San Francisco mayor urges state to tighten robotaxi regulations after recent Waymo disruptions

San Francisco mayor urges state to tighten robotaxi regulations after recent Waymo disruptions San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling on California transportation officials to strengthen regulations governing self-driving vehicles, arguing that two recent incidents exposed gaps in how robotaxis operate during major emergencies and large public events. In a letter sent Thursday to the California transportation secretary, Lurie said the state should adopt new safety requirements for autonomous vehicle companies after disruptions during San Francisco's Fourth of July fireworks celebration and a widespread power outage last December. Christopher White, executive director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, said the city's July 4 celebration demonstrated how quickly autonomous vehicles can contribute to gridlock when traffic conditions become unpredictable. More than 100,000 people packed San Francisco's waterfront for the annual fireworks show. Despite advance planning and a geofence intended to manage traffic, White said robotaxis struggled to navigate the crowds. "It took a lot of people a very long time to get where they were going," said White. "There was a lot of road obstruction." According to city officials and transportation advocates, several autonomous vehicles stalled in travel lanes. Muni shuttle buses became trapped in the same congestion, and some vehicles reportedly ran out of battery power. Tow trucks dispatched to remove disabled vehicles were also unable to reach them because of the traffic, with some removals taking three to four hours. "We've seen this now twice in San Francisco," said Marc Vukcevich, director of state policy for Streets For All. Vukcevich also pointed to the city's major power outage in December, when nearly 130,000 San Franciscans lost electricity. Traffic signals went dark across roughly one-third of the city, and autonomous vehicles stopped in intersections, blocking major streets. "It's a challenge that causes real street safety concerns," he said. "Anytime the public right