Title: San Francisco Activists Encourage Disabling Robotaxis with Traffic Cones as Protest Against Services Expansion
Subtitle: The “Week of Cone” gains momentum ahead of Waymo and Cruise autonomous vehicle deployment hearing
Date: [insert date]
San Francisco, CA – A decentralized group of safe streets activists in San Francisco has found a unique way to protest the spread of robotaxi services in the city. By placing traffic cones on the hoods of Cruise and Waymo autonomous vehicles, they have discovered that they can disable the vehicles. The prank, known as the “Week of Cone,” has gained viral attention on social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, and it is becoming a symbol of residents’ frustration with the malfunctioning and traffic-blocking robotaxis.
The protest comes just ahead of a crucial hearing where the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is expected to approve the expansion of Cruise’s and Waymo’s autonomous vehicle passenger services in San Francisco on July 13. While the CPUC does not grant companies permission to operate AVs on public roads, it allows them to charge passengers a fare for the service, which is crucial for sustainable scaling of robotaxi and autonomous delivery operations.
Despite mounting opposition from city agencies and residents, the CPUC posted draft resolutions in May that approve the expansion. Opponents have raised concerns about AVs impeding traffic, public transit, emergency responders, and even accidents involving pedestrians and animals. They have called for the CPUC to exercise caution, gather more data, and limit the fleet sizes and deployment locations of robotaxis.
In addition to concerns about traffic and safety, opponents such as the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance and the Alliance for Independent Workers argue that the proliferation of robotaxis will eliminate the need for human taxi and ride-hail drivers.
In response to these concerns, the safe streets activists, known as Safe Street Rebel, initiated the “Week of Cone” campaign as a means to raise awareness and encourage San Franciscans to submit public comments to the CPUC before the hearing.
A video posted on social media by Safe Street Rebel illustrates their frustrations with AVs and their impact on the city. While some of the points made in the video may be exaggerated, there are genuine concerns about the behavior of Cruise and Waymo vehicles, such as blocking emergency vehicles and impeding general traffic. It is crucial to include public input and opinions while unleashing autonomous vehicles on public roads.
David Zipper, a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government, tweeted in support of the cone challenge, stating that the regulators are forcing San Franciscans to become guinea pigs for AV technology and that active protest is a reasonable response.
As the “Week of Cone” gains traction, Safe Street Rebel is urging others to join the movement and disable empty autonomous vehicles by placing traffic cones on their hoods. While the group shared that some people have already submitted pictures, it is unclear how many have participated. Waymo has condemned the viral hack as vandalism and stated that it will notify law enforcement of any interference with their vehicles on public roadways.
Despite the attention garnered by the protest, the cone trick is unlikely to affect the CPUC’s decision. The support from various stakeholders, including elected officials, accessibility advocates, technology industry groups, and business and economic development organizations, indicates that dissenting voices are unlikely to sway the CPUC’s decision to expand robotaxi services. The upcoming hearing’s agenda suggests that the agency is ready to approve the program authorization.
While concerns regarding the safety, impact on traffic, and displacement of human drivers raised by protesters hold weight, the CPUC maintains that Cruise’s and Waymo’s proposed services are not anticipated to result in significant safety risks.
The AV industry faces challenges in gaining public trust and ensuring sufficient regulations as self-driving cars are introduced on public roads. The lack of input from everyday people impacted by AVs has fueled concerns, leading to protests like the “Week of Cone” campaign.
It remains to be seen how the AV deployment hearing will unfold and what ramifications the “Week of Cone” protest will have on the conversation surrounding the expansion of robotaxi services in San Francisco.
[Personalized journalistic sign-off]