Downtown Las Vegas mobility options could soon include pedicabs, free shuttle

By Jackie Valley

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Tourists and locals visiting downtown Las Vegas soon could be using pedicabs or electric-powered shuttles to explore the city’s entertainment options.

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved an ordinance that allows up to 24 pedicabs and eight pedal-buses to operate on restricted downtown streets. The city ordinance lays out the rules of the road, so to speak, for these modes of transportation as well as provides business-licensing regulations for them.

Pedicabs are three-wheeled bicycles that can carry up to three passengers and move by the muscle power of the operator; pedal-buses can accommodate four or more riders, but the passengers assist the operator with powering the bus, which may get supplemental power from an electric motor.

A free shuttle service could be circulating downtown in several months if the city approves a $980,000, two-year contract with a company called The Free Ride. City Council members postponed a vote on the contract until Nov. 16 to give them more time to review the financial details of the deal.

City officials began discussing the “downtown circulator” concept two years ago and eventually issued a request for proposals from interested companies. The idea meshes with the city’s ongoing effort to improve mobility and increase connectivity downtown.

The Free Ride would deploy six electric vehicles to ferry passengers through a predetermined route downtown, said James Mirras, the company’s co-founder. The vehicles display advertising and sponsorships to offset the costs of the services, he said.

People along the vehicles’ mapped route could summon a ride via an on-demand app or catch one at a fixed stop. “It is a hop-on, hop-off service as long as the driver has a safe and legal spot to pull over,” Mirras said.

The Free Ride already operates at select locations in Southern California, New Jersey, New York and Florida.