State officials are questioning the future of the Fire Island Pedicab service operating between Robert Moses Field 5, the Fire Island Lighthouse, and the outskirts of Kismet. Justin Galbraith, the owner of Fire Island Pedicab, is fighting to preserve his service and has started a petition to demonstrate public support.
George Gorman, Long Island regional director for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, told Newsday that the future of the service will be determined by New York State over four to six weeks. The review will end with the state shutting down the service or planning a proposal process in which companies could bid to continue the service under a contract with the state.
Gorman also said the review was triggered because businesses that provide a service on state park property that earns more than $25,000 a year require a contract with the state instead of a permit. According to Galbraith, Fire Island Pedicab has been operating under annual permits and made more than $25,000 last season.
Gorman responded to a Fire Island News inquiry saying: “We are performing an analysis of the pedicab operation within Field 5 at Robert Moses State Park. The operation has grown from one pedicab to six pedicabs, with a booth and several storage units. The revenue has grown dramatically and passed the $25,000 threshold for us to go through the request for proposal process.”
Galbraith told Fire Island News that he was never informed about the $25,000 rule and that he had already purchased an additional pedicab and a season’s worth of insurance before he was informed that his permit would not be renewed for 2025. “It was a shocker, it was a right hook, nobody saw this coming,” Galbraith said. He also said that his company would bid for the contract if the state decides to go in that direction. He expressed skepticism that another company could come in and run the service and emphasized that his business already has the needed equipment and experience.
Currently, Fire Island Pedicab operates three pedicabs on Fire Island and seasonally employs 17 people. The previous summer they had been working with six pedicabs (a number Galbraith argues is optimal for the service) but three of those vehicles have been moved to a new Bay Shore-based branch of the service for permit compliance reasons. The Fire Island branch of the service is based out of a hut in Robert Moses Field 5 and offers $5 rides to the Fire Island Lighthouse and $10 rides to the outskirts of Kismet with children 12 and under riding for free. Galbraith said that he got the idea for the business as a teenager but did not implement it until his own teenage daughter informed him after a long walk down the dusty Burma Road that she would never be making the walk again.
Fire Island News conducted an informal poll in the Kismet Homeowners Facebook group and 73% of the 108 group members voted in the poll that they approved of the pedicab as of August 22, 2024. Group members also shared their thoughts about the service. Julie Anne, one of these members, praised the pedicab’s flexibility and said “My family and I love the pedicab and it’s become necessary for us to be able to get to Kismet.” One anonymous member said “My daughter has two very young children which makes it difficult to manage around the ferry schedule. The ease of traveling to Field 5 and hopping on a cab for a fun ride is a wonderful option.” Mary Pat Boyle, another member, said the pedicab “not only offers a great affordable service for homeowners” but “also brings in revenue to the restaurants,” other businesses, and the lighthouse. Other members, including Ernie Behrens and Jennifer Klein Borgese, pointed out the utility of the pedicab for disabled people. Others expressed nuanced views, praising the service while endorsing limitations on its hours of operation, vehicle speeds, and drop-off locations or suggested adding waiting area benches.
Some members were more hostile to the pedicab. Marc Roth said, “If people want to come to Kismet and not take the ferry then they should walk in as I do.” While Lisa Chriss expressed concern about the pedicab bringing in too many day trippers saying: “I don’t think the pedicab serves the best interests of Kismet. I think that they bring far too many day trippers to a community that is already inundated with them.” Roz Sackoff also expressed concern about the pedicab bringing in day trippers who “wreak havoc in our community.”
Galbraith rejected the idea that the pedicab increases crime in Kismet. He insisted that the pedicab service is “the eyes and ears” of Kismet and law enforcement in Field 5. He said he and his staff have helped recover stolen bikes, pick up litter, assist during medical emergencies, put out a car fire, and coordinate with emergency services. He even claimed to have helped assist a man suffering from a heart attack in Field 5 on July 27, 2024.
In addition to the petition, Galbraith has also been emailing with a state senator and has hired a lawyer in his efforts to save his pedicab service. Time will tell if his efforts are successful.
