Despite the objections of Councilman Craig Hosmer, Springfield City Council last night approved an ordinance to allow 14-passenger party bikes along city streets.
Calibrate Marketing owner Brian Ash has teamed up with Robert DeVore, Baron Financial Group financial planner and owner of Ozarks Entertainment LLC, to bring the concept to the Queen City.
According to their website, TheTrolleyBike.com, Ash and DeVore plan to launch a 2,000-pound trolley bike driven by a chauffeur that would be rented out to groups of riders who can drink and peddle around downtown – though riders bring their own beverages. Ash said 85 cities in 32 states have trolley bikes, and he has worked over the past nine months to bring the concept to Springfield. Manufactured by Kingman, Ariz.-based Atek Customs, the party bikes
cost around $47,500. Ash and DeVore only have plans for one trolley bike.
“One of my Facebook friends had posted a picture of one. I think they were in Nashville or something, and said, ‘This was awesome. Springfield needs one of these.’ I had never heard of it, so I started looking into it online, and thought, ‘This is genius. Springfield does need one of these,’” Ash said.
Before council voted 8-1 to allow the trolley bikes, eight council members chimed in.
Hosmer said he was voting against the measure because he felt drivers should be required to have commercial driver’s licenses, not just the Class E chauffeur’s license required under the proposal.
“We are allowing people to drink alcohol, be on a bike, with no head protection [and] no fall protection. In my opinion, that is an incredible risk we are taking with the people of the city of Springfield,” Hosmer said.
Ash said he understands the safety concerns, but the driver would be in control at all times, and riders would have seat belts.
“The first time I saw it, I thought, ‘How can this be legal?’” Ash said. “But it’s not that different really from a party bus or limousine in where people are allowed to have alcohol. … The chauffeur is driving it, and he’s sober.
“The people who are pedaling really have no say on where it goes. They don’t affect the bikes or steering or anything. … It’s not like a normal bike where you need balance or whatever. It’s like an exercise bike at the gym. You don’t have to worry about balance. It’s stationary and there’s a bar to hold on to.”
Councilwoman Kristi Fulnecky disagreed with Hosmer and said she didn’t feel a CDL was necessary.
“I think this is a great idea. It has already been implemented in other cities,” she said. “We already have party buses in Springfield. The reason I don’t agree with the CDL is because it’s a bike, not a vehicle.”
Councilman Ken McClure said he shares Hosmer’s concerns, but felt Ash’s explanations during the public hearing gave him confidence to support the plans.
Last night’s council approval should help the business launch in 2016, Ash said, though limited service could become available before the end of the year. He said the local bike still has to be built in Arizona by Atek and then shipped to Springfield. He projected startup costs at around $50,000 and estimated group rentals would cost $200 to $300 for two hours, or about $20 to $25 per rider.[[In-content Ad]]
