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Advocates urge caution over Waymo robotaxi testing on car‑free Market Street
Summary
At the San Francisco County Transportation Authority meeting April 22, pedestrian and bicycling advocates warned that Waymo’s planned mapping and possible testing on Market Street could undermine a decade‑long effort to keep private vehicles off the corridor and could increase danger and delay for people walking, biking and taking transit.
At the April 22 meeting of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, public commenters and bicycle advocates urged city officials to resist allowing Waymo’s robotaxis to return to Market Street.
The remarks followed an item in the executive director’s report noting that Waymo will begin mapping at San Francisco International Airport and on the car‑free stretch of Market Street and that driverless testing could begin this summer, subject to future permitting and monitoring. Director Chang said the authority has met with SFO staff and plans to seek incremental approvals and data reporting if testing moves forward.
“Removing private vehicles from Market Street was a decade‑long campaign,” said Jody Maderas of Walk San Francisco, arguing that bringing back driverless vehicles risks reversing safety gains: “Starting to bring back traffic to Market Street with AVs is a step in the wrong direction for our city.”
Christopher White, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, told the board the mayor’s announcement permitting Waymo to map the corridor “upends overnight more than a decade of intensive public input and collaboration that led to car‑free Market.” White said there has been “no real analysis of safety impacts” and warned that more vehicles would slow Muni and make the street “more dangerous for vulnerable users.”
Director Chang discussed planning and possible incremental approval processes, saying staff had met with SFO and would focus on data collection, monitoring and reporting if mapping and testing proceed. He said the agency intends to provide input on planning and permitting provisions.
The meeting record shows public concern focused on safety for pedestrians and transit reliability, and on the precedent of permitting autonomous vehicle operations on a corridor that the city and community groups worked for years to make car‑free. The board did not take formal action on the matter at this meeting.
Staff and commissioners said they will continue coordinating with city and airport partners as permitting and monitoring details are developed.
