddle pedicabs.
"With the efforts that the city has been making to cut down on car traffic and encourage pedestrian traffic, mainly with like the streetcar being a good example, that is something that we would run complementary to," Manning said. “Especially with all the visitors that we've had in the last couple years and that we're expecting this year ... A lot of people keep asking for and want more of and that we're happy to provide, and we want to bring that to the plaza.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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