San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Calls on State to Tighten Autonomous Vehicle Regulations
After recent traffic meltdowns involving Waymo vehicles during major events, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling on state regulators to set new standards for autonomous vehicles.
The mayor sent a letter to state Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin on Thursday highlighting the recent traffic jams involving Waymo cars on the Fourth of July and last year during the city’s widespread power outages.
“Regulating for typical conditions is no longer enough,” Lurie wrote. “California’s challenge now is not just whether autonomous vehicles can operate safely under normal conditions, but also whether they can perform reliably during extraordinary ones.”
Lurie, a moderate Democrat, has championed San Francisco as the birthplace of autonomous vehicles, which he views as a boon to the city’s local economy.
But criticism after high-profile events like the Fourth of July fireworks display over the Golden Gate Bridge, when dozens of stalled Waymo vehicles delayed traffic, has led him to strike a more tempered tune around Waymo and other self-driving car companies.
Lurie wrote that all autonomous vehicle companies should be able to prove they are ready for large crowds and changing traffic patterns during major events before they are deployed.
“Even before the fireworks began, Waymo vehicles struggled to navigate growing volumes of vehicular traffic and pedestrians. By the end of the fireworks show, autonomous vehicles became immobilized in travel lanes, blocking key streets and ultimately bringing traffic to a standstill. Muni shuttles were trapped in the gridlock,” the letter read.
The California Public Utilities Commission and Department of Motor Vehicles regulate autonomous vehicles, and while Lurie’s letter could help generate attention and pressure, he has little authority to set standards for the technology, even in his own city.
The mayor’s letter comes after increasing scrutiny over Waymo traffic disruptions from city supervisors like Bilal Mahmood, who called on the company to report what led to several of their taxis being stranded during a massive blackout in parts of the city last December. He has also submitted a letter of inquiry on the July 4 traffic breakdown.
Supervisor Jackie Fielder also questioned vehicle safety after a Waymo ran over and killed a local bodega cat in the Mission District last year, drawing attention to local governments’ lack of control over how autonomous vehicles are deployed.
Waymo appeared before the Board of Supervisors at a public hearing in March, where first responders said the vehicles can pose serious risks to emergency services by blocking streets.
“I just don’t think this is ready right now,” Sam Gebler, president of the local firefighters’ union, said of autonomous vehicle technology. “We have seen situations where they travel in a long line and if the first one doesn’t know what to do, the rest turn into paperweights, and it causes a chain reaction that blocks the road.”
The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Lurie’s letter.
“Each transportation innovation has evolved over time to meet the needs of a dynamic city,” the mayor wrote. “We believe now is the time for regulators and autonomous vehicle companies to evolve as well.”