The Observation Deck

Has anyone seen the "quadricyle" that was featured in the PD's Road Rant?
The Mayor thinks it is unsafe on the road, and I tend to agree.
I love biking and want to see more of it in Lakewood.
Based on the photo, this vehicle seems too wide to be a bike.
Plus, the term "bicycle" contains the root "bi-", which means "two".

Thoughts?

http://www.cleveland.com/roadrant/index ... nning.html

Lakewood, and Ohio, have so danged many laws already...

I was an early moped rider, and I had a few discussions back then with Lakewood's finest in the days before they started the legal regulations of that vehicle.

Look, there are beautiful and practical 4 wheeled pedal cars, having those surrey-type roofs. I've seen a number of those excursion vehicles down at Edgewater Beach being used as rentals. They are popular in retirement communities as well; having two, four, and even six seat versions.

I could easily envision those kinds of vehicles being used in and around Lakewood as being VERY eco-friendly taxis and modes of transportation for active seniors who might otherwise have limited mobility options.

I'm no lawyer either, but if street-riding a pedal vehicle (remember that many people once thought bikes- now legal street vehicles- to be inappropriate for the streets) is legal in Ohio, should not a person having physical limitations have the right to street-ride with a stable non-tipping pedal vehicle?

4-wheel pedal vehicles are probably pretty stable too. After all, aren't most cars 4 wheel vehicles?

You can't have it both ways. We admittedly do have a somewhat congested city, and it's always a good thing to encourage exercise, positive socially interactive activities, and the reduction of Lakewood's Bigfoot-sized carbon footprint.

I hope that the Mayor and Council will think this one through all the way. I think that 4-wheeled pedal vehicles could actually be a great idea for Lakewood.

Back to the banjo.

Michael Deneen wrote:Has anyone seen the "quadricyle" that was featured in the PD's Road Rant?
The Mayor thinks it is unsafe on the road, and I tend to agree.
I love biking and want to see more of it in Lakewood.
Based on the photo, this vehicle seems too wide to be a bike.
Plus, the term "bicycle" contains the root "bi-", which means "two".

Thoughts?

http://www.cleveland.com/roadrant/index ... nning.html

Michael

It does indeed raise some serious questions. Luckily this time around Judge Carroll pointed
out that under the law they were ticketed, they were not guilty as the legislature and failed
to describe what a toy car was.

What bother me, is that instead of trying to define what a toy car is, they are talking about
limiting vehicles based on wheels or how they are powered, and that gets even trickier
than banning dog breeds, which makes no sense based on facts.

This is when the city has a chance to shine, or shoot itself in the foot. With all of the
attention being brought to biking, and then directed to Lakewood, Lakewood stands in the
spotlight. Bike laws and lifestyle are well reported on in Lakewood. So does Lakewood
outlaw, a certain form of pedal power, or power for that matter, or the weight of the
vehicle? Do they license everything that goes on the street, or write laws stopping people?

Right now I know of two businesses headed to Lakewood based on biking, the wrong law
could kill two of them. The right law could make the city better, and the good word of
Lakewood travel as fast as it can by bike.

I would say there is a larger discussion about the biking community on the whole and their
place in Lakewood living. But o push "bike ability," then crank down on cyclists seems
pretty counterproductive, and like another shot in the foot.

Right now we have a guy turning gas cars into electric,l pretty successfully out of his
garage. We have two guys turning cars into oil turbines that can process nearly anything
as fuel. We have people looking at other forms of new energy propulsion, and two looking
at much greener ways to move people around. And that is only Lakewoodites!

Most of Clifton Park and local shopping could be golf cart or pedal car. Do we go that route?

Food for thought before they write the NEW LAW!

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I sometimes wonder if the mayor and council remember who elected them and who they are supposed to represent.

Oh, that's right. Mayor Summers ran unopposed. Sigh.....

Anyways, it's depressing to think we approve the McDonalds on Detroit with its Super-Sized drive-thru (two lanes! no waiting!) but we are worried about a pedal bike with four wheels.

What's more distracting to a driver, the four wheeled pedal bike with a surrey or the g*d awful bright lights from the Mickey D's menu signs (INSIDE the restaurant, mind you) when you drive west on Detroit at night?

It's time to define our community and take a stand.

I think you guys aren't looking at this issue from the same perspective I am.
The vehicle is a safety concern. It's too wide to go on a sidewalk and too slow to keep up with the normal flow of car traffic in the street.
That is what the police are supposed to be concerned with...the public safety.

A lot of good points.

