San Francisco seeks tougher robotaxi rules after Waymo meltdown fed holiday traffic chaos

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling for new statewide standards governing autonomous vehicles during major events and emergencies after traffic gridlock involving Waymo vehicles during the city's Fourth of July celebrations. In a letter to California's transportation secretary, Lurie urged stronger regulation following congestion on July 4 and during a citywide power outage in December. More than 100,000 people came to San Francisco for Fourth of July fireworks festivities. According to the letter, much of the traffic disruption was attributed to Waymo vehicles and gaps in existing state oversight. The letter said the incident demonstrated that California's current regulatory framework does not adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents, planned or not. Some residents have called for Waymo vehicles to be kept off the streets during large events. Lynnet Spiegel, who said she was stuck behind six Waymo vehicles during the holiday, said they definitely should not be around when there are big events happening because it just screws up the whole entire city. Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor and transportation technology scholar, said restricting autonomous vehicles during major events could be a short-term solution in some situations but not a permanent one. Lurie also said that during the July 4 gridlock, reports indicated that public safety manual overrides did not work as designed for Waymo vehicles. Smith said the incident should be viewed as a warning sign. The mayor is calling for a functioning override system, greater transparency before, during and after major events, and proof that autonomous vehicle systems can handle large-scale incidents. In a statement, Waymo said it has successfully supported some of San Francisco's biggest events and will continue working with city agencies. The company said it is collaborating with officials on lessons learned from the millions of rides it has provided in San Francisco.