Pedicab drivers in New York City, often seen in tourist-heavy areas of Manhattan, are predominantly immigrants, as indicated by a word cloud analysis of their names from the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs license dataset. This dataset includes 1,173 licensed drivers, providing insights into their backgrounds and residential patterns. Brooklyn emerges as the most common borough from which these drivers hail, particularly with a notable concentration in Brighton Beach (zip code 11235). A small percentage reside outside the five boroughs. The distribution of pedicab drivers shows significant geographical clusters, especially in southwest Brooklyn, with other clusters in Queens, upper Manhattan, and parts of the Bronx. This clustering might reflect job propagation within specific immigrant communities, similar to other localized employment trends seen in the city. The analysis suggests that these drivers, who must navigate the city’s streets while ferrying passengers, likely face long commutes home, possibly by bike.
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