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A Trolley Pub tour stopped on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor on April 29, 2016. Passengers no longer will be allowed to bring and drink alcohol under proposed city regulations awaiting final approval from the City Council next month.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR, MI -- Drinking wine or beer while you ride a pedal trolley through downtown Ann Arbor might quickly become a thing of the past.

The city of Ann Arbor is moving to ban alcohol consumption on pedal trolleys that have started operating in the city.

The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to give initial approval to a new local ordinance regulating pedal trolleys, which are legally known as commercial quadricycles under the state vehicle code.

"If we're going to write somebody a ticket for walking down the street with a beer, I don't think we can really be consistent and allow somebody to sit on a quadricycle and not be cited for that," said Council Member Chip Smith, D-5th Ward, speaking in support of the alcohol ban.

A trolley from High Five Pedal Tours makes its way down Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor on April 29, 2016. High Five already does not allow alcohol on its tours.

The four-wheeled, open-air vehicles -- often thought of as pubs on wheels -- are capable of seating a dozen or more passengers who propel the trolley using pedals, while a chauffeur handles the steering and braking.

Ann Arbor's proposed ordinance, which would prohibit the transportation or possession of alcohol on pedal trolleys, awaits final approval on June 6. If approved, the new rules are expected to take effect July 1.

There are two companies currently offering pedal trolley tours in downtown Ann Arbor -- Trolley Pub and High Five Pedal Tours.

Prices for a two-hour tour can range from $350 to $400.

Trolley Pub, which began operating last September, allows passengers to bring and drink their own beer or wine.

High Five Pedal Tours, an official PedalPub licensee that began operating in March, already does not allow alcohol.

Gov. Rick Snyder last July signed legislation allowing pedal trolley passengers to consume alcohol they bring on board, with the requirement that the operator is not under the influence of alcohol and has proof of liability insurance.

Local municipalities are allowed to prohibit onboard alcohol consumption at their discretion, but Ann Arbor hasn't enacted any local regulations yet.

The proposed regulations have been worked out by the city attorney's office and the City Council's Liquor License Review Committee.

Smith, a member of the committee, said Ann Arbor is following the lead of many other communities that have decided to prohibit alcohol on pedal trolleys.

Council Member Sumi Kailasapathy, another member of the committee, said the city doesn't allow people to drink and drive, so it would be kind of a double standard to allow people to drink and pedal a trolley.

Jane Lumm, a member of the City Council's Liquor License Review Committee, believes it's important to ban alcohol on pedal trolleys in Ann Arbor.

Kailasapathy said the regulations are intended to ensure safety, not to moralize about alcohol.

Council Member Jane Lumm, another member of the committee, said Mary Joan Fales, senior assistant city attorney, has put a lot of time and effort into crafting the regulations. The city has looked to other Michigan communities where pedal trolleys are operating -- Grand Rapids, Bay City, Traverse City and Marquette -- for guidance, as it's still a relatively new phenomenon in Ann Arbor.

Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, said he's not sure he'll support the ordinance at second reading. He wonders if the city might be over-regulating pedal trolleys with the proposed requirements for seat belts and not allowing people to hail a trolley they see on the street.

He noted people are allowed to hail pedicabs that operate in the city, and that's part of the allure, giving people a chance to say, "Oh, wow. That looks fun. Can we do it?" He's also not sold on prohibiting alcohol.

"I agree that we need some regulations, but I'm worried that this is going too far," he said.

"You can be in a licensed limo with a professional driver and have an open container there. And so there are business models that are operating in our city now where people are inside a moving vehicle with open containers of alcohol."

Trolley Pub's maiden voyage in downtown Ann Arbor 38 Gallery: Trolley Pub's maiden voyage in downtown Ann Arbor

The city clerk's office will be handling the permitting process for pedal trolleys in Ann Arbor if the regulations are approved.

The proposed ordinance would require all pedal trolleys to be inspected by the Ann Arbor Police Department prior to operation. No license or renewal would be granted without the city's approval of the routes and vehicle.

Trolleys would need to have front and rear turn signals, headlights, taillights, rearview mirror, bell or horn, seat belts for passengers, reflectors on each wheel and at each corner of the trolley, and a proper braking system.

"A vehicle must not have any cracks, broken or missing parts, or other visible damage," the proposed ordinance states, adding that trolleys also must be kept "clean and free of refuse and in safe operating condition."

Owners would need to have liability insurance covering up to $1 million for bodily injuries or property damages.

Operating permits could be denied, suspended or revoked by the city based on several grounds, including certain criminal convictions.

Pedal trolleys would be subject to all applicable traffic laws and would not be allowed on streets with speed limits greater than 25 mph.

They also would not be allowed on Main Street during rush hour from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. There would be operational prohibitions within designated areas or specific streets during some special events such as the Art Fair, and they would not be allowed to operate on any Michigan Stadium event days, including when there are home football games.

Dave Cicotte, owner of High Five Pedal Tours, raised concerns Monday night about the proposed seat belt requirement for pedal trolleys.

All pedal trolley rides would need to be pre-arranged, meaning they couldn't act as taxis and pick up business on the street.

Council Member Kirk Westphal, D-2nd Ward, said he'd like to hear more about the experience of other communities with that.

"I understand the Taxicab Board may not be pleased with people hailing these vehicles, but if that is safe and seems to work in other communities, it would be interesting to hear some feedback," he said.

Council Member Zachary Ackerman, another member of the Liquor License Review Committee, said the pedal trolley business owners have been involved in the process. He said they seem to be professional and responsible partners in making the regulations safe and effective.

Dave Cicotte, owner of High Five Pedal Tours, raised concerns Monday night about the seat belt requirement, suggesting that in a worst-case scenario, if the trolley was hit or about to tip over, it would be safer if passengers weren't belted and could easily bail from their seats. High Five has barstool-style seats and likely would need to retrofit them to add seat belts.

Fales said Lt. Renee Bush of the Ann Arbor Police Department reached out to several communities to inquire about possible traffic crashes involving pedal trolleys and found they were "de minimis or none."

"You know, a couple of rear ends, but basically there just weren't any -- there wasn't any accident or crash history for commercial quadricycles that she was able to gather based on other communities," Fales said, noting the city also sought input from the downtown business community.

If Ann Arbor decides to ban drinking on pedal trolleys, a Trolley Pub managing partner said last fall the company would comply and still offer alcohol-free tours.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.