Outcry on Market Street: Pedestrian Advocates Demand End to Waymo's Car-Free Zone Incursions

San Francisco’s iconic Market Street, a bustling artery once choked by private vehicles, was triumphantly transformed into a pedestrian and transit-first paradise. Or so it seemed. Now, a new challenge has emerged, sparking outrage among the city's most fervent pedestrian and transit advocates: the quiet, yet persistent, encroachment of Waymo's autonomous rideshare vehicles.

On a recent day, the spirit of advocacy took to the streets as Walk SF and the SF Transit Riders spearheaded a passionate protest.

Their message was clear, resounding through the heart of the city: Waymo's self-driving cars have no place on a street specifically designed to be car-free, a sanctuary for those on foot and riding public transportation. This wasn't just a minor complaint; it was a demand for accountability and a desperate plea to uphold the vision of a safer, more efficient urban core.

The "Better Market Street" project was a monumental effort, reimagining the thoroughfare to prioritize the flow of Muni buses, streetcars, and the countless pedestrians who navigate its sidewalks daily.

The explicit goal was to ban private vehicles, creating a safer, more pleasant experience for everyone. Yet, through what advocates are calling a dangerous loophole, Waymo vehicles are currently permitted to operate. Why? Because legally, they aren't classified as "private vehicles" in the traditional sense, allowing them to glide past restrictions meant for human-driven cars.

This technicality, however, is leading to very real consequences on the ground.

Protesters highlight numerous incidents where Waymo vehicles have allegedly blocked Muni buses, performed unsafe maneuvers, and created unexpected hazards for pedestrians. "It's a slap in the face to everything we fought for," one advocate exclaimed, emphasizing that these autonomous vehicles are not merely a novelty but a tangible threat to the safety and efficiency that the car-free initiative was meant to achieve.

While Waymo has been operating 24/7 across significant portions of San Francisco, its expansion onto the revitalized Market Street represents a critical turning point.

For years, the city has grappled with the integration of autonomous vehicles, navigating complex questions of safety, regulation, and urban planning. The Market Street controversy brings these debates to a head, forcing a re-evaluation of how technology should coexist with the fundamental human right to safe and accessible public spaces.

The message from Walk SF and the SF Transit Riders is unequivocal: the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and other city officials must step up.

They are calling for a definitive reinterpretation or amendment of the rules to explicitly include autonomous vehicles in the "private vehicle" ban on Market Street. The future of Market Street, and indeed the blueprint for urban design in an increasingly autonomous world, hangs in the balance. It’s a fight for the soul of a city, ensuring that technology serves the people, not the other way around.