09/16/2025
Just returned from the Cycling Research Board in Amsterdam. I proudly presented Project Pedicab and efforts in Portsmouth to increase both mobility and FUN.
I got a chance to talk to pedicab operators in Amsterdam who are not having fun. In most cities the pedicab is a vehicle to extract money from vulnerable tourists. Operators think they are putting one over on the public to great reward, but from my observations they are also living in their own misery.
How is Portsmouth is different? The rides are given expecting nothing thereof. Sponsors help pay for the cost of pedicab operating expenses. Drivers are pedaling for fun. I LOVE giving people rides. I would do this all day long if i could just out of the sheer joy of the ride. When people in the pedicab see the sunset from Memorial Bridge, I see it too. When people laugh as we ride down Congress St. i laugh too. I have often described the pedicab as a smile machine. I also smile bc It is fun for me too.
When is comes to urban transport, planners and the public often forget the JOY of movement. How one can move in a city is vitally important for community. Walkable streets brings neighbors in contact with each other for a laugh and a smile, bike-able areas can be used to access the community by a broad group of residents, and maybe lessen the hassles of the movement of cars.
One of the best uses of the pedicab discussed at the conference was the Dutch idea of using pedicabs to engage elderly residents back into the city—a way to see the sights, visit the coffee shops, and continue to access the vitality of the community. I want that for Portsmouth (contact me). I want the joy. Let’s have FUN!
