CA: Mayor Lurie to allow Waymo on S.F.'s car-free Market Street

"Market Street runs through the heart of the city, and we're making sure it continues to evolve with the times," Lurie said in a statement Thursday, presenting the autonomous ride-hail vehicles as a tool to revitalize the troubled corridor — and in particular the theaters, hotels and restaurants whose owners have begun lobbying the mayor to reinstate car access.

Over the next few weeks, Waymo will begin mapping Market Street for its vehicles, enabling them to start operating there as soon as this summer. Waymo's electric Jaguar SUVs would then be welcomed onto the two-mile "car-free" stretch east of 10th Street.

Ubers, Lyfts, and private cars are still prohibited from this section of the city's spine, though taxis are exempt. A sign prompts vehicles "except" buses, bikes and commercial carriers to turn right at 10th — and Waymos apparently fit the "commercial" category.

Thursday's announcement marks the latest in a series of expansions for the self-driving car company, and comes weeks after Lurie and other leaders authorized Waymo to map roads to San Francisco International Airport. Lurie's embrace of robotaxis has thrilled the company's executives, who say they are providing safe, convenient transport for San Franciscans.

"We're honored that Mayor Lurie has invited us to serve as a mobility option on San Francisco's historic Market Street," Waymo's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, said in the mayor's statement.

But the move comes at a moment of tense debate over the future of Market, six years after the city's seismic decision to remove cars from the eastern portion.

Supporters view car-free Market as a win for pedestrian and cyclist safety and note how it's improved the speed and reliability of public transit. Some viewed the incursion of Waymos as an attempt to replace high-capacity Muni buses with low-capacity self-driving cars, especially given the timing: Muni is slated to make service cuts this summer that would have some bus routes turn around when they reach Market Street, obliging riders to transfer.

Kyle Grochmal, a rider of the 9 San Bruno bus, said he looked at Waymo as a possible alternative last week, and deemed it "too slow and expensive," with excessive wait times for vehicles.

"This idea of opening access for everyone — that's not what's happening," Grochmal said.

Supervisor Jackie Fielder underscored that point in a social media post Thursday: "Waymo should be taxed to fund public transit," she wrote.

Yet a coalition of businesses is now pressing Lurie to undo the private automobile restriction, saying cars would help deliver tourists and shoppers and keep the hospitality industry afloat.

To date, Lurie has not signaled where he will land on car-free Market, other than to open space for Waymo. He characterized the autonomous ride-hails as a supplement to traditional taxis and transit.

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