AP News, March 15th, 2007
Regulations for the bicycle taxi industry were stalled Wednesday when Mayor Michael Bloomberg had second thoughts just before he was to sign them into law.
Bloomberg supported the measure as it moved through the City Council and was approved last month. But he shifted into neutral during a bill-signing ceremony at City Hall, where a group of pedicab drivers and other opponents told him why they disagreed with the bill.
"I want to think about it," Bloomberg said.
The regulations would limit the number of pedicabs allowed on city streets to 325, which many drivers said was unfair and would cause them to lose their jobs.
The city estimates there are between 300 and 400 pedicabs on city streets. The pedicabs, which look like giant tricycles with passenger carriages in the back, have become popular among tourists who enjoy a different view of the city and some residents who prefer to zip through traffic.
Bloomberg's chief spokesman, Stu Loeser, said it was the first time the mayor had made such a postponement. He has until March 30 to sign or veto the bill, or it will automatically become law.
One of Bloomberg's predecessors had a similar experience with a bicycle bill. In 1984, Mayor Ed Koch was poised to sign a law regulating the bike messenger business, but after hearing opponents at the bill-signing ceremony he put off a decision.
He asked his law department to review one area that concerned him and ended up signing the measure the next month.
