Sacramento council advances plan for drinking by beer bike riders

Sacramento’s beer bike companies may soon allow passengers to BYOB after Sacramento City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee moved a new ordinance forward Tuesday.

The City Council will have the final say on the ordinance, which doesn’t allow the bike companies to provide alcohol but enables passengers to bring their own limited amounts of beer and wine. Two licensed four-wheeled pedicab businesses operate in the city at the moment, according to a city staff report. The bikes can hold eight or more passengers, and the ordinance would restrict capacity to 15 passengers.

The ordinance requires the bike companies to provide a garbage receptacle. It allows beer bottles and cans but only boxed wine. Each bike allowing alcohol must have a driver and a safety monitor, and both must complete the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s alcohol education program.

Councilman Jeff Harris expressed concerns about the safety of allowing people pedaling between bars to continue consuming alcohol on the bike.

Ryan Moore, principal engineer with the city, said having a safety monitor watch each of the eight to 15 passengers could make the bikes safer than a bar at which people can drink mostly unsupervised.

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Sacramento council advances plan for drinking by beer bike riders."