San Francisco mayor asks state to tighten autonomous vehicle rules after Waymo traffic jam
11 reported
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has asked California state regulators to strengthen rules for autonomous vehicles after a July 4 traffic jam involving Waymo robotaxis. The incident, which occurred nearly two weeks before the mayor’s request, left Waymo vehicles immobile in heavy holiday traffic, where they ran out of power and blocked key streets, compounding gridlock that trapped municipal shuttles and affected thousands of people. In a letter viewed by TechCrunch, Lurie cited two events — a December power outage and the July 4 Golden Gate Bridge fireworks show that drew 100,000 spectators — that each led to dozens of stranded Waymo vehicles and paralyzed traffic. The mayor argued that California’s current regulatory framework does not adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents, whether planned or unplanned. He proposed four “core operational capabilities” that autonomous vehicle manufacturers should demonstrate, including the ability to immediately remove or relocate robotaxis from active travel lanes, adapt routes and service areas in real time, share real-time operations data with local agencies, and prove through testing they can handle large influxes of people and traffic. Lurie noted that Waymo had voluntarily restricted its service on July 4 near the waterfront and assigned a representative to the city’s emergency center, but those measures were insufficient to keep vehicles out of heavy traffic outside that district. The mayor stated that the proposed requirements “will not undermine autonomous vehicles; they will strengthen them.”
What’s reported
Mayor Daniel Lurie asked state regulators to bolster rules for autonomous vehicles nearly two weeks after Waymo robotaxis became immobile in heavy July 4 traffic, ran out of power, and blocked key streets.
The traffic jam trapped municipal shuttles and became a citywide problem affecting thousands of people.
Lurie’s letter to the state Department of Transportation pointed to two events: a widespread power outage in December and the July 4 Golden Gate Bridge fireworks show that attracted 100,000 spectators, both leading to dozens of stranded Waymo vehicles and paralyzed traffic.
Lurie said California’s current regulatory framework does not adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents.
He proposed four “core operational capabilities”: immediately remove or relocate robotaxis from active travel lanes; adapt routes, service area, and pickup/drop-off locations in real time; share real-time operations data with local agencies; and demonstrate through testing they can handle large influxes of people and traffic.
Waymo had agreed to restrict its service on July 4 near the waterfront and assigned a representative to the city’s emergency center, but that was not enough to keep Waymos out of heavy traffic outside that district.
Lurie said these voluntary actions are no longer enough, reflecting the size of Waymo’s fleet.
Six companies — including Nuro, Waymo, and Zoox — hold driverless testing permits in California.
Waymo is the largest, with an estimated 1,000 robotaxis operating in the Bay Area.
Waymo operates in 11 cities and completes more than 500,000 paid rides every week.
TechCrunch has reached out to Waymo for comment.
Key figures
Daniel Lurie, mayor of San Francisco
Waymo (autonomous vehicle company)
Nuro (autonomous vehicle company)
Zoox (autonomous vehicle company)
Uber (premium robotaxi service operator)
Tesla (robotaxi service operator using driver-assistance system)
Sources: TechCrunch
