Now bar-hoppers along Greenville Avenue have a new means of getting around. Revolution Pedi-Cab, established by Californian Jason Norwood, started taking patrons via bicycle down the busy nightspot street two weeks ago.

Cyclists pick up passengers on Lower Greenville between Mockingbird Station and Ross Avenue. They use mountain bikes, with trailers built to seat two to three people, though they can accommodate four people.

In addition to the rail station, the bikes will park near the Blue Fish restaurant at McCommas Avenue, the Blue Goose restaurant at Goodwin Avenue and Uncle Dan’s Pawn at Ross Avenue.

The bikes run Thursday through Saturday and are available from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Pedi-cab drivers do not charge for their services. Instead, customers are encouraged to leave an appropriate tip.

Originally, the cyclists took people around the West End and Deep Ellum areas, with occasional trips to the Smirnoff Music Centre.

Dallas bureaucracy has frustrated the Norwood, who has had difficulty receiving approval for more cabs and permission to go to the American Airlines Center.

City ordinances require each must have taillights, headlights and a slow-moving vehicle sign. The pedaling chauffeur must wear a helmet, have a city permit and have taken a defensive-driving course.

The bicycle cabs usually don’t exceed 15 miles per hour and usually go much slower, and on the fast-paced, slow-moving streets of Deep Ellum and the West End, dawdling traffic is unwanted by the city of Dallas.

“Traffic engineers have a real problem with slow-moving vehicles,” said Don Bearden, an administrator for Dallas’ Transportation Regulation Division, in a recent article in the Dallas Morning News.

Other concerns have blocked the appropriate permits too.

Revolution’s riders used to roam the West End, finding patrons in parking lots and restaurants, then taking them back and forth. They don’t sit at cab stations or follow regular routes.

“With their kind of vehicle, they have the ability to hop curbs, to weave in and out of pedestrian traffic,” said Greg Schooley, executive director of the West End Association.

Regulators also want to weigh the impact of more permits on traffic before granting more permits.

“I’ve basically had to abandon Deep Ellum and the West End,” Norwood said.

He has had similar problems on the SMU campus.

“We tried to come to the first game, to drive people around, but we were turned away by the campus police,” Norwood said.

He attempted to talk to different people in the administration and was directed toward David Miller of the athletic department.

“He wasn’t really helpful,” Norwood said. “I just wanted to know what I had to do to be allowed on the campus, but I could never find out.”

Miller was unavailable for comment.

Norwood now has seven cyclists doing rounds on Lower Greenville.

“Our first weekend on Lowest Greenville went really well. People seemed to really like us,” he said. “We seemed to have a lot of SMU students who wanted to be taken back to campus.”

However, Norwood declined, not sure if it would exceed his permit.

“Parking is such a problem [on Greenville],” he said. “Once it gets late, all the parking spots are taken. With our service, people can park a little farther away and just call me. I can be there in just a couple minutes.”

Tony Wortham, president of the Historic Greenville Avenue Bar Association, agreed. “It’s a great idea. This will add a whole new dimension to Greenville Avenue. This should be a good addition to the tour area. Maybe this will ease some people’s hassles,” he said.

Norwood is looking to expand his crew of riders. Cyclists earn on average $20 an hour, ride 20 to 25 miles a night, and make their own hours.

“They all just sit down with me, and we make the schedule,” said Norwood.

To contact Revolution Pedi-Cab, call (214) 597-7588 or e-mail Jason Norwood at [email protected].