Rules Committee backs six-month emerging-technology work group to study permits and safety

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on April 11 voted to send to the full Board a resolution directing the city administrator to convene a six-month working group to develop regulatory and permitting recommendations for ‘‘emerging technologies’’ that have a physical effect on public space.

Supervisor Yee introduced the resolution and said the goal is to anticipate technologies that may affect sidewalks, streets and other public infrastructure. ‘‘It is our responsibility as a city to get a handle on this,’’ he said, citing recent appearances of delivery robots, dockless scooters and other devices on sidewalks. City Administrator Naomi Kelly told the committee her office supports the resolution and called for a balanced work group representing community advocates, departments, industry stakeholders and academics to develop ‘‘best practices’’ and a one-stop permit model.

Dylan L. Young, SFMTA local government affairs, and staff from the SFMTA’s Office of Innovation described existing internal coordination and offered the agency’s emerging-mobility steering committee as a template the task force could use. John Scarpulla of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said early involvement of agencies can prevent negative impacts on infrastructure and may identify benefits for PUC operations, such as remote monitoring of watersheds.

Public commenters, including pedestrian- and disability-rights advocates, urged the committee to prioritize sidewalk access and cumulative impacts. One speaker asked the committee to consider a moratorium on new devices until a permitting framework is in place; others urged expedited work to prevent safety incidents.

The resolution asks the city administrator to convene a broadly representative work group, produce recommendations within six months and consider whether a dedicated office or advisory committee on emerging technology is necessary. The committee accepted technical amendments and forwarded the measure to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

Next steps: The full Board will receive the resolution on the April 17 agenda. The work group's membership list, timeline and deliverables will be developed by the city administrator per the resolution.