Local pedicab operator, Rose Pedals Pedicabs, adds to its fleet with new partnership.
(Photo © J. Maus)
A recent pedicab partnership will result in many more of the three-wheeled vehicles on Portland’s downtown streets.
Local pedicab operator Rose Pedals Pedicabs has joined forces with Bellingham, Washington-based Cascadia Cabs. Rose Pedals owner Casey Martell says that last week he received 12 brand new cabs and plans to add more in the coming months.
Martell says he’s been busy interviewing and hiring new drivers and he says the “big kickoff” will happen tonight when downtown crowds swell for St. Patrick’s day partying.
Martell recently celebrated his fifth year in the business and he and owner of Cascadia Cabs got serious about a partnership at the anniversary party. Martell says Cascadia was eager to merge forces with him because, “I’ve already got my name and number established here and they didn’t want to step on that… so they brought me on and so now we’ll all be on the same crew.”
(Photo: Cascadia Cabs)
Ryan Hashagen, owner of Cascadia Cabs who operates most of their fleet in Seattle, says the new company will be known as Cascadia Rose Pedals Pedicabs. Hashagen, now 25, says he’s been a pedicab operator since he was 17 and that the job put him through college.
According to Hashagen, Portland is a great market for a pedicab business. “We want to be in Portland because Portland rocks, and Portland wants pedicabs…the city is welcoming us with open arms.”
Hashagen sees the Portland partnership as an expansion of the Northwest’s “pedicab family” which he says originated in Seattle in 1962.
Last summer, another pedicab business started up in Portland. Martell says he’s been in communication with PDX Pedicabs and that the two companies hope to work together to make sure Portland’s pedicab future is in good hands.
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That explains why we saw a bunch of them down on the South Waterfront the other night…
Last night, on the news they were showing padicabs taking the drunks home from Kells. Supposedly, they had contracted with them providing free rides home. The bike had a much different design than pictured above and sported a rain awning over the entire cycle. Who were the folks offering the service.
It\’s great to see the spirit of cooperation we see in Portland bike culture extend to the pedicab business.
Had a recent visitor from NYC who operates pedicabs in and around Central Park, and he tells me there are close to 600 pedicabs now! A far cry from the 8 we started with around 1993 … was sad to hear that the original – Pedicabs of New York [PoNY] – is no longer in business. ;-(
It\’s not an easy business to be in – so take a ride!
that\’s great but shouldn\’t it be \”pedAcab\”?