The Pedicabber

J.P. Taboada has been pedicabbing and racing bikes around Austin for three and a half years. Hover over the photos to read about J.P.

J.P. Taboada makes a living giving rides on his pedicab in downtown Austin and selling his meditative line art. He is an avid racer and says he loves biking in Austin. East Austin, November 23, 2016.

J.P. recently got into an accident with a car while commuting downtown. He thinks the troubles cyclists face in the city center mostly arise from a lack of awareness on the part of drivers who need to check their mirrors better when turning. Downtown Austin, September 25, 2016.

Pedicabbing in Austin is so lucrative that pedicabbers come from surrounding cities during festival season to provide safe rides to party-goers commuting from Zilker Park to downtown. J.P. says that pedicabbers provide an invaluable service to the c…

Pedicabbing in Austin is so lucrative that pedicabbers come from surrounding cities during festival season to provide safe rides to party-goers commuting from Zilker Park to downtown. J.P. says that pedicabbers provide an invaluable service to the city on weekends, preventing many people from driving drunk in downtown. Drunk drivers are a big concern for night cyclists in Austin. Austin City Limits, October 1, 2016.

J.P. emphasized that pedicabbers play an important part in creating the exciting atmosphere that attracts tourists to downtown Austin, but the city provides little support for small businesses like the pedicab companies who are being priced out of their shop locations close to downtown. September 25, 2016.