The Cranes took our first family trip to NYC yesterday. While we strolled through Central Park, I took some photos of pedicabs. Enjoy:

From Cranes In Manhattan

From Cranes In Manhattan

From Cranes In Manhattan

From Cranes In Manhattan

The rest of my photos from our trip are here:

Cranes In Manhattan

My family and I were riding our Xtracycles back from a Hair of the Dog show at Ten Broeck Mansion last night when we came upon Loren Grugan from the Albany Rickshaw Co. He’s been mentioned on RocBike here and here. We found him at Washington Park with three passengers — a woman and two young children, who all thought the ride was “great!”

I talked with Loren while we pedaled and asked him to write about his experiences for RocBike. He already knew about us (thanks, Google!) and said he would. So look for dispatches from PedicabLandia coming soon.

From the Albany Business Journal:

The owner of the new Albany Rickshaw Co. has teamed up with the Lark Street Business Improvement District to promote his pedicab business.

Loren Grugan, a 17-year Albany Police Officer, formed his rickshaw company in July and hopes to expand it from one pedicab to six by spring.

The rickshaws, which run from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, also will be leased out to independent contractors, Grugan said.

The business had been delayed getting off the ground while Grugan finds insurance that will cover himself as well as independent contractors that he plans to hire.

Read the rest of the story here and previous coverage of this story on RocBike here.

Loren Grugan pedals Christina Keavaney down Lark Street. (James Goolsby / Times Union)

From today’s Albany Times Union:

No meter? No motor? No problem!
City’s first bicycle cop blazes another trail with debut of pedicab business

By DAVID FILKINS, Staff writer
First published: Monday, August 4, 2008

ALBANY – Loren Grugan parked his bike on the corner of Madison Avenue and Lark Street last Thursday evening. He climbed in the cart attached to the back and waited or the comments, questions, stares and pointing to begin.

Less than a minute later, two women crossed the intersection and headed in Grugan’s direction. As they reached the sidewalk, one woman furrowed her brow and leaned toward the other with a puzzled look on her face.

“What is that?” she asked as she motioned toward the bike.

For the answer to that question, read the rest of the story.

(Jason sez: The writer refers to this vehicle as a “rickshaw” several times. I always thought a rickshaw is pulled on foot and a pedicab is pulled by a bicycle-style mechanism.)