Naperville closer to banning party bikes downtown

Naperville City Council members made it clear Tuesday: No party bikes in the downtown.

The council, by a 5-3 vote, took a preliminary step toward banning the large, multiperson bicycles popular for pub crawls in the downtown and on all arterial roadways, saying the bikes would tie up traffic and not fit within the city's family-friendly image.

To enact the ban, the council will need to approve an ordinance that staff members will work to draft.

Until then, the council, with member John Krummen recusing himself, sent a message to party bike operators about the city's desire to keep the vehicles out of the central business district.

"I just don't see it fitting into downtown Naperville," council member Becky Anderson said.

The three council members who voted against the idea of a ban downtown and on arterial streets wanted to take it a step further and prohibit party bikes citywide.

"I don't see Naperville as being a community that would embrace something like this," council member Patty Gustin said. "Our streets are rather narrow; we already have traffic that has a lot of congestion."

Council member Kevin Coyne, who joined Anderson and Gustin in voting against the partial ban, said he's heard consistent feedback from residents and businesses throughout the city. Although it does have spots for night life, Coyne said Naperville doesn't see itself as a major bar scene and doesn't want party bikes to create that type of atmosphere.

"In no context did there seem to be a desire to see these in our city," he said, "not just in the downtown, but really anywhere."

The issue came to the council's attention after O'Brien's Pedal Pub operator Monica Bennett sought a liquor license to allow guests to bring their own alcoholic beverages, and after Shane Dunn brought his Minneapolis-based business PedalPub to the Naperville Winter Ale Fest.

The liquor commission denied Bennett's request for a bring-your-own-beverage license, but city attorneys determined there was nothing prohibiting her from driving the vehicle around city streets.

Dunn said PedalPub is a draw that boosts tourism and gives people a unique way to travel to destinations they already frequent. But council members doubted whether party bikes could help the retail and restaurant scene.

"People already tell us they don't want to come downtown because of the traffic," council member Benjamin White said.

"You add this in there, I think it's going to be a negative economic impact to the city for those businesses."