Pedicabs make rounds in downtown Patchogue

Stephanie Smith was eating dinner in Patchogue, watching patrons of bars and restaurants in the village's resurgent downtown, when inspiration struck -- in the image of a lime-green cart powered by a bicyclist.

Smith's vision has grown into Patchogue Pedicab, a company she launched in mid-July with her boyfriend, David Space, and his cousin Ed Shine.

The company's fleet of five cycle rickshaws is now a staple -- and a popular mode of transit -- in downtown Patchogue.

"With all the up-and-coming bars and restaurants, it just seemed like a way of transportation that would give the area a little character -- something fun, unique," said Smith, 22, whose brainstorm came around the same time in May when she graduated from St. Joseph's College with a degree in sociology.

Patchogue Pedicab offers trips within the village that generally cost $2 to $10, depending on distance and number of riders, said Space, 22, a history and education student at St. Joseph's. On a busy night, the company might see 20 rides per bike, he said. The company employs 10 part-time drivers, most of whom are friends of the owners, Space said.

The pedicabs are most active on weekend nights, when one can easily be flagged downtown, said Shine, 38, a real estate agent. The company's call service also provides rides during the week, depending on driver availability, Smith said.

Weather will dictate how long the company stays open for the season, Shine said. But he added Patchogue Pedicab sees the village's Christmas parade as a business opportunity.

The key is to go where people are, Shine said. Translation: outside bars and restaurants at night. Many residents, he added, want rides back and forth from their cars, while others want to cruise past Shorefront Park.

He added: "If they live close, we'll go to their homes."

Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said the pedicab business is indicative of business growth in the village. Trustees in July approved a licensing plan for pedicabs that he said is the first of its kind on Long Island. The company paid $150 in fees for its fleet.

The pedicabs were a boon during the Great South Bay Music Festival at Shorefront Park in July, Pontieri said.

"They were all over the place," he said. "For five bucks, people can get down there in five minutes."

The trio purchased rickshaws for a total of $5,000 from a pedicab company in Manhattan. When not in use, the vehicles are garaged at the Patchogue home of the family of Shine's wife.

The company has had to turn down a couple of customers, such as one who asked to go to Bay Shore, Space said.

But the pedicabs could soon turn up outside Patchogue, Shine said. The company might approach Suffolk County mall owners to offer service in parking lots during the Christmas season, he said.

"As long as the weather stays halfway decent and people are wanting to ride," pedicabs will be available, Space said.