As autonomous driving companies begin to make inroads to San Diego, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors Thursday voted nearly unanimously to oppose the expansion of the technology without local regulation or oversight.
In November, self-driving ride-share company Waymo announced plans to bring its autonomous taxi service to San Diego, prompting San Diego City Councilman and MTS Board Member Sean Elo-Rivera to propose the resolution.
"San Diego's drivers help keep this city moving, fed and well- supplied," said Elo-Rivera, chair of the MTS Board's Taxi Advisory Committee. "These are hardworking people who rely on driving to pay rent, put food on the table and care for their families. No corporation should be allowed to quietly replace people with machines just to boost profits, especially without local communities having any say. We are drawing a line: Corporate profit must not come at the expense of people's livelihoods or our democracy."
In a 12-1 vote, the board approved urging the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to restore the right of cities to determine whether they will allow driverless vehicles.
The board also agreed to submit letters of protest to the California Public Utilities Commission and California Department of Motor Vehicles regarding Waymo's expansion to the greater San Diego area, as well as supporting an outright ban at San Diego International Airport to protect airport workers and public safety.
"We roll autonomously like our burritos — California style," a blog post from Waymo read. "Waymo is excited to bring San Diego riders the same safe, reliable and magical autonomous ride-hailing service that carries hundreds of thousands of people already in five cities across the U.S., with plans to begin serving the city next year."
Along with San Diego, the company plans to expand to Las Vegas and Detroit in 2026.
The service is similar to Uber or Lyft, but without drivers. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.
"By welcoming innovative and promising technologies like Waymo's autonomous vehicle service, we're exploring how to make transportation more accessible, more sustainable and more connected for everyone in our community," said Mayor Todd Gloria.
Elo-Rivera said he was prompted to bring up the items by malfunctions and public safety concerns.
On Oct. 27, a Waymo vehicle struck and killed a beloved neighborhood cat, "KitKat" in San Francisco.
"While our vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat darted under our vehicle as it was pulling away," a company spokesperson said.
The death of the Mission District feline, nicknamed "The Mayor of 16th Street," prompted Bay Area politicians to take action.
Jackie Fielder, a San Francisco city supervisor, said she plans to introduce legislation that would allow counties to decide whether they will permit the operation of autonomous vehicles, and is calling upon the California legislature to consider doing the same, The Guardian reports. Fielder said the bill will be similar to a 2024 effort in the California legislature.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi acknowledged at a tech summit in September that in 10 or 15 years, more autonomous taxis would be on the road than those with drivers, leaving concerns about lost jobs.
"Waymo's driverless cars are not fair competition. These vehicles raise serious safety concerns. No machine can replace the human connection between a driver and their customer," said Mikhail Hussein, president of the United Taxi Workers of San Diego. "We believe the public deserves a real debate and discussion before our streets are handed over to autonomous vehicles."
MTS serves as both the regional transit operator and the for-hire vehicle administrator for 10 cities across San Diego County.
"We're not anti-technology — we're pro-worker, pro-safety and pro- democracy," Elo-Rivera said. "If AVs are going to operate in San Diego, it must happen on terms that reflect the values of our city and improve the lives of our residents — not just the profit margins of tech billionaires."
