Pedicabs are coming to KC’s Plaza ahead of World Cup. Why were they banned there?
When Atticus Sloan was growing up in the Brookside area, he would often ride his bike with family or friends to the Country Club Plaza.
He said the century-old shopping and dining district — with its Spanish-inspired design — is an iconic part of the city.
But for years, Sloan could not use his bike to help get visitors to the Plaza. His ride-hailing service, E-Z Pedicabs, was barred from traveling there by a city ordinance that restricted certain kinds of transportation in the area.
That’s changing now, as the City Council recently approved updating the “vehicles for hire” ordinance to remove the ban on pedicabs in the Plaza.
Sloan said the change will likely help expand his business and allow for more visitors to easily travel.
“The Plaza has been a special place for me and it is for so many people here in town,” Sloan said. “For visitors, it’s a staple for Kansas City, so we’re excited.”
Pedicabs are an alternative transportation option that feature pedal tricycles shuttling riders in a small cab. They are often used in high-traffic cities and are a common transportation method of choice for tourists and during major events.
Sloan’s business has been operating throughout the city for two years, mostly focusing on downtown, he said. But when he’d get requests from riders to take them to the Plaza, Sloan would have to tell them he could only take them nearby.
With the change, that’s no longer the case. Sloan said his pedicabs can now get riders from as far as downtown to the Plaza, which may take only about 15 minutes.
He said he wants his business to serve as a tour guide of Kansas City, especially with the FIFA World Cup and thousands of expected visitors coming to town. That includes highlighting the many fountains that gave the city its nickname — many of which dot the Plaza district.
“We’re excited that we can take people exactly where they want to go,” Sloan said. “Most times we can take you right to the entrance or drop you right off at the door.”
Why were they banned?
It’s not entirely clear why pedicabs were originally banned. Though, city officials and business owners believe it was to protect the horse-drawn carriages that were a former staple in the Plaza, but now only operate during the holidays.
First District Councilmember Kevin O’Neill said the horse carriage rides are not as common as they once were, allowing for the “convenient and sustainable” pedicabs to come in.
“Now that they don’t have horse-drawn carriages,” O’Neill said, “the horses aren’t scared when the pedicabs drive by.”
Fourth District Councilmember Eric Bunch also suggested horses were the cause.
Bunch said an earlier push by a pedicab business to change the ordinance was shut down by former council members. He was policy director for the advocacy group BikeWalkKC at the time, and the horse-carriage business wanted to keep pedicabs out of their service area.
“They wanted to continue the monopoly of shuttling people around the Plaza,” Bunch said during a City Council committee meeting.
Sloan has been trying to get the ordinance changed since his business started two years ago. He said the ban may have been trying to address traffic congestion because earlier versions of pedicabs could not travel the speed of traffic.
Now, though, his pedicabs feature eco-friendly electric motor assistance, allowing for them to travel faster and easier. He said the pedicabs can also use the city’s bike lanes to avoid cars and free up the road.
“We don’t want to congest traffic, we want to alleviate traffic,” Sloan said. “We can move people and pedestrians a lot easier than cars that stop and block up a whole lane.”
Plaza support
Plaza ownership and business tenants in the shopping center appear to back the idea.
Sixth District Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, who represents the Plaza area, told the City Council that the owners of the Country Club Plaza, Gillon Property Group, supported the change.
In a statement provided to The Star, a representative for the Country Club Plaza said the organization was focused on providing a safe and enjoyable experience in the area, particularly for the World Cup festivities this summer.
“We are proud to be part of this global moment and will continue working alongside city leaders and community partners to deliver an exceptional experience that reflects the very best of Kansas City,” the organization said in an emailed statement.
Buddy Lahl, CEO for the Missouri Restaurant Association that represents many of the restaurants in the Plaza, said dining operators are excited about the prospect of pedicabs bringing in more customers. He called the pedicabs “fun and exciting.”
Lahl also commended the Plaza’s management, which took over the 15-block district in 2024, for helping the change to happen and aiming to revitalize the area.
“They’re trying to bring back the authenticity and the prestige,” Lahl said. “I think the pedicabs just enhance that.”