Here is the decision by Judge Patrick Carroll in pdf format.

http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/media/docs_1358301799.pdf


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Roy….

You say that a Rhoades is “too slow.” Maybe you can tell me what the minimum speed is for Lakewood roadway operation? Or what you think they should be. And whether all two-wheeled bikes are always capable of keeping up with 25MPH as you suggest they should be able to, no matter the age/experience of the operator. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

You also suggest that using human-powered vehicles on sidewalks would be OK if the vehicle is sufficiently narrow. Please understand that according to Lakewood and Ohio law, this is not always the case. Accordingly to Lakewood and Ohio law bikes sometime MUST stay off sidewalks and frankly are well-advised to do so.

Roy when it comes to cars and bikes sharing our transportation options, you need to become more informed.

PS to Lakewood officials. If you ban properly-equipped four-wheeled options like the Rhoades on our streets you will unwind years of positive options/publicity on Lakewood transportation options. Plus any chance of affirming pedicabs as a marketing opportunity.

Lakewood has a real opportunity here to take a broader look at the world's indebtedness to cycling with more than two wheels.

In Europe, perhaps the first internal combustion vehicle was Herr Benz's 1885 Patent Motorwagen, a good part of which was born through Benz's fascination with bicycles.

By 1893, Orville and Wilbur Wright in Dayton opened their bicycle shop, and it was bicycle technology that provided much of the design (particularly the chain drive train) that went into their first motorized"aeroplane" flight in 1903.

By 1896, Henry Ford developed his powered Quadricycle (Ford's spelling, I believe?) in a shop behind his home using 4 bicycle tires.

Any quick look around the 'net will assure the most casual observer of the validity and safety of properly ridden quadracycles. They are not new either, and have been used daily for many years in progressive major cities and tourist destinations around the world.

Some of the newer ones would appear to be technologically amazing, as well.

Note regarding the notion of "traffic speed" here: Lakewood is a heavily packed residential area. There's no need to be driving fast anyway.

Back to the banjo.

Tim Liston wrote:PS to Lakewood officials. If you ban properly-equipped four-wheeled options like the Rhoades on our streets you will unwind years of positive options/publicity on Lakewood transportation options. Plus any chance of affirming pedicabs as a marketing opportunity.

City Hall are you listening?


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1. Its not just the speed, its also the size. A normal bike is a significantly smaller impediment to a car driver than this vehicle. You can't just drive around this thing without veering significantly into another driving lane.

2. As for speed, I would suspect that a single-person bike is going to be significantly faster, and thus better capable (though not entirely) to keep up with the flow of traffic.

In both respects, I see a greater risk of an accident.

Look, I'm not against the the Rhaodes car, but before you speak out against the police for giving the guy a ticket, think about all the angles. The POV of the car drivers (who must share the roads with it), that of the police (charged with maintaining public safety), not just the guy with the pedal-powered car.

If the goal is to make Lakewood diverse and friendly to all, the city council will have to find a compromise to allow the Rhaodes to share the road with cars.
However, if the goal is to slowly turn Lakewood into a "What-Would-Al-Gore-Do" leftist paradise...

As for biking on the sidewalks, I've lived here for 22.5 years and I've never been told I can't ride on the sidewalks.

I think it's unfortunate that this requires legislation. I say that because to do so would be to create a law to govern at the moment, apparently 1 (one) vehicle owner.

I think our council and court have more important things to do.

What Roy says about 4-wheeled HPVs sharing the road -- that they are wider and slower than typical bikes, and therefore require motorists to slow down more and swerve wider around them when they have the safe opportunity -- is true.

But the instances when this happens are exceedingly rare.

Four wheeled human powered vehicles are much slower than bicycles, and they don't handle as well. They are many times more expensive.

If approximately two percent of Lakewood trips are made by bicycle (probably close to accurate), it's likely that less than one hundredth of one percent of those bicycle trips are made by four wheeled bikes.

That would be .0001 x .02. Do I have that math at least conceptually right, Tim?

We will not see the day when four-wheeled human powered vehicles are at all common. They are novel, not practical. The market forces guarantee that no one will have to deal with this much.

Roy, isn't allowing such vehicles--not regulating them--the conservative thing to do?

We travel a lot and can attest that pedal powered vehicles (most often of the three wheeled variety) are common in many cities and seem to have no trouble intermingling with autos. I think they are more prevalent in countries with warmer climates, where they can be used year round.

I don't think they should be banned in Lakewood, although I think they should be registered and tagged, as should bicycles, and have to comply with the financial responsibility laws, as do cars, but those are matters that should be addressed at the state level.

