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San Francisco mayor pushes for tougher rules after the Waymo traffic fiasco
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has asked California regulators to strengthen autonomous vehicle rules after Waymo robotaxis caused a massive July 4 traffic jam, highlighting the need for stricter oversight of self-driving technology during major incidents. In a letter to the state Department of Transportation, Lurie cited two events—a December power outage and the July 4 Golden Gate Bridge fireworks show that drew 100,000 spectators—where dozens of stranded Waymo vehicles paralyzed city streets. He argued that California’s current regulatory framework fails to address how autonomous vehicles operate during extraordinary events, not just normal conditions. Lurie proposed four core operational capabilities for autonomous vehicle manufacturers: immediate removal of immobile robotaxis from travel lanes, real-time route and service area adjustments, sharing of operational data with local agencies, and demonstrated ability to handle large influxes of people and traffic. Waymo, which operates about 1,000 robotaxis in the Bay Area and completes over 500,000 paid rides weekly, had voluntarily restricted service near the waterfront on July 4 but still caused gridlock outside that district. Lurie said voluntary measures are no longer sufficient given Waymo’s fleet size. California’s existing permit process, administered by the DMV and Public Utilities Commission, is already stricter than in states like Texas and Arizona, but six companies including Waymo, Zoox, and Nuro hold driverless testing permits. Tesla holds only a charter transportation permit and does not operate fully autonomous robotaxis. TechCrunch has reached out to Waymo for comment.