Councilmember Charles Allen opened the committee hearing by listing three bills under consideration, including the Personal Delivery Device Weight Limit Amendment Act of 2025. The bill would raise the statutory maximum weight for personal delivery devices (PDDs) — sidewalk robots used for short ‘‘last‑mile’’ deliveries — from 90 pounds to no more than 275 pounds (cargo excluded).

Why it matters: industry witnesses said the existing 90‑pound limit, set in 2018, now blocks newer devices that weigh more but offer longer range, larger cargo holds and 0‑emission delivery. Yariel Diaz, director of government affairs for Serv Robotics, told the committee Serv's devices weigh about 225 pounds, operate at pedestrian pace for roughly 1.5‑mile trips, and run up to 14 hours on a single charge. ‘‘Updating the weight limit is essential to enabling the next generation of safer, more efficient devices to serve district residents,’’ Diaz said.

Cocoa Robotics' vice president for government relations, Carl Hansen, cited his company's experience in U.S. and European cities and noted Cocoa has completed more than 500,000 deliveries elsewhere. Sean Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, urged passage on economic grounds: he said heavier PDDs could expand affordable delivery options for restaurants facing tight margins and the association encouraged DDOT to implement regulations promptly.

DDOT pause and regulatory focus: Sharon Kirschbaum, director of the District Department of Transportation, told the committee DDOT currently permits one operator (Kiwibot) with a cap of 25 devices operating near university campuses and that an emergency change this summer temporarily allowed devices up to 250 pounds. She said DDOT has paused applications while it studies how to account for larger devices and overlapping service areas among multiple operators, and to understand how PDDs interact with pedestrians and wheelchair users. ‘‘It is critical for DDOT to see that these devices are not creating a new hazard especially before permitting heavier, larger devices,’’ Kirschbaum said.

Operational and equity questions: witnesses and committee members discussed hubs and logistics for PDD fleets, the role of remote operators and how much travel is autonomous versus supervised. Diaz and Hansen described hybrid operating models — autonomous travel on sidewalks with remote pilots monitoring and intervening — and said most current deployments include real‑time monitoring and factory/vehicle safety procedures. Restaurants asked about how deliveries are handed off inside businesses; Serv and Cocoa said in practice restaurants receive a robot arrival notice, place the order inside a cargo bay, and then release it to the customer.

Pilot design and next steps: DDOT emphasized that dimensions and sidewalk width matter as much or more than raw weight; Kirschbaum said a narrow, heavy device could create greater accessibility conflicts. The agency said it wants to place technical limits in regulation (dimensions, weight thresholds, operating areas and interaction rules) and to observe current permitted operations before expanding permits. No vote took place; the committee left the record open for written testimony through Oct. 30, 2025.

Ending note: proponents said heavier PDDs can replace car trips and reduce congestion and emissions; DDOT said it supports innovation but wants a regulated, safety‑driven rollout before expanding permits.