RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PROPOSED SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE OPERATION OF AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY DEVICES ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS AND RIGHT-OF-WAYS
WHEREAS, Vision Zero is San Francisco’s policy to eliminate all traffic deaths in San Francisco by 2024 and to ensure the safety of our public realm for pedestrians, cyclist and vehicle passengers and drivers; and
WHEREAS, Autonomous Delivery Devices (Devices) are a new technology of significant weight and size that have not been proven safe to travel along public sidewalks or right-of-way; and
WHEREAS, These Devices present numerous safety risks and would be an intrusion in the way of life of the city’s most vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, and those with limited vision or mobility; and
WHEREAS, At the May 16, 2017 meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Yee introduced an ordinance (File No. 170599) to protect the public by amending the Public Works and Police Codes to prohibit the operation of these Devices on public sidewalks and right-of-ways and establishing penalties for their unlawful operation; and
WHEREAS, This ordinance aligns with the Guiding Principles for Management of Emerging Mobility Services and Technologies, as adopted by the Transportation Authority Board at its July 25, 2017 meeting, in terms of safety and congestion; and
WHEREAS, Allowing these Devices to roam the city’s sidewalks would represent the commercialization of the pedestrian right-of-way which is already narrow and congested; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco has prioritized sidewalks for people and changing that priority is contrary to the goals of Vision Zero; and
WHEREAS, This is a private versus public priority and safety is the number one role of the Vision Zero Committee; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Transportation Authority supports the ordinance and urges the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to adopt it, in order to further the goals of Vision Zero and protect the safety of the general public.