Public Safety Committee will meet Monday, February 4, 2013 at 5:45 PM at Lakewood City Hall.

Just one item on the agenda ... Municipal Court decision regarding Quadricycles

For those who are intrigued, here is the website for the "vehicle" in question: http://www.rhoadescar.com/index.html

Dominic "Vinnie" Latessa purchased the quadricycle to provide his 11 year old autistic son Tyler the opportunity to 'ride' a bike. Tyler is unable to ride a normal, two wheeled bike. It provides a way for father and son to spend time outside giving Tyler the opportunity to feel the fresh air and enjoy being ridden around the neighborhood. I think it is fantastic that this young father is giving his son these experiences.

I'm hoping the city can figure out a way to work with these types of bikes and keep them legal to ride in Lakewood.

From the president of Rhoades Car International to the Lakewood Public Safety Committee.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Lakewood, Ohio Public Safety Committee:

I am the president of Rhoades Car International, a 22 year old company that makes 4-wheel quadracycles used by people all over the world. Ninety percent of our sales are right here in the United States and we are proud to be a certified Made-in-the-USA company. When 99.56% of all US bicycles are made in either Taiwan or China, we are the exception and very proud of that distinction.

Our quadracycles (still referred to by the masses as 4-wheel bicycles and/or pedal cars) are a well accepted means of transportation all over the country and have been for 22+ years. They follow standard bicycle laws.  We offer 18 different models and they range in width from 38” wide to 53” wide.

Quadracycles have been around since the 1850’s. If you think of it, pedal cars/quadracycles are what Henry Ford started with! We just continue that tradition along with many other quadracycle manufacturers. They are an extremely stable and safe form of human-powered transportation. With our country facing an energy crisis of enormous proportions, alternative means of transportation must be embraced as they are in other states and communities. Let’s not let Lakewood Ohio become unfriendly to alternate forms of transportation but rather take a proactive role in accepting such alternate forms.

As you know, bicycle transportation has become even more popular due to the energy crisis and communities are reacting to that in a positive way by creating bicycle lanes where there were none before, building wider greenways and offering new bicycle-safe signage around the communities to make automobile drivers cognizant of these alternate solutions to automobiles.  When you think of it, a Rhoades Car takes up less room than two side-by-side bicycle riders and we find them on the road all the time! Why would a community like Lakewood take a step backwards by eliminating a much accepted means of human transportation like a Rhoades Car or any other quadracycle for that matter?

I think it is important for you all to understand how vital it is to include quadracycles as an approved form of transportation in Lakewood. People from all walks of life use their Rhoades Car to get around town. They are mindful of local bicycle rules and regulations and typically follow them to the letter. Many of our purchasers have some form of disability which precludes them from driving a motor vehicle. Their Rhoades Car acts as their only means of  transportation in many cases.  Our 4-wheel quads are much safer than any 2 or 3 wheel bike which are allowed on your city streets because of the stability of our 4 wheels. They do not tip over like 2 and 3 wheel bicycles.

In the case that brought this matter before you, Mr. Latessa transports his 11 year old disabled son to school and back. His son absolutely loves his Rhoades Car as you can see by his expression while riding. I can’t imagine Lakewood Ohio taking that away from them or any other law abiding person as long as they obey standard bicycle laws.

To help you understand it better, here are just a few testimonials from Rhoades Car enthusiasts:
My wife and I ride it every other day for four miles. There has been a large improvement - I can walk without a limp. Also, my blood sugar has come under control and greatly lowered my numbers. Since starting the exercise I have lost 36 lbs.” - Ron McPherson, Georgia

From an 80 year old man who has owned his Rhoades Car for 17 years and has put 50,000 miles on it. When asked if it was worth the investment -- “H*** YES! It has been more than worth it. It's the best thing I've ever bought, and I'd be lost without it. It's the best form of transportation I've ever owned, and the best part is NEVER needing gas!” - Carlton R., Paramount, CA

We have literally hundreds of letters just like the ones above but those should give you a flavor of what their quadracycles mean to them.
It is my understanding that a meeting will be held this evening to determine whether to draft a law that would prohibit the use of quadracycles on Lakewood streets. Obviously I am requesting that you do not impose such a restriction on a means of transportation that has been in existence since 1853.  As an alternative, why not require that they have head lights, tail lights, rear view mirrors and turn signals that would make it even safer?

Thank you very much for your consideration.


Bill Pomakoy | President
Rhoades Cars International


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